Closure
a rule in British parliamentary procedure adopted in 1887 by which, at any time after a question has been proposed, a motion may be made with the speaker's or chairman's consent "That the question be now put," when the motion is immediately put and decided without debate or amendment. The motion must be supported by more than 100 members and opposed by less than 40, or have the support of 200 members.
The introduction of the Closure was intended to prevent debates from being too much spun out.
In the Congress of the United States the practice has been to allow unlimited debate, and it is for this reason that there are so many instances of obstructionary tactics being resorted to by a minority to delay the passage of a measure. These tactics have been given the general name of "filibustering," and include almost every expedient known to parliamentary tacticians. A call for "the previous question," if sustained, will usually terminate discussion immediately. first keeps a constant length the pendulum-rod by the difference of expansion of different metals with change of temperature, and the other makes up for the lengthening of the rod with rise of temperature by the greater expansion of a jar of mercury carried on the bed-plate of the pendulum, the rise in the center of gravity ity of this counterbalancing the lengthening of the sustaining rod. Clocks differ in another important particular, that of the escapement, whose function it is to be unlocked at each oscillation of the pendulum and thus allow the train of wheels to move forward a step, and also to transmit an impulse to the pendulum just sufficient to counterbalance, the friction caused by the unlocking of formed by weaving or interlacing the escapement. In fine astronomical threads, and is used for making gar- CLOTAIRE I., son and successor of CLOVIS VIS (q.v.), first king of the Franks in Gaul, reigned as sole king from 558 to 561. CLOTAIRE II., a king of the same Merovingian dynasty, reigned over the Franks 30 years later.