# Robert's Parliamentary Practice/Chapter 7

CHAPTER VII.
COMMIT AND COMMITTEES.
[The Third Drill, Chapter VIII, should be read in connection with this chapter.]
If a subject requires more investigation or discussion than can be given in the assembly itself, instead of amending it in the assembly, the proper course is to move "to refer the resolution [or the motion] to a committee." The motion may be made in this simple form; or it may state the number or name the members of the committee and state how they are to be appointed, and it may also include instructions to the committee. The motion is also called "to commit." As may be seen by reference to Chart I, it cannot be made if anything is pending except a main motion and its amendments and the motion to postpone indefinitely. If the motion to commit is adopted the main motion and pending amendments go to the committee, and the motion to postpone indefinitely, if pending, is ignored. The motion to commit may be amended, and it is debatable, but the debate must not go into the merits of the main question any further ​than is necessary to make clear the reasons for or against referring the question to a committee. The reason for this is that the question will be open for debate when it comes back from the committee and it can then be discussed more intelligently.
The usual form of the motion to commit is, "I move to refer the question to a committee of [specifying the number] to be appointed by the chair." If the motion does not specify how the committee is to be appointed, when it is adopted the chair asks, "How shall the committee be appointed?" Any members, without rising, simply say, (1) "By nominations from the floor," or "By open nominations" as it is called; (2) "Nominations by the chair"; or (3) "Appointed by the chair." If only one of these methods is mentioned, the chair assumes that to be the will of the assembly just as if a vote had been taken. Otherwise the chair puts the questions to vote without any motion in the order (1), (2), (3) without reference to the order in which they were made. If it is adopted the chair at once calls for nominations from the floor. If objection is made no member can nominate more than one member of the committee, until every member has had an opportunity to make a nomination. Except in very large bodies nominations are made by calling out the name without rising. The chair repeats each name as he hears it, thus, "Mr. ​Brown" or, "Mr. Brown is nominated." If no more are nominated than the motion to commit provides for, the chair assumes these to be the choice of the assembly and announces the committee thus: "The question is referred to the committee consisting of ———, ———, and ———" [mentioning the names]. If, however, there are more nominations than there are places to be filled, the chair puts the questions separately on the nominations in the order in which they were made until the required number is elected.
If 2 is adopted the chair announces the names of his choice for the committee and then puts the question on their election thus, "As many as are in favor of ———, ———, and ——— [repeating the names] for the committee say Aye," etc. When they are elected the chairman should state, as previously mentioned, that "the question is referred to the committee just named." If members object to certain nominations by the chair, they may move to amend by striking out the objectionable name or names. If such an amendment is adopted the chair replaces the name by another and again states the question on his nominations. The assembly cannot strike out one name and insert another because it has voted that the nominations shall be made by the chair.
If 3 is adopted the chair simply announces the committee, stating that the resolution is referred to it as mentioned above. If the chair is not prepared to ​announce the names of the committee, he should make that statement and do it before the adjournment.
As previously stated the motion to commit may include all the details as in this example: "I move to refer the resolution [or question] to a committee consisting of A, B, and C with instructions to report at the next meeting."
Whoever appoints the committee may at the same time name the chairman. When the committee is nominated or appointed by the chair it is understood that the first one named is appointed chairman. When nominations are made from the floor, or when the committee is elected by ballot, since no one is named as chairman, the member first named acts as chairman unless the committee elects another chairman which action it has the power to take. As soon as the committee is appointed, the secretary turns over to its chairman all the papers referred to the committee. These papers must be carefully preserved and eventually returned without defacement to the secretary. Any amendments proposed by the committee must be written on a separate sheet of paper even though the report is made orally. The chairman calls the members together as soon as practicable and submits the papers referred to the committee. After requesting a hearing, members have a right to appear before the committee and to present their views on the question at such times as the committee may have designated. If the chairman neglects to call the ​committee together it is the duty of the committee to meet on the call of any two of its members.
When the committee meets, the proceedings are usually quite informal. The committee cannot limit debate. Members do not rise and address the chair to make motions or to debate, nor does the chair need to stand while putting questions. Motions are not seconded and members may speak as many times as they please but no longer at any time than is allowed in the assembly. The chairman, instead of abstaining from debate and from expressing his opinions as in the assembly, usually takes the most active part in the debate and puts questions to vote on his own initiative after an informal discussion. A quorum, that is the number that must be present in order to transact business, is a majority of the committee. A committee has no right to discipline any of its members: if any member obstructs business, its only recourse is to report the facts to the assembly for its action. If a committee finds that its investigations will involve expense that has not been authorized, it must obtain from the assembly such authority before incurring the expense.
In minor matters, or when a committee has to act promptly and a meeting cannot be held, the members of the committee may be consulted and take action by telephone, provided every member is consulted and no objection is made to waiving a formal meeting.
Committees may be appointed
​(a) to consider and report on a resolution; or
(b) to consider a subject and report recommendations for the society's action; or
(c) to attend to some other business for the assembly.
(a) When a resolution is referred to a committee, the committee may agree to recommend its adoption or rejection in its present shape, or it may recommend the adoption of the resolution after it has been amended in a specified manner. If the resolution when committed had amendments pending, the committee should recommend what action should be taken on these amendments as well as on the resolution.
(b) In this case the committee considers the subject informally and then usually appoints one member to draft a report, which, after giving the necessary information, should close with resolutions for the assembly to adopt. These resolutions should be complete so as to cover all action which the assembly should take in order to carry out the recommendations of the committee. This draft is open to discussion and amendment by the committee before its adoption by them.
(c) Committees may be appointed to investigate matters and report the facts without any recommendations, or to perform a certain duty. In the latter case the committee is usually required to make a report to the society of what it has done.
The committee's report must be adopted by a ​majority vote at a meeting of which every member has been notified, or at an adjourned meeting thereof, except where it is impracticable to obtain the presence of a quorum at a meeting, in which case the report must be agreed to by every member of the committee. In all cases effort should be made to obtain a unanimous report. The minority, however, may prepare a report expressing its views. By permission of the assembly this may be read immediately after the reading of the committee's report.
Informal Consideration.
When it is desired to consider a question in an assembly with the freedom of a committee, a motion should be made to consider the question informally. This motion has the same rank as to commit, and if it is adopted members may speak on the main question and its amendments as often as they can obtain the floor. In recognizing members as having the floor the chair must give the preference to members who have not spoken. He should also give the preference, where practicable, to a member opposed to the last speaker. All the rules of the assembly are in force except the one limiting the number of times a member may speak on a question, and this rule is in force except in case of the main question and the amendments proposed to it. Since members are allowed to speak as often as they can obtain the floor, the length of each speech ​should usually be limited to five or three minutes, or even less, as shown on page 73.
Practice Work.
(1) What is the purpose of the motion to commit? What is its other name?
(2) By reference to Chart I, what motions does Commit outrank?
(3) Give the form for a motion to refer a question to a committee of five to be appointed by the chair.
(4) Name two other ways of securing members of a committee.
(5) If all three ways are suggested, name the order in which the questions on them should be put.
(6) When the chair appoints or nominates the committee, who is chairman of the committee? When the committee is elected as a result of nominations from the floor, how may the chairman be selected?
(7) State differences in the conduct of committee meetings and meetings of the assembly.
(8) How many members of a committee must agree in any final action? Why is an odd number more frequently suggested for a committee?
(9) For what three general purposes may a committee be appointed?
(10) Tell how to conduct business by Informal Consideration.