5. Limit or Extend Limits of Debate
1. Call for the Orders of the Day
2. Raise a Question of Privilege
5. Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn
4. Objection to the Consideration of a Question
6. Consideration by Paragraph or Seriatim
8. Motions Relating to Methods of Voting and the Polls
9. Motions Relating to Nominations
10. Request to Be Excused from a Duty
c) Request for Permission (or Leave) to Withdraw or Modify a Motion
e) Request for Any Other Privilege
F. Motions That Bring a Question Again Before the Assembly
2. Rescind/Amend Something Previously Adopted
So far this book has focused on only those motions that are most commonly used. As a reference, however, this chapter will briefly describe not only these, but also most of the other motions normally used in parliamentary procedure, in terms of the type of situation in which each is of use. This will give you a “jumping-off place” from which you can use the references given here to locate their coverage in the twelfth edition of RONR, where you will find a fuller description of their use and the detailed rules that govern them.
B. MAIN MOTION
A main motion is a motion whose introduction brings business before the assembly. [RONR (12th ed.) 10:1–57.]
C. SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS
Subsidiary motions assist the assembly in treating or disposing of a main motion (and sometimes other motions).
1) If an embarrassing main motion has been brought before the assembly, a member can propose to get rid of this question without bringing it to a direct vote, by moving to Postpone Indefinitely. [RONR (12th ed.) 11:1–8.]
2) If a main motion might be more suitable or acceptable in an altered form, a proposal to change its wording (either to clarify or, within limits, to modify the meaning) before the main motion is voted on can be introduced by moving to Amend. [RONR (12th ed.) 12:1–113.]
3) But it may be that much time would be required to amend the main motion properly, or that additional information is needed, so that it would be better to turn the motion or resolution over to a committee for study or redrafting before the assembly considers it further. Such action can be proposed by moving to Commit the main question—that is, to Refer it to a committee. [RONR (12th ed.) 13:1–26.]
4) If the assembly might prefer to consider the main motion later in the same meeting or at another meeting, this can be proposed by moving to Postpone to a Certain Time—also called the motion to Postpone Definitely, or simply to Postpone. [RONR (12th ed.) 14:1–22.]
5) If it is desired to continue consideration of a motion but debate is consuming too much time, a member can move to place a limit on the debate. On the other hand, if special circumstances make it advisable to permit more or longer speeches than under the usual rules, a motion to do so can be made. Or, it may sometimes be desirable to combine the elements of limitation and extension, as in limiting the length of speeches but allowing more speeches per member. All such modifications of the normal limits of debate on a pending motion are proposed by means of the motion to Limit or Extend Limits of Debate. [RONR (12th ed.) 15:1–21.]
6)If it is desired to close debate and amendment of a pending motion so that it will come to an immediate vote, this can be proposed by moving the Previous Question. [RONR (12th ed.) 16:1–28.]
7) If there is reason for the assembly to lay the main motion aside temporarily without setting a time for resuming its consideration, but with the provision that it can be taken up again whenever a majority so decides, this can be proposed by the motion to Lay on the Table. [RONR (12th ed.) 17:1–24.]
D. PRIVILEGED MOTIONS
Unlike subsidiary motions, privileged motions do not relate to the pending business, but have to do with special matters of immediate and overriding importance which, without debate, should be allowed to interrupt the consideration of anything else.
1) If the adopted program or order of business is not being followed, or if consideration of a question has been set for the present time and is now in order but the matter is not being taken up, a single member, by making a Call for the Orders of the Day [RONR (12th ed.) 18:1–11], can require such a schedule to be enforced—unless the assembly decides by a two-thirds vote to set the orders of the day aside.
2) If a pressing situation is affecting a right or privilege of the assembly or of an individual member (for example, noise, inadequate ventilation, introduction of a confidential subject in the presence of guests, etc.), a member can Raise a Question of Privilege [RONR (12th ed.) 19:1–17], which permits him or her to interrupt pending business to state an urgent request or motion. If the matter is not simple enough to be taken care of informally, the chair then makes a ruling as to whether it is admitted as a question of privilege and whether it requires consideration before the pending business is resumed.
3) A short intermission in a meeting, even while business is pending, can be proposed by moving to Recess [RONR (12th ed.) 20:1–10] for a specified length of time.
4) A member can propose to close the meeting entirely by moving to Adjourn. If there is no previously established time for adjourning the present meeting, this motion can be made and the assembly can adjourn even while business is pending, provided that the time for the next meeting is established by a rule of the society or has been set by the assembly.
5) Under certain conditions while business is pending, the assembly—before adjourning or postponing the pending business—may wish to fix a date and hour, and sometimes the place, for another meeting, or (in an established society) for another meeting before the next regular meeting. In cases of this kind, the motion to Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn [RONR (12th ed.) 22:1–20] can be made—even while a matter is pending—unless another meeting is already scheduled for later within the same session.
E. INCIDENTAL MOTIONS
Incidental motions relate, in different ways, to the pending business or to business otherwise at hand.
1) Although the presiding officer has the responsibility of enforcing the rules, any member who believes he or she has noticed a case where the chair is failing to do so can call attention to it by making a Point of Order [RONR (12th ed.) 23:1–21] at the time the breach occurs. The effect is to require the chair to make a ruling on the question involved.
2) Although the duty of ruling on all questions of parliamentary procedure affecting the assembly’s proceedings rests with the chair, any two members, by moving and seconding an Appeal [RONR (12th ed.) 24:1–13] immediately after the chair has made such a ruling, can require him or her to submit the matter to a vote of the assembly.
3) When it is desired that the assembly take up a question or do something that would be in violation of a rule that applies, it can be proposed in some cases to Suspend the Rules [RONR (12th ed.) 25:1–20] to permit accomplishment of the desired purpose.
4) If an original main motion1 has been made and a member believes that it would do harm for the motion even to be discussed in the meeting, he or she can raise an Objection to the Consideration of a Question [RONR (12th ed.) 26:1–9], provided he or she does so before consideration of the question has already begun; the assembly then votes on whether the main motion shall be considered (and if there is a two-thirds vote against consideration, the motion is dropped).
5) If a pending main motion (or a pending amendment) contains two or more parts capable of standing as separate questions, the assembly can vote to treat each part individually in succession. Such a course is proposed by the motion for Division of a Question. [RONR (12th ed.) 27:1–15.]
6) If the main motion is in the form of a resolution or document containing several paragraphs or sections which (although not separate questions) could be most efficiently handled by opening each paragraph or section to amendment one at a time (before the whole is finally voted on), such a procedure can be proposed by the motion for Consideration by Paragraph or Seriatim. [RONR (12th ed.) 28:1–11.]
7) If a member doubts the accuracy of the chair’s announcement of the result of a voice vote (or even a vote by show of hands)—or doubts that a representative number of persons voted—he or she can demand a Division of the Assembly [RONR (12th ed.) 29:1–8]; a single member thus has the power to require a standing vote—but not to order a count, which only the chair or the assembly can do (see next item).
8) A member can move that a vote be taken (a) by ballot, (b) by roll call, or (c) by a counted standing vote, especially if a division of the assembly has appeared inconclusive and the chair neglects to order a count. This grouping also includes a motion (d) that the polls be closed or reopened in a ballot vote. All these motions are grouped under the heading of Motions Relating to Methods of Voting and the Polls. [RONR (12th ed.) 30:1–11.]
9) If the bylaws or rules of the organization do not prescribe how nominations are to be made, and if the assembly has taken no action to do so prior to an election, any member can move while the election is pending (a) to specify one of various methods by which the candidates shall be nominated; or, if the need arises, (b) to close nominations, or (c) to reopen them; these are the Motions Relating to Nominations. [RONR (12th ed.) 31:1–7.]
10)A member may Request to Be Excused from a Duty [RONR (12th ed.) 32:1–8] if he or she wishes to be relieved from an obligation imposed upon him or her by the bylaws or by virtue of some position or office he or she holds.
11)There are several other types of Requests and Inquiries [RONR (12th ed.) 33:1–22] which a member can make in connection with business that someone desires to introduce, or that is pending or has just been pending. These include:
The first two types of inquiry are responded to by the chair, or by a member at the direction of the chair; the other requests can be granted only by the assembly.
a) Parliamentary Inquiry—a request for the chair’s opinion on a matter of parliamentary procedure as it relates to the business at hand—not involving a ruling. [RONR (12th ed.) 33:3–5.]
b) Request for Information (also called Point of Information)—an inquiry as to facts affecting the business at hand—directed to the chair or, through the chair, to a member. [RONR (12th ed.) 33:6–10.]
c) Request for Permission (or Leave) to Withdraw or Modify a Motion after it has been stated by the chair. [RONR (12th ed.) 33:11–19.]
d) Request to Read Papers. [RONR (12th ed.) 33:20–21.]
e) Request for Any Other Privilege. [RONR (12th ed.) 33:22.]
F. MOTIONS THAT BRING A QUESTION AGAIN BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY
Motions That Bring a Question Again Before the Assembly, either by their adoption or by their introduction, enable the assembly to reopen a completed question during the same session, or to take up one that has been temporarily disposed of, or to change something previously adopted and still in force.
1) If it is desired to resume consideration of a main motion which lies on the table, it can be proposed by means of the motion to Take from the Table [RONR (12th ed.) 34:1–10] that the motion become pending again.
2) If it is desired to cancel or countermand something that has been adopted and that has continuing force and effect, such action can be proposed by means of the motion to Rescind (or Repeal, or Annul); and by another form of the same parliamentary motion—that is, the motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted—it can be proposed to modify the wording or text previously adopted, or to substitute a different version. [RONR (12th ed.) 35:1–12.]
3) If a question has been referred, or a task has been assigned, to a committee that has not yet made its final report and it is desired to take the matter out of the committee’s hands, either so that the assembly itself can consider or act upon it or so that it can be dropped, such action can be proposed by means of the motion to Discharge a Committee. [RONR (12th ed.) 36:1–15.]
4) If, in the same session that a motion has been voted on, but no later than the same day or the next day on which a business meeting is held, new information or a changed situation makes it appear that a different result might reflect the true will of the assembly, a member who voted with the prevailing side can, by moving to Reconsider [RONR (12th ed.) 37:1–45] the vote, propose that the question shall come before the assembly again as if it had not previously been voted on.
1. Main motions actually fall into two subclasses, original main motions and incidental main motions (which are different from incidental motions). Original main motions are the ordinary substantive type we have discussed in this book. For an explanation of the two kinds of main motion, see RONR (12th ed.) 10:2–7.