APPENDIX.

When the business of an assembly is limited to hearing one man speak, there is little need of rules. But when there are several speeches, and various kinds of business are mingled with them, the subject of order becomes important. Many a fluent speaker may be embarrassed because he does not know just when he ought to speak, and how to introduce what he desires. A member of Congress, for instance, cannot be efficient, no matter what his talents, until he masters the rules of business. Even in smaller and less formal assemblies it is of great advantage to every one, especially if called upon to preside, as all may be in this land of discussions, to know just how to fulfil the duties imposed on him. In this short, and necessarily imperfect sketch, we will only aim to give those simple forms of parliamentary law that will often be needed by every man who essays to speak at all.

Every society has the right to form its own laws, and whenever it does positively determine any matter, the general rules of order are superseded to that extent. But it would be an endless task for any body to provide beforehand for every case that might occur, and the greater part of these are always left to be decided by general usage. This usage, which has been growing up for years, now coversalmost every possible point. An eminent authority says: “It is much more material that there should be a rule to go by than what that rule is, for then the standard cannot be changed to suit the caprice or interest of the chairman, or more active members, and all are assured of justice.”

The same rules apply to all assemblies, with a few modifications, which are readily suggested by the nature of the assembly. We will give a few of the special applications first, and afterward the general rules.

The regular public service of churches which have a ritual is governed by it, and in those which have none, usage always fixes a course from which the preacher should not vary without good reasons. The most common mode of procedure in churches that are governed by unwritten custom is, first, a short invocation of God’s blessing on the service. This is omitted in the Methodist church and some others. Then follows the reading and singing of a hymn; prayer, the reading of a Scripture lesson (which is frequently omitted in evening service), singing again and preaching. There are several modes of closing. Sometimes the order is: prayer; singing a hymn, with doxology attached; and benediction. Sometimes singing comes first, then prayer, and the benediction pronounced while the congregation is in the attitude of prayer. Sometimes there are four distinct acts; singing a hymn; prayer; singing the doxology; and benediction. The order in which these modes of closing are stated is, in our opinion, also the order of preference.

Business and congregational meetings are governed by the common rules of order.

In meetings of this character, the object usually is to enjoy a pleasant time, hear speeches, and pass resolutions that have been prepared beforehand, and on which no discussion is expected. In Sunday-school celebrations, and other meetingsof the same nature, let a programme be formed, with each performance in its order, and either printed and distributed or read as soon as the meeting is called to order. This must be done at the proper time by the superintendent, or some one appointed for the purpose, who will act as chairman, and introduce each speaker in his turn. Any resolutions offered should be in writing, and also read by him, and put to vote in the regular form. When the exercises are closed the meeting will be dismissed without waiting for a motion to adjourn.

In anniversary meetings of a more formal character, it is common to have each speaker supplied, in advance, with a resolution on which he is to speak. At the proper time he will arise, offer the resolution, and make his address. If it is desirable to have more than one speech on that resolution, the next can second the motion and speak in the same way. Then the resolution may be put in the common form. This can be continued until all the resolutions and speakers are disposed of.

In the societies usually attached to colleges, everything should be done with the most scrupulous regularity, and thus the rules of public business fully learned. It is well also for them to have a certain order by which all their exercises shall be governed, and everything made to move on with the regularity of clockwork. A committee can easily construct such a plan, and it can be amended as desired. It should always have a department for miscellaneous business.

Literary societies and debating clubs are very commonly formed in villages and school districts, and when properly carried on can scarcely fail to be profitable. Many a person has received his first lesson in eloquence in such a school, and the fluency and confidence a boy or young man can acquire in them may be of life-long advantage. Their organization may be very simple. A meeting has been called by some one who is interested in the matter, and when the peopleare met he calls them to order, nominates a chairman, puts the question, and at the request of the chair explains the object of the meeting. Some one then moves to appoint a committee to draft a Constitution and By-laws. It is best for the committee to have these previously prepared, that no time may be lost. The following form, taken from “How to Talk,” with a few modifications, will be all that is needed in most cases:

CONSTITUTION.

Article I.—Name.

This Society shall be known as the of

Article II.—Objects.

The object of this Society shall be the improvement of its Members in debating, and the promotion of their intellectual, social, and moral advancement.

Article III.—Membership.

Any person of good moral character may become a member of this Society, by signing the Constitution and paying the initiation fee. [In some cases it may be necessary to receive Members by a vote of the Society, after being regularly proposed.]

Article IV.—Officers and their Duties.

The Officers of this Society shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer; each of whom shall be elected by ballot, and their duties shall be the same as are generally required of such officers in similar societies.

Article V.—Amendments.

No addition, alteration, or amendment shall be made to this Constitution without a vote of two-thirds of the Members present, and no motion to amend shall be acted upon at the same meeting at which it is proposed.

BY-LAWS.

Article I.—Meetings.

Sec. 1.—This Society shall meet on the of each for the promotion of its objects and the transaction of business.

Sec. 2.—There shall be an annual meeting on the of for the election of Officers, and to hear the reports of the Secretary and Treasurer.

Sec. 3.—Special meetings may be called by the President at the request of Members.

Article II.—Initiation Fee.

All persons received into this Society shall pay the sum of on signing the Constitution.

Article III.—Dues.

All Members shall pay the sum of per month, to be appropriated, with the initiation fees, to defraying the expenses of the Society; and no Member who may be in arrears for dues more than two months shall be allowed to speak or vote on any question till such arrearages shall be paid.

Article IV.—Expulsions.

Any Member who shall refuse to conform to the Constitution and By-laws, or shall be guilty of repeated disorderly conduct, shall be subjected to expulsion by a vote of two-thirds of the Members present; but no motion to expel a Member shall be acted upon at the same meeting at which it is offered.

Article V.—Amendments.

The same rule in reference to amendments shall apply to the By-laws as to the Constitution.

The Constitution when presented may be discussed, and put to vote, altogether, or article by article; if adopted, it becomes the law of the meeting. A list of members will then be made out, including all who desire to be enrolled, and are willing to pay the initiation fee. Then a new election of officers should be held, with those only who are members voting. The old chairman will retain his seat until the new one is elected. When it is intended to have performances of different kinds, as essays, orations, debates, etc., it is well to appoint a committee to draw up a regular order in which these will be called for. The society being now organized, may proceed to business, or fix the time for next meeting and adjourn.

When one or more persons desire to call a meeting for any purpose, there is often great confusion and uncertainty as to the mode of procedure. A few simple rules will go far to obviate all difficulty. In the call, those only who are favorableto the intended object should be invited, and if others attend, they should take no part in the meeting, unless challenged to discussion.

The responsibility for the guidance of the meeting until its regular organization, rests on those who have called it. When the people have met at the appointed time, one of these will ask them to come to order, and will then nominate a chairman; when this is seconded, he will put it to vote, and call the man elected to the chair, who will put all other motions. A secretary also should be elected, and then the meeting is regularly organized. The chairman next states the object of the meeting, or if he prefers, calls upon one of those interested to do it.

Some one will then move the appointment of a committee (which is said to be the American panacea for everything) to prepare resolutions expressive of the wishes or opinion of the meeting. If the names of the persons to compose the committee be not mentioned in the original motion, it is usual for the chairman to name them, putting the name of the mover first on the list. The chairman may, for good reasons, excuse any one of the committee from acting, if there be no objections on the part of the assembly. But if there are, he can only be excused by vote. The committee then require some time to make their report, and it is common for the chairman to call on some one, who ought to be notified beforehand, for a speech. When the committee have finished their business they will return, and waiting until no one is speaking, their chairman will address the chairman of the meeting, telling him that they are ready to report. If no objection is made, the resolutions prepared are then read, and are at the disposal of the meeting. They may be treated separately, or together, amended, adopted or rejected. The resolutions may be prepared beforehand, in which case the appointment of the committee may be dispensed with. If the resolutions should not be satisfactory, they may be recommitted.

When the resolutions have been disposed of, the speakerwill announce that there is no business before the house, which will either bring a motion to adjourn, or new business.

All legislatures, boards of directors, etc., hold their power only in trust for others who are not present, and are therefore held to stricter limitations in the performance of business than those assemblies which act only for themselves. In case the right of any delegate is disputed, this must be settled as soon as possible. In nearly all such meetings it is also provided that many things shall not be considered as determined until referred back to those by whom the members were chosen. With these exceptions, and the special rules that such bodies may provide, they are under the strict government of parliamentary law.

When any body holds sessions at intervals, it becomes necessary to bear in mind what has been previously done. This is accomplished by having the minutes of each meeting read at the beginning of the next, and if any mistakes exist they are corrected. This enables the assembly to take up the business where it closed, and proceed as if there had been no interruption. It is also well to have a certain order of business fixed, which shall always suggest what is proper to be done and prevent confusion. This order will necessarily differ in the various kinds of meetings. Legislative bodies, from the great variety of business brought before them, can seldom fix on any order that can be followed from day to day, but they often establish a regular order for a certain time. Matthias suggested the following arrangement for business meetings of bank directors, railway stockholders, etc.:

1. Presenting communications from parties outside of the meeting. A communication is read, and motions for action on it may be made, amended, and passed or rejected. Afterthis has been done, or if no motion is made, the next communication is taken up.

2. Reports of standing committees. The chairman will call for these in their order, and each one, if prepared, will be read by the chairman of the committee. It should close with a resolution of some kind, and when it is moved and seconded that this be adopted, it may be discussed and determined as the assembly see fit. The minority of a committee may make a separate report if they wish.

3. Treasurer’s report.

4. Unfinished business.

5. New business.

II.GENERAL RULES OF ORDER.QUORUM—RULES—DECISION.

1. In bodies which have a fixed number of members, a certain proportion most be present to make the transaction of business valid. The number may be fixed by the expression of the assembly, or its general custom. In the absence of any other rule, a majority is sufficient. The chairman should not take his seat until he sees that a quorum is present, and if the assembly is at any time reduced below this number, nothing but adjournment is in order.

2. The assembly may make its own rules in whole or in part, but whatever it does not determine, shall be subject to the common rules of order.

Any member has a right to insist on the enforcement of the rules, but this duty belongs especially to the chair.

3. In the absence of any special rule, the consent of a majority of the members voting is requisite to determine any point. A plurality, where more than two issues are presented, is not sufficient.

Presiding and recording officers are necessary in every meeting, and must be chosen by an absolute majority. When the assembly has financial matters to manage, a treasurer must also be elected.

This officer is known by various titles, such as chairman, president, speaker, moderator, etc. We will use the first. The chairman represents the assembly, declares its will, andobeys it implicitly. He must be treated with great respect, although his power is only a delegated one, and may be set aside by the declared will of the assembly. His principal duties are:

1. To begin the session by taking the chair and calling the members to order.

2. To announce business in its order.

3. To submit all motions and propositions.

4. To put all questions and announce the result.

6. To restrain members within rules of order.

6. To receive all communications and announce them to the assembly.

7. To sign public documents.

8. To decide points of order, subject to an appeal to the assembly.

The chairman should fully understand all the rules of business, be kind and courteous to all, but prompt and firm, for on him, more than any other, the order and harmony of every meeting depends.

In the absence of the chairman, the vice-president takes the chair, and when there is no such officer, a temporary chairman must be elected.

The chairman may read while sitting, but should rise to state a question or take a vote.

Secretary or clerk is the name usually bestowed on this officer. We will employ the first. It is his duty to keep a true record of all that is done in the assembly. Speeches and motions that do not prevail, need not be recorded. But it is sometimes customary, when it is intended to publish the proceedings, and no reporter is present, for the secretary to make the minutes take the form of a journal.

2. The secretary must keep all papers that belong to the society in safety; read them when ordered; call the roll; notify committees of their appointment and business; and sign all orders and proceedings of the assembly.

3. A temporary secretary must be elected during the absence of the permanent one, unless there is an assistant to take his place.

4. The secretary should always stand in reading, or calling the roll.

1. All members are on a footing of absolute equality, and in every form of business the same courtesy and attention should be shown to each one by the chair and by all other members.

2. Every member is expected to observe strict decorum in his behavior. Standing, walking about, interrupting speakers, hissing, whispering, taking books or papers from the speaker’s table, are all breaches of decorum.

3. Any member accused of disorderly behavior may, when the charge is stated, be heard in his own behalf, and is then required to withdraw, until the assembly decides as to his guilt and punishment. He may be reprimanded, required to apologize, or expelled.

1. Business can only be introduced into an assembly by a motion. Persons, not members, may make communications, or send petitions asking for the doing of certain things; but these must be taken by one of the members, and by him read or presented to the assembly. It is then before the body for consideration, but nothing can be done with it until a motion is made by some one belonging to the assembly.

2. An assembly expresses its opinion by a resolution, commands by an order, and determines its own action by a vote. A member who wishes to secure either of these, draws it up in the form he desires it to bear, and moves that the assembly adopt what he proposes. He must first obtain the floor. This is done by rising and addressing the chairman by his title. If there be no previous claimant, the chairman responds by mentioning the speaker’s name, when he is at libertyto go on. When he has made his motion, another member must second it before the assembly will receive it or pay any attention to it. The chair or any member may insist on the motion being written, unless it is one of the kind that have a certain form, such as to adjourn, etc. The motion when seconded, is to be stated by the chair, when it becomes the property of the assembly, and is ready for debate or such other action as may be preferred. Suggestions and modifications of the motion may be made, or it may be withdrawn altogether, before this; but not after, without leave of the assembly formally expressed. No other motion, with some exceptions to be hereafter explained, can be entertained until the first is disposed of.

When a motion is made the assembly may do one of five things with it.

1. Decide it in the shape it then has.

2. Suppress all consideration of it or action on it.

3. Postpone it until a future time.

4. Refer it to a committee to be put in a better form.

5. Amend it themselves before deciding it.

We will consider these different ways of treating a question in their order.

It is always to be taken for granted that the assembly is willing to decide a motion at once, unless some one moves to adopt one of the other courses. It may be repeated first, and when no one rises, the chair asks if they are ready for the question; if no one responds, it is put to vote.

1. Sometimes the assembly does not wish to discuss a motion at all. In that case a member may move that it be indefinitely postponed. If this is debated, the matter remains as it was before. If it prevails, the matter is ended, and can only be brought up as a new question.

2. The motion to lay a subject on the table has nearly thesame effect. If it prevails, the subject cannot be taken up without a motion to that effect.

3. The famous “previous question” has a totally different purpose in this country and England. There it is used to postpone a question. Its form is, “Shall the main question now be put?” and it is moved by those who wish to obtain a negative decision, the effect of which is to remove the question from before the house for that day, and by usage for the whole session.

4. In this country it is used to prevent debate, and is only moved by those who wish an affirmative decision. When this is carried the question must be voted upon without further remarks. A majority ought to use this power of stopping debate very sparingly, and never without good reason.

If the assembly is not prepared to act upon a question, or has more important business before it, the proper course is for some one to move that it be postponed until a certain time. If no time is fixed the question is suppressed altogether. If the assembly is dissolved before the appointed day, the effect is the same.

If the form of the motion is crude, it may be given into the hands of a committee to perfect. If it first came from a committee, it may be given back to them, which is called a recommitment. The whole or a part of a subject may be committed, and the assembly may, by vote, give such instructions as it desires. This motion is sometimes made use of for the purpose of procuring further information.

The assembly may alter, increase, or diminish any proposition at its pleasure. Its nature is often changed entirely.

1. Every complicated question may be divided by a regular vote. This is usually done, if no objection is offered, without a vote, but it cannot be required by a single member as is sometimes stated. A motion to divide should specify the manner of division.

2. If blanks are left in resolutions, these must be filled by motion. If these embrace figures, and several numbers are proposed, that which includes the others may be put to vote first. But it is usually as well to put first that which is moved first.

3. All motions to amend, except by division, must be to amend by inserting or adding, or by striking out, or both.

4. An amendment may be accepted by the mover of a resolution, if no objection is made, for then general consent is presumed; but not otherwise.

5. It is strict parliamentary law to begin with the beginning of a proposition, and after the latter part is amended, not to return to a former part; but this is seldom insisted on in common societies.

6. Every amendment is susceptible of amendment, but this can go no further. But the second amendment may be defeated, and then a new one made to the principal amendment.

7. Whatever is agreed to, or disagreed to by the acceptance or rejection of an amendment cannot again be changed.

8. What is struck out cannot be inserted by another amendment, unless with such additions as to make it a new question. Neither can what is retained be changed.

9. Before putting the question on an amendment, the passage should be read as it was; then the amendment; lastly the passage as amended.

10. A paragraph that is inserted by vote Cannot be changed, but it may be amended before the question is put.

11. When the amendment is both to strike out and insert, these two may be divided by vote or general consent, and then the question is taken first on striking out.

PREFERRED MOTIONS.

When a motion is before the assembly, it must be disposed of before anything else can be brought forward, with the exception of three classes of questions. These are privileged, incidental, and subsidiary questions.

1. The motion to adjourn takes precedence of every other, except when it has been moved and defeated, when it shall not be moved again until something else has been done. It cannot be moved while a member is speaking, or a vote being taken. But to be entitled to such precedence, it must be a simple motion to adjourn, without question of time or place. If these are added, it must take its regular turn. An adjournment without any time being fixed, is equivalent to a dissolution, unless this has been provided for by custom or especial rule. At adjournment every pending question is taken from before the assembly, and can only be brought up again in the regular way.

2. Any question affecting the rights and privileges of members, as in quarreling, the intrusion of strangers, etc., comes next in order to adjournment, and displaces everything else.

3. If the assembly fix on an order of business for a certain time, when that time arrives, a motion to take up this order has precedence of all questions, but the two preceding.

Incidental questions are those that grow out of other questions, and must be decided before them.

1. Questions of order. If there is a breach of rules it is the duty of the chair to enforce them, and any member to call for their enforcement. This should be done at once. When there is a doubt as to what constitutes a breach of the rules, it is first decided by the chair, subject to an appeal to the assembly, which may be put in this form, “Shall thedecision of the chair stand as the decision of the assembly?” On this the chair may debate as well as others, but the vote is final.

2. When papers are laid on the secretary’s table for the information of the assembly, any member may demand to have them read; but other papers can only be read after a regular motion is carried to that effect.

3. After a motion is stated by the chair, permission may be given to withdraw it by a regular vote.

4. A rule that interferes with the transaction of any business may be suspended by a unanimous vote, or in accordance with the provisions of a special rule which points out the majority requisite, such as two-thirds, three-fourths, etc.

These relate to the principal question as secondary planets do to their primaries. They are of different degrees among themselves, and with a few exceptions are not applied to one another.

1. “Lie on the table.” This takes precedence of all the subsidiary motions. If carried, it takes the principal question and all that belongs to it from the consideration of the assembly, and they can only be brought up by a new motion. If decided in the negative, this question, like all the others of the same class, except the previous question, has no effect whatever.

2. “Previous question.” This motion can only be superseded by that to lay on the table. If lost, the question is not before the house for the remainder of that day.

3. A motion to postpone may be amended by fixing the time or changing it. If several days are mentioned, the longest time should be put first.

4. A motion to commit takes precedence of a motion to amend, but stands in the same rank with the others, except to lay on the table, and cannot be superseded by them, if moved first.

5. A motion to amend may be amended. It is not supersededby the previous question, or a motion for indefinite postponement, but is by a motion to postpone till a time certain, or to commit.

It is very important that the order of these secondary questions be carefully observed, as there may be many of them pending at once.

Debate in a society organized for the purpose of discussion, and in a deliberative body are quite different. In the former reply is expected, and may be bandied back and forth several times. In the latter the object is supposed to be giving information, and each member is limited to one speech, unless special permission is received to speak again. The chair must not take part in debates.

1. When a member wishes to speak, he obtains the floor in the same manner as if to offer a motion. The mover of a resolution is usually allowed the floor first, but this is a matter of courtesy rather than right.

2. When a speaker gives up the floor for any purpose, he loses his right to it, though as a favor he is often allowed to continue his speech.

3. No names are to be used in debate, but when it becomes necessary to designate an individual, some description may be used, as, the gentleman on the right, etc.

4. Every member must stand, when speaking, unless sick or disabled.

5. Motions to adjourn, to lay on the table, for the previous question, or the order of the day cannot be debated.

6. No member shall use abusive language against any of the acts of the assembly, or indulge in personal denunciations of other members. Wrong motives must not be attributed to any one. If a speaker digresses widely from the subject, and appears to misunderstand its nature, he may be called to order.

7. A member who is decided to be out of order loses his right to the floor, but this is seldom insisted on.

8. A member cannot speak more than once on the same question without special permission, which must not be given until all have spoken; but he may speak on amendments, and on the same subject, when it is returned from a committee.

10. A member who has been misrepresented has the right to explain, but not to interrupt any one who is speaking for that purpose.

11. Debate may be stopped by the previous question; by determining in advance that at a certain time, the question shall be decided; or by adopting a rule limiting each member to so many minutes. In the latter case, the chair announces the expiration of the time, and the member takes his seat.

12. Every member should be listened to with respect, and no attempt made to interrupt him, unless he transgress the bounds of order. Calling for the question, hissing, coughing, etc., should be restrained by the chair if possible. The speaker may learn from these things that the assembly does not wish to hear him, but he is not bound to heed them. If necessary, the chair will name the obstinate offenders for punishment, who may be heard in their own defence, but must then withdraw while the assembly determines what punishment should be inflicted. But if all means of preserving order fail, and the chairman’s repeated calls are unnoticed, he is not responsible for this disorder, although it would be better then to resign an office that he can no longer make respected, unless so bound by public duty that he cannot take this course.

13. If a member in speaking makes use of disorderly words, notice should be taken at once. The words used, if the offence is serious, should be reduced to writing while fresh in the memory of all. If necessary, the assembly may determine what words were used, whether they were offensive or not, and at its pleasure require an apology, censure, or expel the offender. If other business is done before attention is called to the disorderly words, they cannot again be taken up.

PUTTING THE QUESTION.

When discussion and all preliminary matters are finished, the next step is to ascertain the will of the assembly. There are six ways of doing this. We will put first those that are most used:

1. The chair asks, “Are you ready for the question?” No objection being made, he first puts the affirmative, asking those who favor the motion to say, “Aye;” those who are opposed, “No.” He judges from the volume of sound, and declares which he believes has the majority. If any one doubts this, he may require the vote to be taken in a more exact way.

2. In place of saying “aye,” the affirmative may be asked to hold up their hands; then when these are down the same is asked of the negative. The determination in this case is the same as in the former case.

3. The affirmative may be required to rise to their feet and be counted; and when seated the negative will rise. These will also be counted, and this is the mode most commonly resorted to, when the result as declared by the chair, from the former methods, is doubted.

4. In this the affirmative and negative may stand up at once, but in different parts of the house, and be counted. This is a real “division.”

5. The method by ballot may be employed; each man writing his wish on a ticket. These are collected and counted. This mode is often employed in the election of officers, but seldom in the determination of simple questions.

6. The roll may be called by the secretary, and each man in his place answer, “Aye,” or “No.” These are marked by the secretary, and others who keep tally, and the result announced. Sometimes the names are entered on the journals, in two lists of “Aye” and “No.” The word “Yea,” is often used in place of “Aye.”

The chair has a casting vote in case of equal division.

A member who voted with the affirmative may move thereconsideration of any question, and if his motion is carried, the whole matter is opened up as it was at first, and may be discussed as before.

The use of a committee is to give a subject more careful consideration than it could receive in a full assembly. They are of three kinds. From their great importance they are said to be the eyes and ears of the assembly.

1. Standing committees are those that are appointed to take charge of all subjects of a certain character during a session, or other specified time.

2. Select committees are appointed to take charge of some one thing, and when that is finished they are dissolved, although they may be revived again by a vote of the assembly.

In appointing a committee, the first thing is to fix on a number: if several are named, the largest should be put first. The committees may be chosen by ballot; appointed by the chair; or elected by nomination and vote. The latter is the regular mode when there is no special rule, but the second is most frequently practised. Sometimes a committee is appointed to nominate all other committees, but this is not usually the case. The mover and seconder of a resolution should have place on a committee appointed to consider it, and, as a general rule, none but those who are friendly to the object to be accomplished should be appointed. Those opposed can make their opposition when it is returned to the assembly.

It is the duty of the secretary of the assembly to make out a list of the members of a committee, and hand to the person first named on it, who is its chairman, unless the committee shall choose to elect another.

The assembly can fix the times and places of the meeting of a committee; if this is not done, it can choose for itself, but cannot sit while the assembly is in session without a special order.

In all forms of procedure the committee is governed bythe same rules as the assembly, but a little less strictness is observed in their enforcement.

Disorderly conduct in a committee can only be noted down and reported to the assembly.

When any paper has been referred to a committee, it must be returned as it was, with proposed amendments written separately. They cannot reject any matter, but can return it to the assembly without change, stating their reasons for taking no action.

When a committee is prepared to report, its chairman announces the fact, and he, or an other member, may make a motion that the report be received at that, or some other specified time. If nothing is said, it is assumed that the assembly is ready to receive it immediately.

At the time fixed, the chairman reads the report, and passes it, with all the papers belonging to it, to the secretary’s table, where it awaits the action of the assembly.

Any report from a committee may be treated by amendment, etc., just as if it originated in the assembly.

The final question is on the adoption of the report; if this is agreed to, it stands as the action of the whole assembly.

3. The third form of committee is the “committee of the whole.” It embraces the entire assembly. When the assembly wishes to go into committee, a motion to that effect is made, seconded, and put; if carried, the chairman nominates a person as chairman of the committee, who takes his seat at the secretary’s table. The chairman of the assembly must remain at hand in readiness to resume his seat when the committee shall rise. The secretary does not record the proceedings of the committee, but only their report. A special secretary must be appointed for their use.

The following are the main points of difference between the “committee of the whole” and the assembly:

1. The previous question cannot be moved, but the committee may rise and thus stop debate.

2. The committee cannot adjourn; it may rise, report progress, and ask leave to sit again.

3. In committee a member may speak as often as he can get the floor; in the assembly, but once.

4. The committee cannot refer a matter to another committee.

5. The chairman of the assembly can take part in committee proceedings.

6. The committee has no power to punish its members, but can report them.

When the committee is prepared to close, a motion is made and seconded that it rise; if carried, the chairman leaves his seat, the chairman of the assembly takes his usual place, and the committee report is given in the same form as from a special committee.

This brief synopsis has been compiled from various sources. The excellent manuals of Cushing and Matthias have been especially consulted. It is believed to embrace all that is essential for conducting business in ordinary assemblies. The man who masters these simple rules, which may be done in a few hours, is prepared to assist in the performance of any public business, and if called upon to act as chairman, as any one may be, he will be free from embarrassment.

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