to what is called the previous question. They may want time for reflection, or to gather information; this creates the occasion for a motion to postpone to a certain day. They may wish to have the proposition modified or altered, or the subject investigated, to an extent or in a manner incompatible with the formalities proper to the proceedings of the full assembly; thence comes the need of a motion to commit, that is, to refer the matter to a committee. They may be favorable to a proposition in the main, but dissatisfied with certain particulars, capable of easy alteration in the assembly; that gives rise to a motion to amend. They may be anxious to get rid of a proposition altogether, and yet not to do so in a rude or indelicate manner; that is accomplished by the use of a motion to postpone indefinitely. They may have previously ordered, or appointed certain business for certain times, and the hour having arrived for such business, there may be need of a motion to proceed to the orders of the day. They may have already decided a question, and, upon further reflection, concluded to retrace their steps, and bring the matter again under deliberation; in which event, there is need of a motion to reconsider. But there are other motions still, which circumstances require to take precedence over a question already before the assembly. These are such as arise incidentally, and, being incidental to motions of every kind, they are allowed, for the time being, to supersede the proposition under discussion, whether it be a privileged one or not. The incidental questions are such as respect the privilege of the members of the assembly, or of the whole assembly taken collectively; such as have regard to questions of order, to the reading of papers relating to the matter under debate, to the withdrawal of motions, to the suspension of rules, and the amendment of amendments. The following is a list of all the above-mentioned questions, or motions, being here included under the general head of PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS.* 1. Motions to adjourn. 2. Motions to lie on the table. 3. Motions for the previous question. 4. Motions to postpone to a day certain. 6. Motions to amend. 7. Motions to postpone indefinitely. 8. Motions for the orders of the day. 9. Motions concerning questions of privilege. 10. Motions concerning questions of order. 11. Motions for the reading of papers. 12. Motions for the withdrawal of motions. 13. Motions for the suspension of rules. 14. Motions to reconsider. * The questions included in the list above, excepting the last, are divided by Mr. Cushing into three classes, and arranged thus: PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS:-Adjournment, Questions of Privilege and Orders of the Day. INCIDENTAL QUESTIONS :-Questions of Order, Reading of Papers, Withdrawal of a Motion, Suspension of a Rule and Amendment of Amendments. SUBSIDIARY QUESTIONS:-Lie on the Table, Previous Question, Postponement, Commitment and Amendment. 80. Have these privileged questions any privilege among themselves? The questions which thus have a right to take precedence of the main, or principal question, have, also, a certain order of precedence among themselves. In some deliberative bodies, that order is settled by a formal rule. Thus, in the 11th Rule of the United States Senate, we read: "When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but to adjourn, to lie on the table, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone to a day certain, to commit, or to amend; which several motions shall have precedence in the order they stand arranged, and the motion for adjournment shall always be in order, and be decided without debate." The order prescribed in the 46th Rule of the House of Representatives, is the following: "When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received, but to adjourn, to lie on the table, for the previous question, to postpone to a day certain, to commit or amend, to postpone indefinitely; which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are arranged; and no motion to postpone to a day certain, to commit, or to postpone indefinitely, being decided, shall be again allowed on the same day, and at the same stage of the bill or proposition. A motion to strike out the enacting words of a bill shall have precedence of a motion to amend, and, if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its rejection." THE MOTION TO ADJOURN. 81. When is a motion to adjourn in order? A motion to adjourn, as stated in the Senate Rule, is always in order, and, therefore, takes precedence of all others.* It must, moreover, be put without debate. 82. Why should a motion to adjourn have precedence of all others? Because otherwise the body might be kept in session against its will, and that for an indefinite period of time. 83. Must the motion to adjourn, then, be always entertained without respect to time or circumstances? In a general sense, a motion to adjourn may be, and usually is, said to be always in order. But this must be taken with some limitations. Thus, it cannot be received while a member is speaking, unless he consents to give way for that purpose; it cannot be entertained while a vote, or the process of calling the yeas and nays, is in progress; it cannot, after being once negatived, be renewed previous to the intervention of some other business; and, lastly, it must be a motion to adjourn simply, without specification of any kind; that is, merely that the assembly "do now adjourn."+ * By the 48th Rule of the United States House of Representatives, not only a motion to adjourn, but also a motion to fix the day to which the House will adjourn, is declared to be always in order. Under this Rule, also, a motion to fix the day, to which the House shall adjourn, is made to take precedence of a simple motion to adjourn. + See, however, the 48th Rule of the United States House of Representatives, referred to in the preceding note. 84. Is a motion to adjourn susceptible of amendment? A motion to adjourn cannot be amended; for the amendment itself would introduce new business not entitled to take precedence of the main question. If, however, a motion to adjourn is offered, when no other proposition is before the assembly, it may be amended like any other motion. 85. If the motion to adjourn must be made without specification of time, how is the assembly to be governed, as to the time of the next meeting? When a motion simply to adjourn is decided in the affirmative, the body is thereby adjourned to the next regular time of sitting; or to such time, if any, as has been appointed by previous resolution. 86. What difference, if any, is there between a motion simply to adjourn, and a motion to adjourn sine die? Sine die means without day; that is, without a day appointed for another meeting. In reality, therefore, a motion simply to adjourn, and a motion to adjourn sine die, are things identical. But the form to adjourn sine die is mainly employed in relation to bodies, whereof no re-assembling is contemplated; in which case, of course, to adjourn sine die is the same as to dissolve the assembly altogether. 87. What formality, if any, on the part of the presid ing officer, is necessary to give efficacy to a motion to adjourn? Though a resolution to adjourn has been duly passed, |