Roberts Rules of Order | Page 2

by their own
rules.
It has been well said by one of the greatest of English writers on
parliamentary law: "Whether these forms be in all cases the most
rational or not is really not of so great importance. It is much more
material that there should be a rule to go by, than what that rule is, that
there may be a uniformity of proceeding in business, not subject to the
caprice of the chairman, or captiousness of the members. It is very
material that order, decency and regularity be preserved in a dignified
public body."

H. M. R. December, 1875.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS. Introduction. Page. Parliamentary
Law .................................................. 9 Plan of the
Work .................................................. 12 ''
Part I .................................................... 13
''
Part II ................................................... 14
Definitions ....................................................... 15

Part I.--Rules of Order.
Art. I.--Introduction of Business. § 1. How
introduced ................................................. 17 2. Obtaining the
floor ............................................ 17 3. What precedes debate on a
question ............................. 19 4. What motions to be in writing, and
how they shall be divided ...................................... 20 5. Modification
of a motion by the mover .......................... 21
Art. II.--General Classification of Motions. § 6. Principal or Main
motions ...................................... 22 7. Subsidiary or Secondary
motions ................................ 22 8. Incidental
motions ............................................. 23 9. Privileged
motions ............................................. 24
Art. III.--Motions and their Order of Precedence. Privileged Motions.
10. To fix the time to which to adjourn ........................... 25 11.
Adjourn ....................................................... 26 12. Questions of
privilege ........................................ 28 13. Orders of the

day ............................................. 28 Incidental Motions. 14. Appeal
[Questions of Order] ................................... 30 15. Objection to the
consideration of a question ...................................................... 32 16.
Reading papers ................................................ 33 17. Withdrawal of a
motion ........................................ 34 18. Suspension of the
Rules ....................................... 34
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Subsidiary Motions. § 19. Lie on the table ..............................................
35 20. Previous Question ............................................. 37 21. Postpone
to a certain day ..................................... 40 22. Commit [or
Re-commit] ......................................... 41 23.
Amend ......................................................... 43 24. Postpone
indefinitely ......................................... 46 Miscellaneous Motions. 25.
Filling blanks, and Nominations ............................... 47 26. Renewal of
a motion ........................................... 48 27.
Reconsideration ............................................... 49
Art. IV.--Committees and Informal Action. § 28.
Committees .................................................... 54 29. '' Form of their
Reports .............................. 58 30. '' Reception '' .............................. 59
31. '' Adoption '' .............................. 61 32. Committee of the
Whole ........................................ 61 33. Informal consideration of a
question .......................... 65
Art. V.--Debate and Decorum. § 34.
Debate ........................................................ 66 35. Undebatable
questions and those opening the main question to
debate ................................... 68 36. Decorum in
debate ............................................. 71 37. Closing debate, methods
of .................................... 72
Art. VI.--Vote. § 38. Voting, various modes of ......................................
74 39. Motions requiring more than a majority
vote ................................................. 80
Art. VII.--Officers and the Minutes. § 40. Chairman or

President ......................................... 81 41. Clerk, or Secretary, and the
Minutes .......................... 85
Art. VIII.--Miscellaneous. § 42.
Session ....................................................... 90 43.
Quorum ........................................................ 93 44. Order of
business ............................................. 94 45. Amendment of the Rules
of Order ............................... 97
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Part II.-Organization and Conduct of
Business.
Art. IX.--Organization and Meetings. § 46. An Occasional or Mass
Meeting. (a) Organization .............................................. 99 (b)
Adoption of resolutions .................................. 101 (c) Committee on
'' .................................. 102 (d) Additional
Officers ...................................... 105 47. A Convention or Assembly of
Delegates .................................................... 106 48. A Permanent
Society. (a) First meeting ............................................. 108 (b) Second
meeting ............................................ 111 49. Constitutions, By-Laws,
Rules of Order and Standing Rules ..................................... 115
Art. X.--Officers and Committees. § 50. President or
Chairman ........................................ 119 51. Secretary, or Clerk, and the
Minutes ......................... 120 52.
Treasurer .................................................... 123 53.
Committees ................................................... 127
Art. XI--Introduction of Business. § 54. Introduction of
Business ..................................... 129
Art. XII.--Motions. § 55. Motions classified according to their
object ....................................................... 131 56. To Amend Or modify.

(a) Amend .................................................... 133 (b)
Commit ................................................... 134 57. To Defer action. (a)
Postpone to a certain time ............................... 134 (b) Lie on the
table ......................................... 135 58. To Suppress Debate. (a)
Previous Question ........................................ 136 (b) An Order limiting
or closing debate ................................................... 137
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§ 59. To Suppress the question. (a) Objection to its
consideration ........................... 138 (b) Postpone
indefinitely .................................... 139 (c) Lie on the
table ......................................... 139 60. To Consider a question the
second time (a) Reconsider ............................................... 140 61. Order
and Rules. (a) Orders of the day ........................................ 142 (b)
Special orders ........................................... 143 (c) Suspension of the
rules .................................. 144 (d) Questions of
order ....................................... 144 (e)
Appeal ................................................... 145 62. Miscellaneous. (a)
Reading of papers ........................................ 146 (b) Withdrawal of a
motion ................................... 146 (c) Questions of
privilege ................................... 146 63. To close a meeting. (a) Fix the
time to which to adjourn ......................... 147 (b)
Adjourn .................................................. 147 64. Order of Precedence
of motions ............................... 149
Art.