The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-02
THE TRUE STATUS.

, we notice that il is inconsidcratel,
= hcid by some who pass swift judgment
that The notice given by Councilman
Martin that he intended to mako mo
tion to reconsider the action of tho
Council IN the matter of saloon licenses
held up the Council s approval of the
committee g report, This is not IN the
least degree true. The committees s re-
port was adopted by the Council That
ADOPTION holds good The report stands
upon the minutes. and is Officially ap.
proved by Council vote A motion TO re.
consider it does not hold it up, much
less n notice of intent to make such mo-
tlon, That motion may never, in fact,
nc made. But if it is made, the Coun-
Ell can dispose of il by voting it down.
and no further action is required. But
II II were true that the motion to re.
consider holds it up, then some further
action of the Council, affirmative on
the line of this action Of Wednesday
night, would be necessary. even after
voting down the motion TO reconsider.
But since nothing of the kind is ncces-
sarJ, and since the motion to-. recon
Slder may or may not be pressed, or
even made, that motion can have no
present effect upon the action of the
Council. The Council has adopted the
report That adoption stands on the
minutes, Nothing done so far vacates
that action or in the least degree weak
ems or postpones il.
II that which is so improbable as
to be practically impossible, happens,
that on next Tuesday night the Couu-
ell should decide to vacate its action
in approving the report. then thc re-
port would still be before the Council
for its action. But in case the motion
TO reconsider il is made. all that the
Council will need to do will be to vote
that motion down, and that will be the
end of the whole matter. No aflirma-
tive action of any kind is thereafter
necessary and the action of the Council
Of Wednesday night will continue in
force Just as it is in force now
Those who argue to the contrary lose
sight of the fact that notice of intent
to make a motion effects no result, and
apparently do not understand parlia-
mentary law on the status of vote on
the pending motion to reconsider. The
usual procedure IN the House Of Rep
resentatives. when n motion to recon
also moves that the motion 10 recon
slider be laid upon the table, and tina
is the motion which is immediately put.
And when the motion to reconsider
IS laid on the table, that ends
1t, Jhe practice Of allowing "A notice |
OF motion to reconsider 10 lie over
a week is bad practice and ought to be |
discontinued. When a motion 10 recon
sldcr is made IT should be immediately |
and If the Council is OBJ
posed. be tabled. But notice Of a
motion to reconsider has no effect what.
ever on the matter that has Just been
passed upon by the Council Thus,
though motion to reconsider may be by
he mover postponed. that does not pre-.
vent any member then and there pres
mt from making the same motion to
reconsider. and TO lay also that |
notion TO reconsider upon the
able This is the wel.knowu parlia.
nentary practice, and if the rules of
he Council do not recognize that prac
ice, then the practice can prevail over
he rules, and the rules should be
lmended to conform to tho parhamen-
arian principles and parliamentary
procedure.