Robert's Parliamentary Practice/Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI.
SECOND DRILL, ILLUSTRATING CHAPTERS IV AND V.
Amendments.
[This is supposed to be another meeting of the Parliamentary Law Class after it has mastered the first drill. Unless the contrary is stated, it is assumed that the chairman stands while putting the question, sits during debate, and at other times stands or sits as he thinks best, and that members always obtain the floor before making a motion or taking part in debate.]
Mr. A. The meeting will please come to order. I move that Mr. X act as chairman of the meeting.[1] [As soon as the motion is seconded he continues:] It is moved and seconded that Mr. X act as chairman of this meeting. Those in favor of the motion say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and Mr. X is elected chairman and he will please take the chair.
Chairman. Nominations for secretary are in order.
Mr. B. I nominate Mr. Y. [Seconded.]
Chairman. Mr. Y is nominated. Are there any further nominations? [There being none he proceeds:] As many as are in favor of Mr. Y for secretary say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and Mr. Y is elected secretary. The meeting is now open for business.
Mr. C. At our last meeting a resolution was adopted which prohibits the making in these meetings of any subsidiary motions except to postpone indefinitely. In order to allow amendments to be offered I move to amend that resolution by inserting the words "and to amend" after the word "indefinitely." [Seconded.]
Chairman. The resolution referred to as adopted at the last meeting is "Resolved, That no subsidiary motions except to postpone indefinitely be allowed in these meetings." It is moved and seconded to amend the resolution by inserting the words "and to amend" after the word "indefinitely." As this motion, if adopted, amends a resolution which the assembly has previously adopted, and no notice of the proposed amendment was given at the previous meeting, it re- quires a two-thirds vote for its adoption.
Mr. D [rising and not waiting to be recognized, says]: Mr. Chairman, that motion is certainly out of order. It is an amendment and therefore a subsidiary motion, and subsidiary motions, except to postpone indefinitely, are prohibited by our rule.[2]
Chairman. The gentleman is in error as to the motion being a subsidiary one. It is a main motion introducing the subject to the assembly since the resolution is not pending. Are you ready for the question? [No response.] As many as are in favor of the amendment say Aye. Those opposed say No. There being two-thirds in favor of the amendment, it is adopted, and no subsidiary motions are in order except to postpone indefinitely and to amend.
Mr. E. I move the adoption of the following resolution, "Resolved, That rural schoolhouses should be used as social centers." [Seconded, and the resolution is handed to the chairman.]
Chairman. It has been moved and seconded to adopt the following resolution [reads the resolution].
Mr. F. I move to add the words, "in so far as such use does not interfere with the uses for which they were designed." [Seconded.]
Chairman. It is moved and seconded to add to the resolution the words [repeats the words]. Are you ready for the question? [No response.] As many as are in favor of the amendment say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the amendment is adopted. The question now is on the resolution as amended, which is, "Resolved, That rural schoolhouses should be used as social centers in so far as such use does not interfere with the uses for which they were designed."[3]
Mr. G. I move to amend by inserting "and churches" after houses. [Seconded.]
Chairman. It is moved and seconded to amend the resolution by inserting the words "and churches" after the word "houses." Are you ready for the question? [No one rising, the chair continues:] As many as are in favor of the amendment say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the amendment is adopted. The question now is on the resolution as amended, which is "Resolved, That rural schoolhouses and churches should be used as social centers in so far as such use does not interfere with the uses for which they were designed."
Mr. H. I move to strike out the word "rural."
Chairman [the motion not being immediately seconded, asks]: Is the motion seconded ?
Member. I second the motion.
[Question is stated, vote taken, amendment adopted, and the chair announces the pending question on the resolution as amended which he repeats and then asks if the assembly is ready for the question. There being no response the chair continues:]
Chairman. The question is on the resolution, "Resolved, That schoolhouses and churches should be used as social centers in so far as such use does not interfere with the uses for which they were designed." As many as are in favor of the resolution say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted.
Mr. I. I move to adopt the following resolution, "Resolved, That calisthenics ought to be cultivated more in our primary schools." [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. J. I move to amend the resolution by striking out "calisthenics" and inserting "athletics." [Seconded, stated, put, and adopted.]
Chairman. The ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. The question is now on the resolution, "Resolved, That athletics ought to be cultivated more in our primary schools." Are you ready for the question?
Mr. K. I move to substitute for the pending resolution the following: "Resolved, That physical training should receive more attention in our schools." [Seconded.]
Chairman. It is moved and seconded to substitute for the pending resolution the following: "Resolved," etc. Are you ready for the question? [No one claiming the floor he continues:] As many as are in favor of substituting the resolution just read for the pending resolution say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the resolution just read is substituted for the pending one. The question is now on the resolution as amended, which is, "Resolved, That physical training should receive more attention in our schools." Are you ready for the question? [No one rising, he continues:] As many as are in favor of the resolution say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted.
Mr. L. I move the adoption of the following resolution: "Resolved, That it is bad to look on cooking as if it were a lower grade of work than tending a machine in a factory," [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. M. I move to amend by adding the words, "or clerking." [Seconded and stated.][4]
Mr. N. I move to amend the amendment by adding the words "in a store." [Seconded, and stated as follows:]
Chairman. It is moved and seconded to amend the amendment by adding the words "in a store." If this is adopted the primary amendment will be to add to the resolution the words, "or clerking in a store." Are you ready for the question on adding the words "in a store" to the primary amendment? [There being no response he proceeds:] As many as are in favor of the amendment say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the amendment to the amendment is adopted. The question is now on the amendment to add to the resolution the words, "or clerking in a store." Are you ready, etc.? [Question put, and amendment adopted.]
Mr. O. I move to amend the resolution by striking out "bad" and inserting "wrong." [Seconded and stated.]
Mr. P. I move to amend the amendment by striking out "wrong" and inserting "a mistake." [Seconded.]
Chairman. It is moved and seconded to amend the amendment by striking out "wrong" and inserting "a mistake." Are you ready for the question?
[After debate the chair again inquires if the assembly is ready for the question, and no one claiming the floor, he puts the question on the amendment to the amendment.]
Chairman. The question is on striking out the word "wrong" in the pending amendment to the resolution and inserting "a mistake." As many as are in favor of the motion say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the amendment to the amendment is adopted. The question is now on the amendment to strike out "bad"' and insert "a mistake." Are you ready for the question? [Question put, amendment adopted, and question stated as now on the resolution as amended.]
Mr. O. I move to substitute for the pending resolution the following: "Resolved, That in the interest of health the cook should rank with chemists." [Seconded.]
Chairman. The pending resolution is, "Resolved, That it is a mistake to look on cooking as if it were a lower grade of work than tending a machine in a factory or clerking in a store." It is moved and seconded to substitute for this the resolution, "Resolved, That in the interest of health the cook should rank with chemists." Are there any further amendments proposed to the original resolution?[5]
Mr. R. I move to strike out the words "if it were." [Seconded, stated, put, and the amendment adopted.]
Chairman. Are there any further amendments to the original resolution? [No response.] The proposed substitute is now open to amendment.
Mr. S. I move to amend the substitute by inserting "industrial" before "chemists." [Seconded, stated, put, and the amendment adopted.]
Chairman. Are there any further amendments to the substitute proposed? [No response.] The original resolution is as follows, "Resolved, That it is a mistake to look on cooking as a lower grade of work than tending a machine in a factory or clerking in a store." It is proposed to substitute for this the following resolution: "Resolved, That in the interest of health the cook should rank with industrial chemists." As many as are in favor of the motion to substitute say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the motion to substitute is adopted. The question is now[6] on the resolution as amended which is, "Resolved, That in the interest of health the cook should rank with industrial chemists." As many as are in favor of the resolution say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. Is there any further business?
Mr. T. I move to adjourn. [Seconded.]
Chairman. It is moved and seconded to adjourn. As many as are in favor of the motion [or of adjourning] say Aye. Those opposed say No. The ayes have it, the motion is adopted, and we stand adjourned.
- ↑ It will be noticed that the form is different from that used in the first drill in the election of the chairman. Either is correct and common. Forms are varied in these drills to illustrate those in common use.
- ↑ This is called making, or raising a point of order. It may interrupt the proceedings, and requires no second. It is explained on page 93.
- ↑ If a member rises to claim the floor when the question is stated, the chairman should not ask, "Are you ready for the question?"
- ↑ See diagram, page 192.
- ↑ Though the resolution has been amended its friends have the right to propose further amendments before the vote is taken on substituting the new resolution for it. If there is any probability of either of the resolutions being amended the chair should call for amendments, first on the resolution to be struck out and then on the resolution to be inserted in its place.
- ↑ The previous vote only substituted the new resolution for the old one. It is now necessary for the assembly to decide whether it will adopt the new pending resolution.