those opposed, 'no,'" etc. The motion for the previous question, although debatable in England, is not debatable here and cannot be amended.

At common law it can be applied only to the main question, and therefore, if amendments are pending, inasmuch as the road back to the main question lies only through these amendments, the vote must be taken first upon the pending amendments in their order and lastly upon the main question, and all forthwith without debate.

It is customary, and very desirable, to give the previous question, by special rule, precedence over all subsidiary motions except to lay upon the table, and, whether with or without a special rule, it is customary also to permit it to be applied specifically to pending amendments or any other debatable motion which has for the time being taken precedence of the main question. In this case if the previous question be ordered, the vote under it will only be taken upon that particular motion against which it was specifically directed.

28. Motion to postpone indefinitely. This motion is designed to avoid a direct vote on the question itself and to give its opponents an opportunity to try their strength at any stage of the proceedings. If carried, the matter is defeated; if not, it proceeds as before. This motion cannot be amended, but is not only debatable itself, but throws open the whole question to debate. By special rule, however, it is often made not debatable.

29. Motion to postpone to a time certain.—The object of this motion is to obtain time for considera

tion or to make an opening for more pressing business. It is debatable as to its own merits, but does not open the main question. It can be amended as to the date, but when amendment is desired the best way to treat the situation is to consider the date blank and proceed to fill it from such dates as may be suggested, putting the question first upon the date which is most remote. When the motion prevails the matter becomes the order of the day at the time named.

30. Motion to commit, refer, or recommit to a committee. When the assembly has much business and standing committees have been appointed, the committal is usually made, as of course on first presentation, to the appropriate one of those committees. In other cases the motion for reference may itself create a special committee for the purpose, or propose a reference to a committee to be raised. The reference may be with or without instructions. If instructions are given they must be followed. The motion to commit may be amended and is debatable, but the merits of the main question are not open for discussion, since that discussion will be only pertinent after the committee reports. If, however, the motion be to commit with instructions as to the main question, then debate can be had upon the merits.

31. The motion to amend-Preliminary discussion. When the assembly is willing to consider the subject matter of a proposition, but is not satisfied with its form, the course of procedure is to bring it into satisfactory form by means of amendments or proceedings of a similar character.

There are two proceedings of a character similar to amendments which should first be considered. (a) The division of the question. This division may be ordered by the assembly on motion, which motion may be amended. It is not the right of a member, as matter of course, to have a compound question divided into parts for action, although that right is sometimes asserted. A compound question can only be separated by moving amendments or moving for a division of it, unless the assembly has by special rule provided otherwise. A proposition, to be divisible, must embrace points so distinct that each could stand by and be complete in itself. If the assembly refuses to divide the question, a motion to strike out may accomplish the desired result. Another proceeding similar in character to amendments is: (b) The filling of blanks. Sometimes a measure is submitted with blanks for dates or amounts. When it is proposed to fill these blanks, the propositions— although in effect amendments-are not treated precisely as amendments, but are marshaled and put to vote in such order that the largest sum or the longest time is tried first, and so backward until one is adopted and the blank filled. When two propositions might be better put into one, or one more properly distributed into two, or paragraphs or sections should be transposed, common consent for the changes may well be first sought before resorting to motions for amendment. If a proposition is rearranged so that the original numbering of its sections is wrong, they may be renumbered by the clerk and motions for that purpose are not needed.

32. Amendments, strictly so-called. Recurring now to amendments, strictly so-called, every amendment which can be proposed, is itself susceptible of amendment, but amendments cannot be proposed beyond an amendment to an amendment. If an amendment to an amendment is voted down or adopted, then another amendment to the amendment can be proposed, but not before. When an amendment is pending all other proposed amendments must be confined to that. Two amendments to different parts of the main proposition cannot be pending at the same time. An amendment, once agreed to, cannot afterwards be altered or amended, except by general consent, although the main question as so amended may be finally rejected. The inconsistency of a proposed amendment with one already adopted is good ground for its rejection by the assembly, but not for its suppression by the chair. If an amendment is defeated it cannot be again proposed except with such changes as alter its sense. If an amendment by insertion is adopted the words inserted cannot be afterwards stricken out except in connection with enough other words to make a new proposition. If a motion to strike out a paragraph be lost, that same paragraph cannot afterwards be amended. The effect of the refusal to strike out is to make it a permanent part of the original proposition. If the motion to strike out be carried, the words in question cease to be a part of the proposition and cannot be reinstated except with the addition of enough others to make a new proposition. A motion to strike out or insert is, by the better practice,

indivisible. The rules immediately preceding are logical and should be observed.

When a motion is made to strike out a paragraph and insert another, the friends of each paragraph have a right by amendments to make it more acceptable and then the vote is taken as between the two in their perfected form. Likewise, when a motion to strike out or a motion to insert a paragraph is pending, it is in order for the friends of the paragraph to try to make it acceptable by amendment before the motion is put. An amendment by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting a new bill is only one form of striking out and inserting. An amendment by striking out the enacting clause, so as to defeat the bill, gives way to amendments intended to remove objections to it. Amendments are not always proposed by friends of the measure or intended to improve it. It is entirely lawful so to amend a measure that no one will desire its passage. An amendment is never out of order simply because it is inconsistent with the original motion. The only limitation is that "no motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment."

After all desired amendments are adopted the proposition, as amended, must be put to vote again, even if the amendments have made an entirely new and complete motion. Likewise, a proposition adopted in paragraphs must be acted upon anew as a whole, and may be rejected on this final vote.