Nominations do not require a second. Where the rules of an assembly fail to provide a method of nomination a motion for such provision is in order. The motion to close nominations is subject to none of the subsidiary motions save the motion to amend, and is decided by a two-thirds vote.
relate to the needs and interests of the assembly and its members in matters of such urgent importance as to supersede temporarily pending business. They take preced ence of all other motions and may he offered while other ques tions are pending. In this class of motions is the motion to fix the time to which to adjourn, to adjourn, to take a recess, raising questions of privilege and the call for the orders of the day, all of which are undebatable.
Other motions variously referred to as supplementary, mis cellaneous and unclassified, are the motions to take from the table, to discharge a committee, to accept the report of a corn mittee, to rescind, to repeal, to annul, to expunge and to permit a member to resume the floor after having been called to order for words spoken in debate.
In order to debate a question, a member must rise and address the chair and be recognized by the presid ing officer for that purpose. The presiding officer should first recognize the mover of a proposition or the member of a com mittee presenting a report and should endeavour to alternate recognitions between those favouring and those opposing a ques tion. It is also customary, though not necessarily incumbent upon the chair, to permit the proponent of a proposition to close de bate. A member may speak but once on the same question at the same stage of the proceedings if others desire recognition, but is entitled to speak on the main question and on each amendment as presented. Under general parliamentary procedure a member securing the floor may speak without limit and this practice still obtains in the U.S. Senate, but the House of Representatives by rule limits speakers to one hour in the House and to five minutes in the committee of the whole. Most assemblies and all legisla tive bodies provide a limit for debate and in conventions it is cus tomary to adopt a rule at the opening session limiting debate to a specified number of minutes. In debate a member must con fine himself to the question under consideration, must avoid per sonalities and must not arraign motives. Members should be silent and respectful while another has the floor and in question ing the speaker should first address the chair, who will in turn inquire if the speaker desires to yield. Where the presiding officer is a member of the assembly he has the right to debate and to participate in the proceedings but should call another to the chair before taking the floor and should not resume it again until the pending question has been decided.
Voting may be by ballot; by division, that is a rising vote ; viva voce, that is by acclamation, the presiding officer deciding by the volume of voices; by show of hands; by tellers, the members passing between tellers appointed from opposite sides to count them as they pass through ; and by yeas and nays, the clerk calling the roll and recording each vote as given. If
there is doubt as to the result of a viva voce vote any member may request a division and the presiding officer thereupon pro ceeds to take a rising vote. A member may change his vote at any time prior to announcement of the result. Only members in attendance may vote and voting by proxy is never permissible unless by operation of law. A tie vote defeats an affirmative mo tion. The presiding officer if a member of the assembly votes to break a tie but not to make one.
Much of the work of assemblies and especially of legislative bodies, is transacted by committees. The corn mittee system provides for a better division of labour and for a more detailed consideration than the assembly as a whole is ordinarily prepared to give. Committees are classified as standing committees, with fixed terms of office, rendering continuous ser vice ; and special committees serving temporarily and assigned to limited service. In the absence of a rule making other provision, committees are selected by the assembly. Frequently the chair is authorized to appoint committees. Or selection may be made by ballot, by resolution or by designation in motions of refer ence. If no chairman is designated the member first named acts as chairman until the committee elects a chairman. As far as applicable the rules of the assembly govern its committees. The chairman of the committee submits its report to the assembly and unless it is of elementary character is required to present it in writing. Members who do not concur in the report may submit minority views over their signatures. When called up for con, sideration in the assembly such minority report is read in con nection with the majority report unless there is objection, in which event the question of reading the minority views is sub mitted without debate to the vote of the assembly.
The committee of the whole consists of the entire assembly acting as a general committee. In legislative assemblies it affords greater freedom of consideration, but in non-legal bodies is rarely used.
Use of motions to effect a purpose in the assembly or its committees when applicable may be summar ized as follows: The body may protect itself against business which it does not wish to consider by invoking the motion to lay on the table, by raising the question of consideration, or by voting to postpone indefinitely. If it is desired to suppress debate, the motion to limit debate and the demand for the previous ques tion are available. Modification of a proposition may be secured through amendment or reference to a committee with or without instructions. Action may be deferred by postponement to a day certain, by providing a special order or by the motion to table. A question may be brought up a second time for con sideration in the assembly by voting to take from the table, by reconsideration or by the motion to rescind, repeal or annul.
(C. CA.)