amendment of a constitution or by-laws, or rules of order, or order of business, previously adopted, requires a two-thirds vote; but an amendment of that amendment requires only a majority vote. When a motion or resolution is under consideration only one amendment of the first degree is permitted at a time, and one amendment of that amendment — that is, an amendment of the second degree — is allowed also. An amendment of the third degree would be too complicated and is not in order.*[1] Instead of making it, a member may say that if the amendment of the amendment is voted down, he will offer such and such an amendment of the amendment. While there can be only one amendment of each degree pending at the same time, any number of them may be offered in succession. An amendment must be germane†[2] to the subject to be amended — that is, it must relate to it, as shown further
- ↑ * A substitute may be reported by a committee while amendments of the first and second degree are pending as shown on page 226. In Congress it has been found best to allow a substitute and an amendment thereto while two amendments are pending. The House rule as to amendments is as follows: "When a motion or proposition is under consideration a motion to amend and a motion to amend that amendment shall be in order, and it shall also be in order to offer a further amendment by way of substitute, to which one amendment may be offered, but which shall not be voted on until the original matter is perfected; but either may be withdrawn before amendment or decision is had thereon. Amendments to the title of a bill or resolution shall not be in order until after its passage, and shall be decided without debate." H. R. Rule 19.
- ↑ † ". . . No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment." H. R. Rule 16, § 7.
