Robert's Parliamentary Practice/Chapter 23

by Henry Martyn Robert

CHAPTER XXIII.

VARIOUS LISTS OF MOTIONS.

(1) In Order when Another has the Floor.

(2) Do Not Require a Second.

(3) Cannot be Debated.

(4) Open Main Question to Debate.

(5) Cannot be Amended.

(6) ""Reconsidered.

(7) ""Rescinded.

(8) ""Renewed.

(9) Require a Two-thirds Vote.

 

(1) In Order when Another has the Floor.

Appeal.

Call to Order.

"for the Orders of the Day.

""Division of the Assembly.

"""""Question.

Objection to Consideration of the Question.

Parliamentary Inquiry.

Request of any Kind.

Raise a Question of Order.

""""Privilege.

Reconsider.

[By comparing this list with the next one it will be noticed that none of these motions, except an Appeal and Reconsider, require to be seconded.]

(2) Do not Require to be Seconded.

Call to Order.

Call„ for the Orders of the Day.

Call„ for„ Division of the Assembly.

Call„ for„ Division„ of„ the„ Question.

Call„ up Motion to Reconsider.

Filling Blanks.

Leave to Withdraw or Modify a Motion.

Nominations.

Objection to Consideration of a Question.

Parliamentary, or any other, Inquiry.

Request of any Kind.

Raise a Question of Order.

Raise„ a„ Question„ of„ Privilege.

(3) Cannot be Debated.

Adjourn, Fix the Time to which to Adjourn, and Take a Recess—whenever these motions are privileged. [See note page 166.]

Appeal, if undebatable question is pending, or if it relates to indecorum, or to transgression of the rules of speaking, or to priority of business.

Amend and Reconsider an Undebatable Motion.

Call to Order, and Questions of Order.

Call„ for Orders of the Day.

Call„ for„ Division of the Assembly.

Call„ for„ Division„ of„ the„ Question.

Call„ up Motion to Reconsider.

Close or Limit or Extend Limits of Debate.

Close„ or„ Open Nominations.

Close„ or„ Open„ the Polls.

Dispense with Reading the Minutes.

Fix the Time to which to Adjourn (when privileged, see note page 166.)

Incidental Motions (except Appeal as shown above).

Lay on the Table and Take from the Table.

Leave to Continue Speaking after Indecorum.

Leave„ to„ Read Papers.

Leave„ to„ Withdraw or Modify Motion.

Limit Debate.

Objection to Consideration of a Question.

Parliamentary, or any other Inquiry.

Previous Question, and Close, or Limit, or Extend the Limits of Debate.

Questions of Order.

Raise a Question of Order.

Raise„ a„ Question„ of„ Privilege.

Reconsider an Undebatable Motion.

Request of any Kind.

Take a Recess (when privileged, see note page 166).

Take„ up a Question Out of its Proper Order.

Take„ from the Table.

Voting, Motions relating to Methods of

(4) Open a Debatable Main Question to Debate while the secondary motion is immediately pending.

Postpone Indefinitely.

Reconsider.

Rescind.

Ratify.

(5) Cannot be Amended.

Adjourn (when privileged, see note page 166).

Appeal and Questions of Order.

Amend an Amendment.

Blank, to fill a

Call to Order.

Call„ for the Orders of the Day.

Call for Division of the Assembly.

Call„ up Motion to Reconsider.

Lay on the Table and Take from the Table.

Leave to continue speaking after Indecorum.

Leave„ to„ Read Papers.

Leave„ to„ Withdraw or Modify a Motion.

Make a Nomination.

Objection to Consideration of a Question.

Parliamentary, or any other, Inquiry.

Postpone Indefinitely.

Previous Question.

Questions of Order.

Raise a Question of Order.

Raise„ a„ Question„ of„ Privilege.

Reconsider.

Requests of any kind.

Suspend the Rules.

Take up a Question Out of its Proper Order.

Take„ from the Table.

(6) Cannot be Reconsidered.

Adjourn.

Division of the Assembly.

Division„ of„ the„ Question.

Lay on the Table.

Motion that has been Reconsidered, unless it has been materially amended since it was reconsidered.

Nominations, to Make or to Close.

Questions of Order.

Parliamentary, or other Inquiry.

Raise Questions of Order.

Raise„ Questions„ of„ Privilege.

Reconsider.

Suspend the Rules.

Take a Recess.

Take from the Table.

" up a Question out of its Proper Order.

Proceed to the Orders of the Day.

Affirmative Votes which Cannot be Reconsidered.

Adopt, or after adoption, to Amend, Repeal, or Rescind the Constitution, By-laws, or Rules of Order or any other rules that require previous notice of their amendment.

Elect to Membership or Office, if the member or officer is present and does not decline, or is absent and has learned of his election in the usual way and has not declined.

Accept Resignation, if member is present or has been notified.

Consideration of Question that has been objected to.

Commit, after the committee has taken up the subject referred to it.

Previous Question, after vote has been taken under it.

Reopen Nominations.

Negative Vote which Cannot be Reconsidered.

Postpone Indefinitely.

(7) Cannot be Rescinded.

A Vote cannot be rescinded after something that the assembly cannot undo has been done as a result of that vote, or if a vote is in the nature of a contract and the other party is informed of the vote; or when one has been elected to, or expelled from, membership or office, and was present or has been officially notified.

If a Question can be reached by calling up the motion to reconsider, which has been previously made, the vote cannot be rescinded.

With the above exceptions all votes on Main Motions, and on Questions of Privilege and Orders of the Day that have been acted upon, and on Appeals, may be rescinded without previous notice by a two-thirds vote or by a vote of a majority of the entire membership; or by a majority vote if notice was given at the previous meeting or in the call for this meeting.

But, since "Rescind" is identical with "Amend something already adopted," the rules for amending by-laws, standing rules, etc., apply to the motion to rescind a by-law, a standing rule, etc.

(8) Cannot be Renewed.

Adopt.

Amend.

Appeal.

Fix the Same Time to which to Adjourn.

Objection to Consideration of a Question.

Question of Order.

Reconsider a Question, unless it was materially Amended when previously Reconsidered.

Suspend the Rules for the same Purpose at the same Meeting.

[None of the above motions, except the last one, can be renewed at the same session. As a general rule no motion can be renewed at the same session unless there has been such a change in conditions as to make the question a new one. Thus, to commit a motion after voting on a material amendment is a different question from the one of committing it before voting on the amendment.]

(9) Require a Two-thirds Vote.

Amend, Annul, Repeal or Rescind any part of the Constitution, By-Laws or Rules of Order previously adopted; previous notice is also required.

Amend or Rescind, etc., a Standing Rule, Program, or Order of Business, or a Resolution previously adopted, without notice being given at the previous meeting or in the call for this meeting.

Extend the Time appointed for Adjournment or for Taking a Recess.

Previous Question.

Close, Limit, or Extend Limits of Debate.

Suspend the Rules.

Take up a Question Out of its Proper Order.

Make a Special Order.

Refuse to Proceed to the Orders of the Day.

Discharge an Order of the Day before it is pending.

Sustain an Objection to the Consideration of a Question.

Close Nominations or the Polls.

Limit names to be voted for at an Election.

Expel from Membership; requires also previous notice and trial unless for an offense committed in the assembly.

Depose from office that is not held for a definite period unless previous notice has been given.

Discharge a Committee, unless previous notice has been given.

Reconsider in Committee when one of the majority is absent and has not been notified of the proposed reconsideration.