Robert's Rules of Order, Henry M. Robert [top books of all time .txt] 📗

>(c) Suspension of the Rules. It is necessary for every assembly, if discussion is allowed, to have rules to prevent its time being wasted, and to enable it to accomplish the object for which the assembly was organized. And yet at times their best interests are subserved by suspending their rules temporarily. In order to do this, some one makes a motion "to suspend the rules that interfere with," etc., stating the object of the suspension. If this motion is carried by a two-thirds vote, then the particular thing for which the rules were suspended can be done. By "general consent," that is, if no one objects, the rules can at any time be ignored without the formality of a motion.

(d) Questions of Order. It is the duty of the chairman to enforce the rules and preserve

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order, and when any member notices a breach of order, he can call for the enforcement of the rules. In such cases, when he rises he usually says, "Mr. Chairman, I rise to a point of order." The chairman then directs the speaker to take his seat, and having heard the point of order, decides the question and permits the first speaker to resume his speech, directing him to abstain from any conduct that was decided to be out of order. When a speaker has transgressed the rules of decorum he cannot continue his speech, if any one objects, without permission is granted him by a vote of the assembly. Instead of the above method, when a member uses improper language, some one says, "I call the gentleman to order;" when the chairman decides as before whether the language is disorderly.

(e) Appeal. While on all questions of order, and of interpretation of the rules and of priority of business, it is the duty of the chairman to first decide the question, it is the privilege of any member to "appeal from the decision." If the appeal is seconded, the chairman states his decision, and that it has been appealed from, and then states the question, thus: "Shall the decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the assembly?" [or society, convention, etc.]

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The chairman can then, without leaving the chair, state the reasons for his decision, after which it is open to debate (no member speaking but once), excepting in the following cases, when it is undebatable: (1) When it relates to transgressions of the rules of speaking, or to some indecorum, or to the priority of business; and (2) when the previous question was pending at the time the question of order was raised. After the vote is taken, the chairman states that the decision of the chair is sustained or reversed, as the case may be.

Miscellaneous. (a) Reading of papers and (b) Withdrawal of a motion. If a speaker wishes to read a paper, or a member to withdraw his motion after it has been stated by the chair, it is necessary, if any one objects, to make a motion to grant the permission.

(c) Questions of Privilege. Should any disturbance occur during the meeting, or anything affecting the rights of the assembly or any of the members, any member may "rise to a question of privilege," and state the matter, which the chairman decides to be, or not to be, a matter of privilege: (from the chairman's decision of course an appeal can be taken). If the question is one of privilege, it supersedes,

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for the time being, the business before the assembly; its consideration can be postponed to another time, or the previous question can be ordered on it so as to stop debate, or it can be laid on the table, or referred to a committee to examine and report upon it. As soon as the question of privilege is in some way disposed of, the debate which was interrupted is resumed.

To Close the Meeting. (a) Fix the time to which to adjourn. If it is desired to have an adjourned meeting of the assembly, it is best some time before its close to move, "That when this assembly adjourns, it adjourns to meet at such a time," specifying the time. This motion can be amended by altering the time, but if made when another question is before the assembly, neither the motion nor the amendment can be debated. If made when no other business is before the assembly, it stands as any other main question, and can be debated. This motion can be made even while the assembly is voting on the motion to adjourn, but not when another member has the floor.

(b) Adjourn. In order to prevent an assembly

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from being kept in session an unreasonably long time, it is necessary to have a rule limiting the time that the floor can be occupied by any one member at one time. [Ten minutes is allowed by these rules.] When it is desired to close the meeting, without the member who has the floor will yield it, the only resource is to wait till his time expires, and then a member who gets the floor should move "to adjourn." The motion being seconded, the chairman instantly put the question, as it allows of no amendment or debate; and if decided in the affirmative, he says, "The motion is carried;--this assembly stands adjourned." If the assembly is one that will have no other meeting, instead of adjourned," he says "adjourned without day," or "sine die." If previously it had been decided when they adjourned to adjourn to a particular time, then he states that the assembly stands adjourned to that time. If the motion to adjourn is qualified by specifying the time, as, "to adjourn to tomorrow evening," it cannot be made when any other question is before the assembly; like any other main motion, it can then be amended and debated. [For the effect of an adjournment upon unfinished business see � 69.]

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Order of Precedence of Motions. The ordinary motions rank as follows, and any of them (except to amend) can be made while one of a lower order is pending, but none can supersede one of a higher order:

To Fix the Time to which to Adjourn. To Adjourn (when unqualified). For the Orders of the Day. To Lie on the Table. For the Previous question. To Postpone to a Certain Time. To Commit. To Amend. To Postpone Indefinitely.

The motion to Reconsider can be made when any other question is before the assembly, but cannot be acted upon until the business then before the assembly is disposed of; when, if called up, it takes precedence of all other motions except to adjourn and to fix the time to which to adjourn. Questions incidental to those before the assembly take precedence of them, and must be acted upon first.

A question of order, a call for the orders of the day, or an objection to the consideration of a question, can be made while another member has the floor: so, too, can a motion to reconsider, but it can only be entered on the minutes

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at that time, as it cannot supersede the question then before the assembly.

Art. XIII. Debate.

Rules of Speaking in Debate. All remarks must be addressed to the chairman, and must be confined to the question before the assembly, avoiding all personalities and reflections upon any one's motives. It is usual for permanent assemblies to adopt rules limiting the number of times any member can speak to the same question, and the time allowed for each speech;* [In Congress the House of Representatives allows from each member only one speech of one hour's length; the Senate allows two speeches without limit as to length.] as otherwise one member, while he could speak only once to the same question, might defeat a measure by prolonging his speech and declining to yield the floor except for a motion to adjourn. In ordinary assemblies two speeches should be allowed each member (except upon an appeal), and these rules also limit the time for each speech to ten minutes. A majority can permit a member to speak oftener or longer whenever it is desired, and the motion granting such permission cannot be debated.

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However, if greater freedom is wanted, it is only necessary to consider the question informally, or if the assembly is large, go into committee of the whole.* [See Rules of Order, �� 32, 33.] If on the other hand it is desired to limit the debate more, or close it altogether, it can be done by a two-thirds vote, as shown in � 58 (b).

Undebatable Questions and those Opening the Main Question to Debate. [A full list of these will be found in � 35, to which the reader is referred. To the undebatable motions in that list, should be added the motion to close or limit debate.]

Art. XIV. Miscellaneous.

Forms of Stating and Putting Questions. Whenever a motion has been made and seconded, it is the duty of the chairman, if the motion is in order, to state the question so that the assembly may know what question is before them. The seconding of a motion is required to prevent a question being introduced when only one member is in favor of it, and consequently

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but little attention is paid to it in mere routine motions, or when it is evident that many are in favor of the motion; in such cases the chairman assumes that the motion is seconded.

Often in routine work the chairman puts the question without waiting for even a motion, as few persons like to make such formal motions, and much time would be wasted by waiting for them (but the chairman can only do this as long as no one objects.) The following motions, however, do not have to be seconded: (a) a call for the orders of the day; (b) a call to order, or the raising of any question of order; and (c) an objection to the consideration of a question.

One of the commonest forms of stating a question is to say that, "It is moved and seconded that," and then give the motion. When an amendment has been voted on, the chairman announces the result, and then says, "The question now recurs on the resolution," or, "on the resolution as amended" as the case may be. So in all cases, as soon as a vote is taken, he should immediately state the question then before the assembly, if there be any. If the motion is debatable or can be amended, the chairman, usually after stating the question, and

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always before finally putting it, inquires, "Are you ready for the question?" Some of the common forms of stating and putting questions are shown in �� 46-48. The forms of putting the following questions, are, however, peculiar:

If a motion is made to Strike out certain words, the question is put in this form: "Shall these words stand as a part of the resolution?" so that on a tie vote they are struck out.

If the Previous Question is demanded, it is put thus: "Shall the main question be now put?"

If an Appeal is made from the decision of the Chair, the question is put thus: "Shall the decision of the Chair stand as the judgment of the assembly?" [convention, society, etc.] If the Orders