A MANUAL OF PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE. RULES FOR CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN DELIBERATIVE ASSEMBLIES. BY P. H. MELL, D.D., LL.D., LATE PROFESSOR OF ETHICS AND METAPHYSICS, AND A NEW AND THOROUGHLY REVISED EDITION. LOUISVILLE, KY.: 1893. DEC 4 1919 Ashi & & Finis Re-entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1893, by P. H. MELL, Jr., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of Georgia. PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. By request, the Author, a few years ago, prepared a Manual for the use of a deliberative body of which he was the presiding officer. This was received by the public with favor, and passed through several editions. It was embarrassed, however, by the fact that it bore upon its face the evidence of its local origin and application. By the advice and request of distinguished presiding officers of legislative and ecclesiastical bodies, who were kind enough to commend it, the author has removed from it the traces of such local origin, and adapted it to universal use. In its original publication, it was offered to supply a felt want. No other manual, so far as known, develops the important fact that there is an English General Parliamentary Code, and an American also, similar in the main, but differing in some important particulars. No student of the science can fail to be embarrassed who does not prosecute his inquiries in the light of this discrimination. Besides, as a science, it has the right to be presented in systematic form, with a development of the great principles on which its parts are based. A mere list of rules, without a statement of their reasons, and of their mutual connection in a system, would be of little value to one trying to qualify himself to be an efficient parliamentarian. The attempt is made here to present the subject systematically as a science. The distinction of questions into debatable and nondebatable is not arbitrary, but based upon principle; and it is important that the cases should be discriminated, and the reasons given which govern them severally. This the author has done. In the discussion of every form of question, he takes care to state when debate is not in order, and to give the reason for it, if necessary. This manual will, of course, be found to differ from the special rules of legislative bodies. It is based upon General Parliamentary Law, and is an attempt to develop the American form of it; while legislative rule is an intentional departure from the General Code. The author hopes, however, that it will be found useful to members of legislative bodies; indeed, distinguished legislative presiding officers have been kind enough to say to him that they used his former publication as their text-book. The hope is indulged that this manual will be found adapted to deliberative bodies of all kinds; and that intelligent presiding officers, even though they have not had the advantage of legislative training, will find in it hints and instructions which will enable them, with dignity and efficiency, to perform the duties of their office. P. H. MELL. UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, Feb. 9, 1876. PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION. The Author, during his lifetime, often expressed the desire to revise this little work and incorporate in it a few additions that the experience of long years proved to be valuable and useful to deliberative bodies. His death in 1888, however, prevented the fulfillment of this wish. The frequent use of the electro plates for many years has so badly worn them that it has become necessary to issue a new edition of the work. In the preparation of the manuscript for the printer particular care has been taken not to alter in any material manner the subject matter of the book, but, with the exception of incorporating the appendix in its proper place, the work has been practically left as it was in the Second Edition. P. H. MELL, JR. ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE. |