sion should not continue beyond a given hour, Dr. Quint had strong objections. The writer remembers an occasion when the previous question was moved in the Massachusetts State Association, and Dr. Quint rose to a question of privilege in opposition to it, saying that it never had prevailed in that body, and calling on the house not even to permit the withdrawal of the motion, but squarely to vote it down. The original rules of business of the National Council were very brief. Other rules have been added to them, but these remain unmodified from the beginning. Under them the previous question is never in order in the National Council, and it should seldom be tolerated in religious bodies. These original rules, which should be adequate for religious bodies, are these:

"The rules of order shall be those found in common parliamentary use, not modified by local legislative practice, with the following explicit modifications:

"When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received except the following, namely: to amend, to commit, to postpone to a time certain, to postpone indefinitely, to lay on the table, and to adjourn— which shall have precedence in the reverse order of this list the motions to lay on the table and to adjourn, alone, being not debatable.

"No member shall speak more than twice to the merits of any question in debate, except by special permission of the body, nor more than once until every member desiring to speak shall have spoken.

79. To Reconsider. A vote that has been passed by an assembly may be reconsidered provided the reconsideration is moved and seconded by two members who voted in favor of it. A vote to reconsider cannot itself be reconsidered. While a motion to reconsider is before the house, no other motions are in order excepting those which relate to adjournment. If the

motion which it is proposed to reconsider was itself undebatable, the motion to reconsider is undebatable, but if the original motion was debatable, the proposal to reconsider opens the whole question to discussion. A motion to reconsider may be made and entered on the records even when another member has the floor. The reason for this privilege is that the time within which reconsideration is permitted is limited to the day, or the day or session following that on which the vote to be reconsidered was passed. But while a member may interrupt another for the purpose of recording a motion to reconsider, he ought not to do so unless there is real need that he should do so by reason of limitation of time, or for other urgent and evident reasons. If the motion to reconsider prevails, the original motion is before the house. The high privilege belonging to the motion to reconsider does not apply to the reconsidered motion itself, but this becomes subject to all subsidiary motions to which it was originally subject.

80. To Rescind. The motion to reconsider is limited in point of time, and must be made by one who has voted in favor of it. A motion to rescind can be made at any time when no other business is before the house. It is not privileged in any way; is subject to amendment and discussion, and opens the main question for discussion.

X. INCIDENTAL MOTIONS.

81. Concerning Rules and Orders. The term incidental motions is used with some variety of meaning in various treatises. As here employed it applies to questions that not being amendments still relate incidentally to the main question without directly affecting its merits, and that concern in some fashion rules and the conduct of business.

82. The Orders of the Day. A motion for the order of the day requires no second. It may be made by any member even when another member has the floor, and is in order only when the time has arrived which the assembly has set for certain business. Whatever is pending at the time this motion prevails is postponed if the motion is adopted, but may be taken up as unfinished business at the conclusion of the orders of the day.

83. To Make a Subject a Special Order. An item of business which the house does not wish to consider immediately may be made a special order for a given hour. If the motion is contested a two-thirds vote is necessary to adopt it.

84. To Amend or Suspend the Rules. In almost all bodies this requires previous notice and a two-thirds vote; but not in the National Council, where a majority can amend the rules without previous notice.

A motion to suspend the rules may be made when it is the desire of the assembly to consider a matter which is technically out of order. It requires a twothirds vote, is undebatable, though limited discussion strictly confined to the propriety of the suspension may be tacitly allowed. It cannot be reconsidered. The

rules can be suspended only for a definite purpose to be stated in the motion.

85. To Take up a Question out of Its Proper Order. Where it is desired to take up a question out of its proper order a motion to this effect may be made and seconded. A two-thirds vote is required to pass it, and it is undebatable and cannot be amended.

86. Questions Concerning the Piority of Business. Such questions may be submitted upon formal motion or presented by the chair with a request to know the will of the assembly concerning the order in which it shall consider business yet to be done. In such case the formality of a motion may be dispensed with and the chair may state to the house, concisely, the nature of the business, and submit the question of the order to direct vote. If made in the form of a motion it may be amended, but is undebatable, though suggestions as to the wisdom of the proposed order may tacitly be permitted.

87. The Suppression of the Question. This is an undebatable motion, does not require to be seconded, and is in order when a member has the floor. It should be employed only when the matter proposed is clearly out of order and usually only when the matter proposed is beyond the jurisdiction of the body. The objection calls for a ruling from the chair whether the business proposed is in order, and is in effect a point of order raised against the proposed business. It can be introduced only before there has been discussion, and when the question is raised the chair may rule upon it, or may refer it to the house without the formality of a motion, asking, "Will the house consider this matter?" Unless the chair is sure of his position, it is better for him to put the question in this form than to rule upon it, as in case of dissatisfaction his decision might be appealed from, and the

question would still have to be decided by the house. If there is any probability that this will occur, the presiding officer should throw the responsibility upon the house at the outset. A two-thirds vote is required to carry this motion.

The motion to refuse to consider is not a measure to close debate, but an effective method of not beginning it. It is a summary method of casting out an irrelevant matter without discussion.

88. The Reading of Papers. When papers are laid before an assembly, it is the right of any member to have them read once before voting. But no member has a right to call for such reading after they have been recently read, nor for delay, nor for any other purpose than for information. The call for the reading of papers does not require a second; but if the papers have been once read, and subsequent reading is called for and opposed, the question may be put to the house without discussion.

89. Parliamentary Inquiries. A member desiring information on a matter pending may ask for it, and the moderator will reply, or refer the question to the scribe, the mover of the main question, or the chairman of the committee whose report is before the house. Or if the inquiry relate to a question of order, and the moderator prefers, he may call for the will or judgment of the house before ruling. A parliamentary inquiry is a privileged question, to be used in good faith for the obtaining of information pertinent to the matter in hand; and the moderator will not hesitate to rule it out of order when it is apparent that the motive is delay or covert argument.

A member who

90. The Withdrawal of a Motion. has made a motion may withdraw the motion provided the second consents, unless objection is made. If, however, there is objection, it is necessary that there