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Privileged Questions

1. "When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone to a day certain, to commit, or to amend; which several motions shall have precedence in the order they stand arranged; and the motion to adjourn shall be always in order, and shall be decided without debate."

2. These privileged questions shall not only be entertained while the main question is pending, but will be put before it.

3. A motion to adjourn takes precedence of all others, because otherwise the body might be kept sitting against its will, and indefinitely. Yet even this question cannot be entertained after another question is actually put, and while members are voting upon it.

4. An order of the day-that is, a question which has previously been set down, to be argued or determined on that day-takes place of all questions except adjournment. If, for instance, a matter be set down for 7 o'clock, then at that hour, although another question may be before the body, a motion to proceed to take up the order of the day must be received by the chair.

5. These privileged questions sometimes conflict with each other, but are reconciled under known rules.

6. If the previous question be first moved, it is first put. This cuts off all the others. The society, having decided to take the question, must vote on it as it stands -postponement, commitment, and amendment being out of order.

7. If postponement be carried, of course the question cannot be either committed, amended, nor the previous question be carried, for the subject is not before the body.

8. If committed, the same rules and reasons follow.

9. If amendment is first moved, the question on that must be determined before the previous question.

10. If amendment and postponement are proposed, the latter is put first. The reason is, that the amendment is not suppressed, but comes up again in its order, whenever the main question is again considered.

11. If a motion for amendment be followed by one for commitment, the latter shall be put first.

12. The previous question cannot be put on the motion to postpone, commit, or amend the main question. 13. The motion for the previous question, or for commitment or amendment, cannot be postponed.

14. A motion made for reading papers relative to the question discussed must be put before the main question.

15. A motion made and seconded cannot be withdrawn without leave, though, if no member object, it is not necessary to put the question.

16. When different sums or dates are used in filling blanks, the question shall first be put on the largest sum and the longest time.

17. In commitment, the motions to commit are privileged in the following order: 1. Committee of the Whole; 2. Standing Committee; 3. Special Committee. mitment, or amendment, although neither of these last can be laid on the table.

18. A motion to lay on the table must be put before either postponement, com-

19. A postponement can be amended as to time, and an amendment can be amended; but if it be proposed to amend by inserting anything, a motion to amend or perfect the matter proposed to be inserted must be put to a vote before the question to insert. The same rule follows in regard to striking out.

20. A question of privilege, such as a quarrel between members, or affecting the character of members, or the main body, must be disposed of before the original question be disposed of.

21. Questions on leave to withdraw motions, or appeals from the decision of the chair, have a precedence over the main question.