IX. SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS.

69. To Commit. This motion may be made concerning a main question at any time during the discussion, and if the matter has already been before a committee, a motion to re-commit is in order, taking precedence over motions to amend or postpone. This motion is useful when the discussion relates to troublesome details which are likely to consume time, and which can better be settled in a smaller body which shall bring the question before the house in simpler and more orderly form. The motion to commit is debatable, and within certain limits, opens the main question for discussion, if the interests of the main question are likely to be affected by committing. For instance, it is in order for a member to show how he supposes the interests in the question will be affected by committing, and so far forth, to discuss the main question under the motion to commit. The member is not permitted, however, to transcend these limits, nor to argue at length the merits of the main question.

Discussion is also in order on an amendment of the motion concerning the composition of the committee, as to whether it shall be referred to the committee that may previously have acted upon it, or to a new committee, or to one of the standing committees of the body, or to the committee of the whole. If several amendments are offered and the chair desires to know quickly the will of the house, he may put the motions on the question of the composition of the committee in the following order: First, to refer to the committee of the whole; second, to refer to a standing committee of the house; third, to refer to a special committee.

70. To Postpone to a Certain Time. This motion permits of limited debate, confined to the question of the time to which it is proposed to postpone.

It is not in order to postpone a matter to a time beyond that session, or to the time of unfinished business in the next session. If more questions are postponed to a given time than can be considered at that time, they take their place in order as unfinished busi

ness.

71. To Postpone Indefinitely. The motion to postpone indefinitely is debatable, but cannot be amended. It opens the main question to discussion. If it prevails, the entire question is removed from the assembly for that session. If the previous question is moved while the motion to postpone indefinitely is before the house, the previous question applies only to the postponement, and not to the main question. The effect of this motion is to remove entirely for that session the question before the house. It may be moved concerning a main question, amendment, or question of privilege. It yields to any motion except a main question or a motion to amend.

72. To Lay on the Table. This is an undebatable motion; it cannot be amended, and an affirmative vote upon it cannot be reconsidered. It is a motion of high privilege which carries with it the original motion and all subsidiary motions. Its purpose is to enable the house instantly to put aside one phase of its business and take up another. If it prevails, the business so postponed cannot be brought up again until other business has been transacted, but the motion may be taken from the table by a majority vote, and is then before the house in the exact status which it possessed when laid on the table.

Although a motion to lay on the table is undebatable and may not be amended, the chair may recognize a

member of the house if he rises to a question of privilege, when a motion to table has the effect of finally disposing of a question.

73. The Abuse of the Motion to Table. As religious bodies other than local churches meet infrequently, and commonly with full programmes, the motion to lay on the table very commonly is equivalent to casting the whole matter out of court in the most summary and arbitrary manner. As thus used it is hardly a courteous motion, and in the hands of a restless majority may become tyrannical. Designed in its nature for the quick clearing of the docket because of some pressing business that requires instant attention, and not finally to dispose of the matter tabled, it then becomes by reason of its high privilege an oppressive measure. It is a loaded weapon which an assembly can use in selfdefense against fillibustering and the consideration of profitless business; but it should be used only as a weapon is used, in extreme and desperate cases. It is much more drastic than the previous question. If the National Council has deemed it wise to rule out the previous question, it cannot have intended to make frequent use of a motion much more arbitrary and also undebatable.

The motion to table, therefore, except as used in good faith to make temporary provision for a matter of importance, is an ill-mannered motion, which religious assemblies should vote down as an invasion of personal rights and a breach of Christian courtesy.

On this point Robert well says: "This is an abuse of the motion that often interferes with the harmony of voluntary organizations. The reasons for giving it such high privileges are based on the theory that the question is laid aside only temporarily. The motion is very valuable if used for its legitimate purpose, but if used habitually to suppress questions, then it

should require a two-thirds vote.”

of Order, p. 54.

Robert's Rules

74. To Take from the Table. A motion that has been laid upon the table may be taken from the table by majority vote at any session following that on which the question was tablet. The motion is not debatable, cannot be amended, and cannot be reconsidered.

75. To Limit Debate. This is an undebatable motion, and requires a two-thirds vote. Its effect is to set a time at which the vote shall be taken, or to limit the length of time that any one member may speak upon the question. The same effect is often produced by an announcement from the, chair at the beginning of the discussion suggesting that the discussion be limited to an hour, or to some other definite period, and that no member be permitted to speak more than three or five minutes. Such a suggestion

made by the chair and not opposed, may be considered as adopted by unanimous consent, without the formality of a motion.

76. To Extend the Limits of Debate. The house having set a time at which debate shall close, the time may be extended by the same vote required to close it, namely, two-thirds. A motion to extend the limits of debate is not debatable, but the chair might recognize a member, as for instance, the chairman of the business committee, or some other officer, having in mind the business to be done, stating briefly and without argument, the nature of the business yet to be accomplished, the knowledge of which might assist the members in determining whether discussion should be extended. Such remarks would be out of order, however, if made in the interests of either side, or of having the effect of a discussion of the main question. 77. The Previous Question. The effect of the pre

vious question is to close discussion and to bring the main question to an immediate vote. It requires a two-thirds vote. It is undebatable, cannot be amended, and an affirmative vote upon it cannot be reconsidered. It is a motion of high privilege, and should not be made until it is apparent that all the important issues have been fully canvassed in the discussion and that the discussion itself has reached a wearisome stage. Although the previous question is undebatable, the chair would be justified in recognizing a member of the minority if he arose and stated briefly and without argument, that important considerations still remained to be presented, and that the rights of the minority would be seriously hampered by the passing of the motion. Such a member, however, would have no right to speak at length, nor to argue in favor of his position, but could be heard on a question of privilege concerning the rights of those for whom he assumed to speak. The previous question should be put in this form, "Shall the main question be now put?" If the motion is lost, discussion proceeds as if the previous question had not been moved. If the previous question prevails, the main question must be put to the house with its amendments in their parliamentary order. The previous question takes precedence of every debatable question, but yields to a motion to lay on the table, and to questions of privilege.

78. The Previous Question Not in Order in the National Council. It will be noted that in the National Council's standing rules, there is no provision for the previous question. As that portion of the Rules of Order which provides for subsidiary motions belongs to the original draft, presented at Oberlin in 1871 by Dr. Quint, it doubtless was done with intent. To this motion and all others restricting the freedom of speech, except by a vote adopted in advance that the discus