A Manual of Practice,

FOR THE GUIDANCE OF PRESIDING OFFICERS, MEMBERS OF LODGES, ETC.*

1. THE presiding officer having taken the chair, and a quorum being present, the minutes of the previous meeting must be read, and in case no mistakes appear upon them, they must be declared approved. The presiding officer must preserve (perforce, if necessary) order and decorum. He may speak to points of order in preference to other members, rising from his seat for that purpose; and decide questions of order, subject to an appeal to the body by any two members, on which appeal no member should speak more than once, unless by leave of the body. He must rise to put a question, but may state it sitting. He must put no motion until it shall be seconded.

2. Questions must be distinctly put in this form, to wit: "As many as are of opinion that [as the question may be], say Ay;'" and after the affirmative voice is expressed, "As many as are of a contrary opinion, say 'No.'" If the presiding officer doubt, or if a division be called for, the body must divide: those in the affirmative of the question must first rise from their

*The Rules here presented are appropriate to the government of all public bodies.

+ In Odd-Fellows' Lodges, so far as the expression of members is concerned, this form is changed, the voters being required to "give the usual sign of an Odd Fellow."

seats, and afterward those in the negative. If the presiding officer still doubt, or a count be required, he may name two members, one from each side, to "tell the members in the affirmative and negative;"* which being reported, the presiding officer must rise and state the decision to the body. No division and count by tellers will be in order, except upon the motion of two members.

3. All committees must be appointed by the presiding officer, unless otherwise specially directed by the by-laws, in which case they must be appointed by ballot; and if, upon such ballot, the number required shall not be elected by a majority of the votes given, the body must proceed to a second ballot, in which a plurality of votes may prevail; and in case a greater number than is required to compose or complete a committee shall have an equal number of votes, the body must proceed to a further ballot or ballots.

4. The first-named member of any committee must be the chairman; and in his absence, or being excused by the body, the next-named member, and so on, as often as the case shall happen, unless the committee, by a majority of their number, elect a chairman.

5. Any member may excuse himself from serving on any committee at the time of his appointment, if he is then a member of other committees.

6. It is the duty of a committee to meet on the call of any two of its members, if the chairman be absent, or decline to appoint such meeting.

7. In all other cases of ballot than for committees, a majority of the votes given must be necessary to an election, and where there shall not be such a majority on the first ballot, the ballots must be repeated until a majority be obtained. And in all ballotings blanks

* In an Odd-Fellows' Lodge the Warden acts as teller.

must be rejected, and not taken into the count in the enumeration of votes, or reported by the tellers.

8. In cases of election by the body, the presiding officer may vote, unless a special enactment to the contrary shall have been made by the body. In cases of equal division of the body, the presiding officer may have the "casting vote." If by law he is debarred this privilege, a "tie vote" decides a question lost.

9. The order of business should be as follows:-1. Calling the roll of officers. 2. Reading the minutes of the previous meeting. 3. Consideration of previous proposals for or certificates of membership. 4. Introduction of new members. 5. Reception of new proposals for or certificates of membership. 6. Consideration of unfinished business. 7. Consideration of business of a general description. 8. The reading of communications. 9. Reports of committees, by seniority. 10. Consideration of new business.

10. Resolutions which require investigation, or which it may be necessary to delay for inquiry and future action, must be referred to a committee, usually of three members, who should report as speedily as the nature of the subject may permit.

11. When a member is about to speak in debate, or for the purpose of making any necessary inquiry, he must rise from his seat, and respectfully address himself to the presiding officer. He must confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personality. 12. When two or more members rise at the same moment, the presiding officer must decide which is entitled to the floor.

13. No member should occupy an unreasonable time in debate: a member reporting a resolution' under consideration from a committee, may open and close the debate upon it.

14. Any member who shall first obtain the floor, after the member reporting a resolution from a committee shall have concluded, may speak in opposition for any reasonable length of time, and others may follow for and against the measure. When the debate is closed by order of the body, any member may be allowed five minutes to explain any amendment he may offer; after which, any member who shall first obtain the floor may be allowed to speak five minutes in opposition to it; and there must be no further debate on the amendment; but the same privilege of debate may be allowed in favor of and against any amendment that may be offered to the amendment: and neither the amendment nor an amendment to the amendment should be withdrawn by the mover thereof, unless by the unanimous consent of the body.

15. If any member, in speaking or otherwise, transgress the rules of the body, the presiding officer must, or any member may call to order; in which case, the member so called to order must immediately sit down, unless permitted to explain; and the body must, if appealed to, decide on the case, but without debate; if there be no appeal, the decision of the chair must be submitted to. If the decision be in favor of the member called to order, he should be at liberty to proceed; if otherwise, he must not be permitted to proceed, in case any member object, without leave of the body; and, if the case require it, he will be liable to the censure of the society.

16. If a member be called to order for words spoken in debate, the person calling him to order must repeat the words excepted to, and they must be taken down in writing; and no member can be held to answer, or be subject to censure for words spoken in debate, if any other member has spoken, or other business has