APPENDIX. PARLIAMENTARY RULES FOR CONDUCTING TOWN AND OTHER MEETINGS. 1. Organization of meeting, how effected. 2. Duties of presiding officer. 3. Duties of a clerk. 4. How measures are brought before a meeting. 5. Motions: how put to vote, &c. 6. Motions before meeting cannot be withdrawn by mover: how disposed of. 7. Amendments, how made and put to vote. 8. How amended. 9. How question is put on motion to amend by striking out, &c. 10. Privileged questions. 11. Motions to adjourn. 12. Questions of rights and privileges of members, &c. 13. Order of the day. 14. Motions to reconsider. 15. Quorum, what constitutes; effect of want of. Organization of meeting, how effected. 1. OBVIOUSLY the first thing to be effected in the conduct of any deliberative assembly is its organization; that is, the election of a presiding officer, and a clerk or recording officer. In meetings of comparatively small numbers of people, for ordinary purposes, this is accomplished as follows: Some one interested in the objects of the meeting, at the time appointed requests the members to come to order for the necessary purpose of organization, and as soon as order and quiet are gained requests the company to nominate some one for chairman or presiding officer. He thereupon declares the name first heard by him as nominated, and puts the question to vote, whether this person shall act as chairman. If this is decided in the negative, another nomination must be called for; if decided in the aflirmative, such person then takes the chair, and suggesting to the company the necessity of a clerk, requests a nomination, and proceeds as above specified in the case of the election of a chairman. If other officers are necessary they may be elected in a similar manner. In the case of larger and more important assemblies, as for example political conventions, it is usual to have a temporary organization as above, and a committee appointed to nominate oflicers for a permanent organization. In town meetings for the election of national, state, district, and county officers, the selectmen are authorized to preside, and as the town clerk acts as clerk of the meeting, the organization exists at the opening of the meeting. At all other town meetings a presiding officer, called moderator, must first be chosen. The town clerk shall call the meeting to order, and preside during the election of moderator, and if the town clerk is absent the selectmen shall preside, and if the town clerk is not present to act as clerk of the meeting, the selectmen shall call upon the qualified voters present to choose a clerk pro tempore in like manner as town clerks are chosen.3 Duties of presiding officer. 1 2. The duties of a presiding officer, are in general, to preserve decorum, to announce the business before the meeting in its order, to receive all motions made by members, and put to vote all questions properly moved and seconded, and to state the result of all votes, and to inform the meeting when necessary or inquired of upon points of order. It is also his duty at an adjourned meeting to take the chair at the proper time and call the meeting to order. It is the rule that the "presiding officer may read sitting, but shall rise to state a motion, or put a question to the assembly." Duties of a clerk. 3. The general duties of a clerk of a meeting are to take notes of the proceedings and make the entries in his journal of “all things done and passed" in the meeting, but not of what is said or moved - simply without coming to vote. It is also his duty to read all papers which may be required to be read, to call the roll and note 1 See ch. V. ante. 2 See ch. VI. ante. 8 See ch. VIII. ante. the answers when a question is taken by yeas or nays, notify persons of their election to office, and committees of the business referred to them, and keep the custody of papers belonging to the meeting. How measures are brought before a meeting. 4. It has been said to be one of the duties of the presiding officer to announce the business before the meeting in its order. This general order of business or subjects to be acted upon in town and parish meetings is found in the warrant for the meeting, which should be followed. After the presiding officer has announced to the meeting the subject to be acted upon as contained in the warrant, it is in order and usual for some member to present a proposition to the meeting in reference to such subject in the form of a motion, the member rising and standing uncovered and addressing the presiding officer by his title as "Mr. Moderator, I move that," &c., &c. If the motion is one of any considerable length, or any but the most usual motions, it ought to be reduced to writing by the member offering it, for convenience and to avoid mistake. The presiding officer may however receive it if he choose, and reduce it to writing himself. Questions of order, such as whether or not there has been a violation of the rules of the meeting, must be decided by the presiding officer without being put to vote, and in case of dissatisfaction with his decision the party so dissatisfied may appeal to the meeting. The question is then put, Shall the decision of the chair stand as the decision of the meeting? Motions: how put to vote, fc. -- 5. All motions, except those of mere routine, and such as pass by general consent, should be seconded; that is, some member should rise, and, standing uncovered, state to the presiding officer that he seconds the motion. The motion is then in a condition to be presented to the meeting for its action, which is done by the presiding officer stating to the assembly, "It is moved and seconded that," &c., &c. If it is one not likely to be debated, he adds, "If it be your pleasure that this motion pass, you will please to manifest it by raising the right hand," or, "in the usual manner," if there is a usual manner in which such votes are taken. After those voting. in the affirmative have voted and been counted, if the vote is regarded as close enough to require a count, or the meeting has required a count, the presiding oflicer calls in a similar manner for the vote of those opposed to the motion; and then states to the meeting the result. If the voters are equally divided, the presiding officer may if he pleases give the casting-vote. If he does not, the decision will be in the negative. Motions before meeting cannot be withdrawn by mover: how disposed of. 6. When a motion has been made, seconded, and stated to the meeting, it is then in the possession of the meeting, and cannot be withdrawn by the mover except by vote of the meeting granting leave. It is the duty of the presiding officer to state, or cause to be read, a motion thus in possession of the assembly as often as any member requests it for his information. A motion thus before a meeting may be disposed of by indefinite postponement, or by postponement to a future day or hour, or by laying it on the table: such disposition being accomplished by motion and vote. If it be a matter of importance, and especially if it be one upon which the members require to be informed by the investigation of facts, the motion is referred to a committee with instructions to examine the subject as may be directed, and report at some future day. If it be one, on the other hand, which members are prepared to act upon, but are not satisfied with the exact form in which the motion has been made, it is in order to amend it. Amendments, how made and put to vote. 7. Amendments may be made by striking out certain words, by inserting or adding certain words, or by striking out and inserting or adding certain words. An amendment may itself be amended in the same manner- but this is the limit: there can be no amendment of an amendment to an amendment, — and in putting the question to vote it must be first on the amendment to an amendment, if there be one, and next on the amendment as thus amended if the amendment to the amendment prevailed. If it is rejected, the question must then be put upon the original amendment. If this prevails then the question is put on the original motion as amended. If it is rejected, the question is put upon the original motion. If an amendment prevails, or is rejected, it cannot be afterwards altered or amended. But if an amendment be to strike out or insert certain words and it prevails, or is rejected, an amendment may afterwards be moved to strike out or insert the |