# Robert's Parliamentary Practice/Chapter 15

CHAPTER XV.
FIFTH DRILL, ILLUSTRATING CHAPTERS XI-XIV.
[This is one of the regular monthly meetings of a Community Betterment Society. In reading this drill the reader should refer to the preceding chapters for each motion as it is introduced in the drill.]
President [gently striking the table]. The meeting will come to order. [As soon as all are seated and the room is quiet, he proceeds:] The secretary will read the minutes.
[The secretary rises and without addressing the chair reads the minutes in a distinct voice so that all can hear him, and then resumes his seat.]
Pres. Are there any corrections to the minutes? [A moment's pause.] There being none, the minutes stand approved. The meeting is now open for business.
Mr. A. I move the adoption of the following resolution, "Resolved, That ill-nourished children in our public schools should be furnished with a hot luncheon." [Seconded and stated.]
​Mr. B. As this question will take up much time in discussion, I move to postpone it to the next regular meeting.[Seconded and stated.]
Mr. C. It seems to me that a definite time should not be fixed for considering this question, and I move to lay it on the table. [Seconded.]
Pres. It is moved and seconded to lay the question on the table. As many as———
Mr. D [rising and interrupting]. Mr. President.
Pres. For what does the gentleman rise? The question is undebatable.
Mr. D. I rise to a parliamentary inquiry.
Pres. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
Mr. D. I am not sure as to the effect of laying the question on the table. I have always thought it killed the question, but the gentleman who made the motion evidently thinks differently. If he is correct I shall vote for the motion.
Pres. Laying the question on the table does not kill it, except by virtue of a special rule in some organizations. By a majority vote it may be taken from the table at any time when no question is pending during this or the next session, provided the assembly has not assigned some other business to that time. The question is on laying the resolution on the table. As many as are in favor of the motion [or, of laying the question on the table] say Aye. Those opposed ​say No. The ayes have it and the question is laid on the table.
Mr. E. I move "that this society organize a community singing school." [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. F. I move that debate be limited to speeches of three minutes each. [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. G. I move to amend by striking out "speeches of three minutes each" and inserting "one speech of two minutes by any member." [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. H. I move to amend the amendment by striking out "any" and inserting "each." [Seconded, stated, put, and adopted. Amendment as amended put and adopted, and finally the motion to limit debate is put.]
Pres. The question is on the motion "that debate be limited to one speech of two minutes by each member." As many as are in favor of the motion say Aye. Those opposed say No. There being less than two-thirds in the affirmative———
Mr. E [interrupting from his seat]. Division.
Pres. A division is called for. As many as are in favor of the motion to limit debate will rise. Be seated. Those opposed will rise. Be seated. The chair is in doubt. As many as are in favor of the motion limiting debate will rise and stand until counted. ​[Counts.] Be seated. Those opposed will rise. [Counts.] Be seated. There are 40 in the affirmative and 20 in the negative. There being two-thirds in the affirmative, the affirmative has it and the debate is limited to one speech of two minutes by each member. The question is on the motion "that this society organize a community singing school."
[After debate the main question is put and lost.]
Mr. I. I move "that a reading room for juniors should be a part of our public library." [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. J. I move to refer the question to a committee of five to be appointed by the chair. [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. K. I move the previous question on all pending questions. [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. L. There is an urgent matter I wish to bring before the assembly, so I move to lay the question on the table.
[Seconded, stated, put, and motion is adopted. The chair inmiediately recognizes Mr. L to make his motion.]
Mr. L. Mr. President, there is with us a gentleman who has had much experience in various communities along lines in which our society is working, and I know that all of us would be glad to hear from him. I therefore move that Mr. Leslie be requested to address the meeting. [Seconded, stated, put, and adopted by a rising vote, the negative not being put.]
​Pres. The motion is adopted. Will Mr. Leslie please step to the platform? [Mr. Leslie comes forward.] The chair has the pleasure of introducing Mr. Leslie. [The president takes his seat. Mr. Leslie begins his address by turning towards the president, bowing, and saying, "Mr. President," and then bowing to the audience and saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen." When his address is finished the president rises and says a few words of appreciation and the business it resumed. Sometimes a vote of thanks is given, in which case a rising vote is taken, the negative never being put when the vote is simply an act of appreciation and the recipient is present.]
Mr. I. I move to take from the table the motion "that a reading room for juniors should be a part of our public library." [Seconded, stated, put, and adopted.]
Pres. The ayes have it and the question is taken from the table. The pending questions are as follows: first, a motion "that a reading room," etc. [repeating the motion]; second, a motion to refer this motion to a committee of five to be appointed by the chair; and third, a motion for the previous question on all pending questions. As many as are in favor of ordering the previous question on all pending questions will ​rise. Be seated. Those opposed will rise. Be seated. There being two-thirds in favor of the motion, the affirmative has it and the previous question is ordered on all pending questions. The question is now on the motion to refer the pending motion to a committee of five to be appointed by the chair. As many as———
Mr. M [interrupting]. Mr. President, it is nearly noon and it is evident that we cannot complete our business this morning. I therefore move "that we take a recess to 2 P. M." [Seconded, stated, put, and adopted.]
Pres. The ayes have it and we stand in recess until 2 P. M.
AFTERNOON MEETING.
[At 2 P. M. the president takes the chair, raps on the desk or table, calls the meeting to order, and when the room is quiet, he proceeds as follows:]
Pres. The questions pending when the recess was taken are first, a motion "that a reading room for juniors should be a part of our public library"; and second, "that the motion be referred to a committee of five to be appointed by the chair." The previous question was ordered on these questions. The ​question is now on the motion to commit. As many———
Mr. N [rising and interrupting the chair]. Mr. President.
Pres. For what does the gentleman rise?
Mr. N. I wish to offer an amendment to the motion to commit.
Pres. The previous question which has been ordered cuts off all new amendments as well as debate. The gentleman will please be seated. As many as are in favor of the motion to commit say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the motion is referred to a committee of five to be appointed by the chair. The chair appoints — , — , — , — , — [naming the committee].
Mr. O. I move to take from the table the resolution relating to furnishing luncheon to ill-nourished children in our public schools. [Seconded, stated, put, and adopted.]
Pres. The motion is adopted, and the resolution relating to furnishing luncheon to ill-nourished children, and the motion to postpone it to the next session are taken from the table and are pending. The question is on the motion to postpone the consideration of the question to the next regular meeting. Are you ready for the question? [There being no response the question on the postponement is put and the motion is adopted.]
Mr. P. I move to reconsider the vote on the ​motion "that this society organize a community singing school." [Seconded.]
Pres. The motion was lost. Did the gentleman vote against it?
Mr. P. I did.
Pres. It is moved and seconded to reconsider the vote on the motion "that this society organize a community singing school."
Mr. P [as he begins to speak on the importance of organising a community singing school is interrupted].
Mr. Q [rising and interrupting]: Mr. President, I rise to a point of order.
Pres. The gentleman will state his point.
Mr. Q. The gentleman has already spoken on the question and we adopted an order limiting each speaker to one speech on this question.
Pres. The gentleman's point is not well taken. The motion to limit debate was exhausted when the assembly had voted on all the questions upon which it was ordered. The order having been exhausted is not revived when a vote taken under it is reconsidered. Mr. P has the floor.
[Debate, question put, and the motion to reconsider is adopted.]
Pres. The question is now on the motion "that the society organize a community singing school." Are you ready for the question?
[After debate the question is put and the motion is adopted.]
​Mr. R. I move to adjourn. [Seconded, stated, put, and adopted.]
Pres.The motion is adopted and———
Mr. S [rising and interrupting]: Mr. President.
[As soon as he secures the president's attention, he continues:] I move that when we adjourn we adjourn to meet one week from to-day. [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. T. I move to amend by inserting after "meet" the words, "at 10 A. M."[Seconded, stated, put, and adopted: the amended motion is then put and adopted.]
Pres. The motion is adopted, and we stand adjourned to 10 A. M. one week from to-day.
* ↑ A form for the minutes will be found on page 117 which the secretary may use, filling in the blanks as he pleases.
* ↑ Since this motion is undebatable the chair does not ask "Are you ready for the question?"
* ↑ Since there is only one question pending there is no need of specifying upon what the limit of debate is ordered.
* ↑ While the motion to limit debate requires a two-thirds vote for its adoption, motions to amend it require only a majority vote for their adoption.
* ↑ The pending business should always be clearly stated to the assembly whenever the business has been interrupted. It will be noticed that all the questions that were pending when the main motion was laid on the table went to the table with it, and when taken from the table they are in the same condition as they were just previous to being laid on the table.
* ↑ The chairman must stop when addressed, especially in case of declaring the assembly adjourned. If he fails to do it he may be censured by a vote of the society. In case of an adjournment he may be censured at the next meeting.
* ↑ See footnote 6, page 109.
* ↑ Since the assembly has already voted to adjourn, the vote is not taken again, but the chairman declares the assembly adjourned to the time designated by the assembly.