The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-08-19
PARLIAMENTARY.
a Point OF Order In the Cisy
Council Review ed.


In the meeting Of the city council on
Thursday night, n motion was made by
A dermau Hogan, to reconsider u resu.
luton lusscd at previous council, au-
thorizing the employment OF legal
counsel to litigatc with the Texas and
st, Louis railroRd IN regard to the righ
to and occupancy Of certain portion Of
Mary street The motion TO reconsider
WAS made by Il member voting with the
majority on tue original motion, WIS
seconded, aud after iubatc, was put and
resulted IN five ayes and four nays.
Iherenpon the motion was declared
lost, the ruling being made that two
thirds vote IL required TO pass "a motion
to reconsider in the city council
This ruling was evidently "A mistake
on the part nf lIs honor, the mayo
while 1t IL due to him t. say that 1t was
made hy HIM doubtfully and with the
expr ssed opinion Of uncertainty in re-
gard 10 Its parliamentary corr ctncss
We have taken paius to look carefully
through the rules Of order Of the city
council Oi the city Of Waco, and do not
find any rule requiring two thirds vote
to pass such "A motion. The rule in re
gard to motions to reconsider, is rule ~,
page lGG, and reads thus
ANY member wku voted IA the ma
iurlty may move reconsideration Of the
Of the vote nt tn same or tine II. Vt sue
ceeding meeting, and such motion when
seconded shall have precedence Of all
other questions or motions, except
the privilege motions specified IN
rule %" Ia the rules ~ order
tins is all the reference made 10 mt
tl"ns to reconsider, and therefore by tine
rules Of the council are silent HH to by
whht vote motion to reconsider must
be carried. il this were ull the guide "A
majority vote would carry such ~ mo-
ton because "a major, y vote IL the uatu.
raj and usual vote ON all questions, aud
u two-thIrds vO the exception, and only
requisite by some specific rule " order
requiring IT. But rule ~ order
thirty.four refers all such questions to
certain authority III the following Tau.
guage,
Upon all points or questions when
these rules may be silent or uncertain
reference shall he made to such digest
of parliamentary law ue shall ne til,
| standard ia the Legislature Of the stat,
~ Texas As the rules pf order Gre ii
lent upon the majority requisite to pas
il motion to rccunsiderthc parliamentary
law Ia use 10y the Legislature Of the state
II the standard by which the question "A
! to whether "a matter to reconsider IL
passed by Il majority or two-thrds vote
| Cushing'H Manual il the authority ul
| parliamentary usage IN the Texas legls
lhture IA in all other first. class pRrlla
mentnry bodies, the Anglo Saxon worlt
over and by INIT manual IL motion TO re
consider the same as any other ordinary
motion, passed by n majority vote
The motion TO reconsider the railruh,
resolution, 1t IL evident, was carried, ant
the ruling incorrect, according to tn
rules Of order " the council.
1t hardly needs authO Iry TO show tina
Il motion to reconsider should be carrie,
by Il majority vote d little consideration
will show that 1t II night. a motion t.
reconsider IL n demand for secon,
consideration OF question, aud Is deslf
able IN two cnscs, first, when bar
quorum hhs passed the previous rGsolu
ton and full expression if desired, au,
second, whom members voting on Tia
resolution have on second though
changed their minds on the subject
Now II rule requiring twO.thirds vote t,
reconsldel, would be q gag on member
absent at a previous meeting no matte
innOcently aud woul punish absentee
ism with Acknowledgement 1t won 4
also make premium on frs
thoughts and discount on secont
thoughts which are held to be the bost
That is, II resolution could bo passed b.
n bare majority when it was first sprung
but after members hnd reflected ON it !
would take two-thirds to pass it, Thes
points on motion to reconsider ar
made not alone on the rulings OF tn
council but as being Of x neral interest
II IL claimed that motion to recon
slider must Ice seconded by one VIII,
voted IN the majority M well M made b.
such nn one, but this, however IL ma,
be, does not affect the question II til,
| minority to carry aurh "A motion