Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

first house desires to change its original action and agree with the other house it votes "to recede and concur." If it desires to try to persuade the other house to agree with it the motion is "to insist and ask for a committee of conference." If it proposes

to stand pat, whatever happens, it votes "to adhere," and that kills the bill, unless the other house backs down.

CHAPTER VII.

SUNDRY GENERAL RULES.

51. Rules enumerated.-A few general rules for one's guidance when participating in deliberative assemblies are as follows:

(1) It is most unparliamentary to make a principal motion and a subsidiary one relating to it at the same time, as, for instance, to move the adoption of a resolution and the previous question upon its adoption both together.

(2) When a member has obtained the floor, he cannot be interrupted except, generally speaking, by a call to order, a question of privilege, a motion to proceed to the order of the day, and a motion to reconsider to be noted on the record. Unless the disposition of these motions disposes of the speaker also, he may proceed when they are finished. Calls of "order," "order," or "question," "question," made by members from their seats, are always disorderly and should be rebuked by the presiding officer. A member can properly take no part in the proceedings from his seat, except to vote-a rule far too seldom observed.

(3) The last word is frequently conceded to the proposer of the pending question as a privilege, but, although often claimed, is not a right.

(4) The member speaking should always address his remarks to the presiding officer and not to his

fellow members, and speeches should follow, not precede, the motions to which they refer.

(5) A member having the floor may yield it for a question addressed to himself without losing his right to continue, and likewise when he yields for a motion to adjourn, or to take a recess, or that the committee of the whole rise, he is entitled to resume at once if either action be lost, and if the motion be carried he is entitled to resume when the subject is next before the body. But when he yields the floor for any other purpose, he yields it for all.

(6) Members should refrain from referring to each other by name. Some equivalent expression like "the last speaker," or "the gentleman from A," should always be used, if possible. The official, and not the personal, character of the party addressed must be kept in view..

(7) A member's remarks must always be pertinent to the subject under discussion, otherwise he may be called to order.

(8) While the nature or consequences of a pending measure may be strongly criticized, it is not permissible to speak in similar terms of a measure already passed, for that would be a reflection upon the assembly, and, similarly, while a pending measure may be roundly abused, those who favor it may never be.

(9) The general rule is that no member shall speak more than once to the same question, except by leave of the assembly; but he may speak the second time to clear a matter of fact or explain an ambiguity in some material part of his speech.

CHAPTER VIII.

COMMITTEES.

52. Membership.-The member who makes the motion for the appointment of a committee is not entitled to be chairman or even a member of it. That he is so entitled has, however, come to be so generally believed that not to appoint him is likely to be considered an act of discourtesy. The person first named in announcing or electing a committee is usually considered to be chairman, but the committee may disregard that and choose its own chairman unless the assembly otherwise directs.

53. The report.-"A majority report" is a misnomer. There can be but two reports, "the report of the committee" and "a minority report." This latter can technically be presented only by leave of the assembly, which is seldom refused. A report can only be agreed to in a meeting of the committee. It cannot be made up from opinions of members obtained outside. It should always be the result of joint discussion.

54. Treatment of the report. The "reception" of a report adopts nothing, but ipso facto, discharges the committee, unless it be a standing one. The "reception" of a report merely admits its subject matter to the body for consideration in the light of the report. The report is simply a vehicle in which the real matter for action is brought back to

the assembly and the question is upon that matter and not upon the vehicle.

55. Committee of the whole.-Deliberative assemblies frequently resolve themselves into the committee of the whole in order that some specified subject may be more informally and fully discussed than it can be in the assembly itself. This is due to the fact that the ordinary rules of parliamentary law are greatly relaxed in committee of the whole, and while a vote there affords a test of strength, it does not bind the assembly. The course of procedure is substantially as follows: A member moves that the assembly resolve itself into the committee of the whole to consider some pending matter specified in his motion. If this be voted, the presiding officer names the person who shall act as chairman and himself leaves the chair. If it is desired to object to the chairman so named, the objection should be made before the presiding officer leaves the chair. In practice objection is never made. The clerk of the assembly still acts, but makes no record. He merely keeps such memoranda as will assist the chairman. The report made by the chairman to the assembly is the record of the committee and is preserved in the journal of the assembly.

The quorum of the committee is the same as that of the assembly unless the assembly otherwise orders. If it is found that a quorum is not present the fact is reported at once to the house. The committee cannot limit debate. Each member may speak as often as he can get the floor and as long as he chooses, subject to the reasonable control of

« ZurückWeiter »