cedence of all others, cannot be received while a member is on the floor, or while another question is being voted on. A motion to adjourn. simply cannot be amended, as by adding to a particular day or hour.

2. If the question be decided for adjournment, it is no adjournment till the chair so pro

nounces.

3. A motion to adjourn, if decided in the negative, can be renewed after business has progressed to another stage, or another vote has been taken or speech made.

4. This motion, in order to be entitled to privilege, must be simply to adjourn. If made in any other form-as to a particular day or time. -it is a principal question, and cannot supersede others, and may be amended and debated.

5. When the motion in its simple form prevails, it adjourns the assembly to its next appointed day or hour for meeting. An adjournment sine die (without day) is a declaration that that assembly will not meet again by its own appointment, and is tantamount to a dissolution.

6. When a question is interrupted by adjournment before any vote is taken upon it, it is thereby removed from the assembly, and does

`not stand before it at its next regular session, but must be brought forward in the usual way. But an adjourned special meeting is regarded as a continuation of a former meeting, and the business should be resumed the same as if no adjournment had taken place.

II-Rights and Safety.

The occasions which give rise to this class of questions may be unexpected and urgent, such as to hinder all other business from being properly transacted. The safety, dignity, and reasonable comfort of the assembly are to be promptly considered. It is entitled to the undisturbed exercise of its own prerogatives, and of the rights and privileges of each member. Motions involving these are of a high gradesecond only to a motion to adjourn.

III.-Orders of the Day.

1. When a subject has been postponed to a given day, it is called the order of the day. If two or more subjects are assigned to a particular day, they form the orders of the day.

2. If a subject be assigned to a certain hour of the day named, it is not a privileged question until that hour. On the arrival of the time set, the chair should call the attention of the

assembly to the fact. If a speaker is on the floor, he gives way-no other subject is before the house. No motion is needed to bring it up: the hour brings it up. It is now in order to consider it, or to postpone its farther consideration to another time. In the latter case, business will be resumed at the point where it was interrupted.

3. Where a subject has been assigned to a day, and no hour named, a motion to take it up is a privileged question over all other business for every part of that day, or so much of it as is required for disposing of that particular subject.

4. When there are two or more subjects assigned to a day, the motion, to be entitled to privilege, must be for the orders of the day in general, and not for any particular one. If it prevail, the chair takes up the questions in the order in which they stand.

5. Whatever business may have been suspended by the order or orders of the day, may be resumed as soon as that to which it gave way has been disposed of. Motions to adjourn, and a question of rights and safety-these only take precedence of a motion for the orders of the day. It must be decided without debate.

SEC. XVI.-THE GRADES OF MOTIONS.

1. As an original or main motion may be superseded by secondary, incidental, and privileged ones, so there is a competition among motions of the same class.

2. Amendment and postponement competing, the question is to be first put on postponement, though it be moved last. The reason is, the amendment is not lost by adjourning the main question: it is before the house again whenever the main question is resumed. But other important business might be lost, while debating the amendment, if there were no power to postpone the whole subject, or to lay it on the table.

3. Amendment and commitment: The question for committing, though last moved, should be first put; because it facilitates and befriends the motion to amend.

4. A proposition postponed to a time definite, becomes a privileged question for that time, and not until that time: a proposition laid on the table remains there until called up by the vote of a majority-this may be done at any time that is convenient. A motion to lie on the table is of higher grade therefore than a motion to postpone to a time definite; and the former takes precedence of the latter.

The following has been presented as an example of the way in which questions may accumulate, by superseding and suspending one another for the time; and all be worked through without confusion or entanglement, by adhering to the rules laid down: (1) There is a principal motion pending; (2) a motion is made to amend; (3) another motion is made to amend the amendment; (4) a proposition is made to commit; (5) a point of order is raised; (6) a question of privilege is raised; (7) it is moved to adjourn. If the complication should be increased by ardent or uninstructed members proposing other motions not pertinent, they should not be entertained, and those legitimately on hand disposed of thus: Put the question first on the motion to adjourn. If that be decided in the negative, then settle the question of privilege; after that, decide the point of order; then put the question on the motion to commit. If the assembly refuse to commit, the questions are to be taken on the amendments in the reverse order, and finally on the principal motion, amended or unamended.

SEC. XVII. TAKING THE QUESTION.

1. When the assembly is ready for the question, the President states it, or calls on the Secretary to read it, and takes the vote thereon. First, putting it in the affirmative-"As many as favor the motion will say aye," or, "Raise your hands." Then in the negative-"Those opposed to it, (or, of a contrary opinion,) will say no," or, "Raise your hands."