PARLIAMENTARY ORDER IN PUBLIC MEETINGS

Eveey a embly, whether casual and temporary or under formal organization, is gathered to agree upon some action. Evidently, then, to get at " the sense of the meeting," it is nece ary that fair reason, good nature, and above all good order should prevail. The British Parliament first reduced the application of these principles to rules, and, although their practice has been freely modified to fit other conditions, the system of rules and precedents by which deliberative bodies govern their procedure is called parliamentary. A brief sketch like the present will not be looked to for detailed rules governing regular a emblies, such as conventions and legislatures, which, besides the general, have also their own special rules but, for the occasional meeting, whether large or small, an order of procedure is as nece ary as tracks for a railway, if any practical result is to be arrived at. Organization. In the case of regular bodies, each one decides upon its own members, according to the law of its creation but members of a public meeting are those who have responded to its call. The first nece ity of life being organization of forces, a meeting must be opened by being requested to " Come to order," by some one of those who have i ued the call, or one recognized as identified with the occasion. He then nominates, or asks the meeting to nominate, a candidate or candidates for presiding officer, and puts to vote the names in order of their naming, unle the first one is chosen. The presiding officer is usually called the Chairman; in religious a emblies, the Moderator; and in permanent societies, the President. Being chosen, the Chairman takes the chair, with brief thanks for the honor, and guides a similar election of a Secretary (or Clerk, or Scribe), and of a Treasurer, if needed. He then calls on the Secretary or some one familiar with the matter to read the call or state the object of the meeting, and asks, " In view of this, what is your pleasure? " This usually results in the offering and seconding of a resolution or motion expre ive of action desired by one or more, and the matter is open for discu ion. Chairman. It is the Chairman's duty to preside and conduct the meeting if it is an adjourned or a succe ive meeting, first to have the Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting for approval or amendment to keep order to recognize, and if practicable name, each member who addre es the chair [as, "Mr. Chairman," " Mr. Jones"] to receive, present, and keep clearly in mind and in view of the meeting every motion and each amendment, not allowing debate to wander from the question to decide points of order to accept and put to vote appeals from his own decisions while he ha* the right, not often to exercise of joining in debate, asking some member meanwhile to take the chair to treat every member as his own equal, and to do all with quiet, kindly, courteous, but firm decision. He must sign any i ued expre ion of the a embly's action, and throughout, conduct himself as the chief agent in learning and formulating the will of the meeting. While in the chair he may not join in debate, except to give information, decide points of order, etc. He may vote when voting is by ballot, but the only other vote allowed him is in case of a tie vote, when he may by a" casting vote " give his judgment and decide the question. The Chair should always be spoken of in the third person, whether by himself or by any other person as, " The Chair has decided," etc., never " I (or you) have decided," etc. nor should one say, " Mr. Chairman, I move yon that," etc., but simply, " Mr. Chairman, I move that," etc. Any motion which concerns the Chairman personally must be put to vote by the Secretary. Secretary. It is the Secretary's duty to keep a temporary record of the meeting for current information to read aloud whatever the meeting or the Chairman requests to reduce to writing and read aloud any motion or amendment so demanded if committees are appointed, to notify the Chairman of their members, and to supply them with whatever documents the meeting has committed to their consideration to make final records of every action or vote taken by the meeting, and either before final adjournment or at a succeeding meeting read it aloud for approval or amendment and to keep safely all papers that have been a part of the proceedings. The Secretary may join in discu ion or vote, but not to the detriment of his duties as Secretary. Busine . To bring any matter before a meeting, a member must addre the Chair by title Mr. Chairman? " and the Chairman responds with the member's name " Mr. Jones."' Every (783) 804 784 proposition " it etc. your amendment, Amendments or amendment be ment If ways them, debatable. motion since nd committee, fore is ing too of puts 7. foregoing. than to to acted duty, not. the ther the adjourn, reconsidered mer original ing man's or to decide Ordinarily, information, temper following, ing proper or they PARLIAMENTARY ORDER IN PUBLIC MEETINGS. for action must be in form of a motion, as above expre ed even a resolution as, I move the following Resolution." Every motion must be seconded by another member, before can be laid before the meeting. Then the Chairman may say, " It is moved and seconded that," " Are there any remarks? " or, " The question is on the adoption of the resolution what is pleasure?" etc. Thereupon "the question," as it has now become, is open for debate, and vote. Motions. Every motion, and every amendment, except the very simplest, should be written. to a motion before the meeting may be by striking out words, or i user ting words, both every amendment is debatable if the original motion is and an amendment to an is allowable, — but no further amendments. These connected motions must of course acted on in reverse order, since each one changes the form of the one preceding. An amend may be accepted by the mover of the motion, with consent of the meeting, but not without. no objection is offered, consent may be a umed. There are some motions, not directly concerned with the merits of a question but with indirect of checking or defeating which are privileged to intervene in its discu ion. In naming these letterings will signify a, amendable d, debatable na, non-amendable nd, non- — In their order of rank, they are 1. Shall this question be considered? na, nd a which must be put, if at all, before debate, but which is rarely known in public meetings, they are usually called to consider the very question at i ue. 2. To lay on the table, na, a way of putting the question aside until called up by a majority vote. 3. To commit to a a, d sometimes advisable when a meeting feels the need of more careful inquiry be action. 4. To postpone to a specified time, d, a. 5. To postpone indefinitely, d, na which practical defeat. 6. To demand the previous question, nd, na; an awkward expre ion, mean to stop debate and call for a vote. It is serviceable when discu ion has gone far enough or far; but in public meetings is rarely heard in form, being practically put and voted by calls " Question Question " when the debaters, seeing the feeling of many, subside, and the Chair the question — be it an amendment to an amendment, an amendment, or on original motion. To amend, d, a the motion most frequently offered, but which may be shut off by any of the There are also some motions privileged before any of these, such as concern the a embly rather any question. These may intervene at any time 1. lo adjourn, nd, na 2. To fix the time which adjournment shall be, d, a 3. To take a rece , d, a 4. Questions of privilege (a) as the meeting, (6) as to the mover take priority of all others (except as to adjournment) until upon. As such a question may even interrupt a member's speech, it is the Chairman's after its statement, to decide (subject to appeal) whether the matter is one of privilege, or Reconsideration. A motion to reconsider a vote taken can be made only by one who voted with majority in the matter its motive should be, either correction of error or willingne to fur consider by reason of new light. But it is not allowable after action has been taken under vote in question, as by commitment to a committee, or when involving an affirmative vote to to lay on the table, or any such radical action. It is debatable when the question to be was so. Rescinding. When it is too late for reconsideration, a motion may be made to rescind a for action, d, a a motion which stands as a new proposition, even though it open up afresh the matter. Discu ion. When a motion is debatable any member may arise, addre the Chair, and on be recognized addre the meeting through the Chair. If several arise at once it is the Chair duty to recognize one, and maintain order. If any member violate the rules of courtesy, if any undue procedure is in progre , any one may addre the Chair " Mr. Chairman, I arise a point of order " and it will be the Chairman's duty to interrupt the proceedings, hear and upon the point of order, and, if his decision is appealed from, put it to vote to the meeting. no member should speak more than twice, unle called upon or to give some detail of and in the absence of rules the length of speeches is likely to be regulated by the of the audience. Voting. All questions are decided, affirmatively or negatively, by a majority vote, except the — of which, however, only the last three are likely to arise in any ordinary public meet- To amend or suspend the rules to make a special order to take up a question out of its order to object to the consideration of a question to extend the limits of debate; to close limit debate; the previous question. All of these require a two-thirds vote for adoption, since impose limitation upon the meeting itself, which a mere majority should not be able to do. 805 Voting may be either Aye; all those opposed any member may demand to be counted or, in Secretary, and the individual decides (unle tellers or "lost." Conclusion Finally, sense will go far to insure point to carry can best and vinegar in catching be led where they refuse love discu ion remember England France Germany India Italy Ireland Though not January February March April May June WEDDING 1st, paper; 2d, straw; linen; 15th, crystal; ruby 50th, gold 75th, celebrated. WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES. 785 by the Chairman's putting the question, as, " All in favor of this will say will say A>>," and deciding by the sound or, if the result be doubtful, or the Chair may call for a rising vote, those rising on each side in turn a regular organization, with a roll of members, the roll may be called by the Ayes and Noes be thus ascertained. In either case, the Chairman have been appointed for counting) and announces, " The motion is carried,'' all concerned should bear in mind that mutual consideration and good harmony in ascertaining the will of an a embly. Those who have a do it by courtesy and reasonablene the old proverb contrasting honey flies is nowhere more applicable than in a public debate. People can to be driven. Light is a better guide than heat. And let those who that " brevity is the soul of wit." NATIONAL FLOWEES. Rose Japan Chrysanthemum Fleur-de-lis Mexico Cactus Cornflower Scotland Thistle Lotus Spain Pomegranate Lily United States Goldenrod* Shamrock Wales Leek formally adopted a growing sentiment exists in favor of this flower. BIRTH STONES. Garnet July Ruby Amethyst August Sardonyx Bloodstone September Sapphire Diamond October Opal Emerald November Topaz Pearl December Turquoise ANNIVERSARIES. 3d, candy; 4th, leather; 5th, wooden; 7th, floral 10th, tin; 12th, 20th, china; 25th, silver; 30th, pearl 35th, coral; 40th, emerald; 45th, sometimes 60th, diamond. Those in italics are the ones most frequently 806