The Portland daily press., 1899-09-22
THE PREVIOUS QUESTION.
ITS Use in the Common Council Is I'm
usual but Proper.

At the aft two meetings Of the Com
mon Council the previous question has
been used to shut OF debate. The use Of
this motion is perfectly proper, bue rare
10 deliberative bodies where the mem.
bsrship Is not large. Some VI the men,
bers Of the Council did not understand
the motion when II was made, and there
are many others who do not understand.
In this connection, therefore, IL 1t may be
Of interest to quote tho account of this
motion given by Mr.. Reed In his "Parlia-
mentary kules.'' 1.-The previous ques-
tion in England" he s,ys. twas origin
ally motion intended to avoid q direct
vote on the subjsct before the assembly.
1t was first employed In what were th n
considered delicate matters which In
solved high personages, aud was very
ingenious method Of avoidance. 1t still
prevails In the House Of Commons. There,
when the previous question Is moved, IL
is moved by the enemies of the PROPOSE
ton, and Is moved for the purpose OF
putting the measure aside, and net for
the purpose ct supprpssing debAts and
bringing the subject to final decision.
There the pr ,posers of the motion desire
to have negative decision; there the
motion for the previous question can be-
debated. Hence 1t cannot be used for the
purpose of olcsare. The manner of put
thug 1t Is, shall the main question be
now putr II deciaed 10 the negative,
since the main question cannot be put,
the House having voted not to have 1t
done. It must necessarily be laid aside;
IL 1t he decided In the affirmative, then
the main question, without amendment
and without even permitting motion to
adjourn, must be at once put and decided
81 he previous question in the United
States has come to be quite o di ferent
motion from the one just described, both
In purpose and In result. 1t was origin
ally moved by the friends of the measure
cause final decision Of the main ques.
tion. 1t he's reached its present condition
by slow growth. and answers very great
need In a large assembly. Without 1t
debate might have no emo, especial ~
where written speeches ara permitted. At
first we were opntented with the English
motion, simply reversed in It's intantions
ana purposes. They used 1t to defeat tn 9
measure and We used IL to forward 1t.
But it was soon seen that there was grave
Inconvenience In going hack to the main
question overthrowing all intervening
motions, including amendments, and at
tine same tiire leaving the whole subject
practically open to debate. 1t was alEo
no longer sensible, when the previous
question was moved In the interest of
progress, that negative result should
throw the measure aside for the day.
"Hence in view OF these things, expert
ence has established in America the
previous question as follows:
"Instead of the formula PREVIOUSLY en-
ployed, THAT the main question be now
puta the presiding officer should say
MIR. A demands the previous question.
AS many as are in favor of ordering the
previous question will say aye; as many
as are opposed will say no. Tnissques-
ton is not debatable and cannot be
amended. The results of the motion are
as follows: If determined In the negative.
the consideration goes ON rs II the motion
had never been made; If decided In the
affirmative, then the presiding officer at
once, without debate, proceeds TO put.
first, the amendments pending. and then
the main question as amended.