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Robert's Rules 21.
Art. II. General Classification of Motions.
For convenience motions may be classified as follows:
- Main or Principal Motions....................11
- Subsidiary Motions...........................12
- Incidental Motions...........................13
- Privileged Motions...........................14
11. A Main or Principal Motion is a motion
made to bring before the assembly, for its consideration, any particular
subject. It takes precedence of nothing -- that is, it cannot be made when any
other question is before the assembly; and it yields to all Privileged,
Incidental, and Subsidiary Motions -- that is, any of these motions can be made
while a main motion is pending. Main motions are debatable, and subject to
amendment, and can have any subsidiary [12] motions
applied to them. When a main motion is laid on the table, or postponed to a
certain time, it carries with it all pending subsidiary motions. If a main
motion is referred to a committee it carries with it only the pending
amendments. As a general rule, they require for their adoption only a majority
vote -- that is, a majority of the votes cast; but amendments to constitutions,
by-laws, and rules of order already adopted, all of which are main motions,
require a two-thirds vote for their adoption, unless the by-laws, etc., specify
a different vote for their amendment; and the motion to rescind action
previously taken requires a two-thirds vote, or a vote of a majority of the
entire membership, unless previous notice of the motion has been given.
Main motions may be subdivided into Original Main
Motions and Incidental Main Motions. Original Main Motions are those
which bring before the assembly some new subject, generally in the form of a
resolution, upon which action by the assembly is desired. Incidental Main
Motions are those main motions that are incidental to, or relate to, the
business of the assembly, or its past or future action, as, a committee's report
on a resolution referred to it. A motion to accept or adopt the report of a
standing committee upon a subject not referred to it is an original main motion,
but a motion to adopt a report on a subject referred to a committee is an
incidental main motion. The introduction of an original main motion can be
prevented by sustaining by a two-thirds vote an objection to its consideration [23], made just after the main motion is stated
and before it is discussed. An objection to its consideration cannot be applied
to an incidental main motion, but a two-thirds vote can immediately suppress it
by ordering the previous question [29].
This is the only difference between the two classes of main motions. The
following list contains some of the most common
Accept or Adopt a Report upon a subject referred to a committee
54
Adjourn at, or to, a future time
17
Adjourn, if qualified in any way, or to adjourn when the effect is
to dissolve the assembly with no provision for its reconvening
17
Appoint the Time and Place for the next meeting, if introduced when
no business is pending
16
Amend the Constitution, By-laws, Standing Rules, or Resolutions,
etc., already adopted
68
Ratify or Confirm action taken
39
Rescind or Repeal action taken
37
All of these motions are essentially main motions, and
are treated as such, though they may appear otherwise.
Though a question of privilege is of high rank so far as
interrupting a pending question is concerned, yet when the question has
interrupted business and is pending, it is treated as a main motion so far as
having incidental and subsidiary motions applied to it. So an order of the day,
even though a special order, after it has been taken up is treated in the same
way, as is also a question that has been reconsidered.
No motion is in order that conflicts with the
constitution, by-laws, or standing rules or resolutions of the assembly, and if
such a motion is adopted it is null and void. Before introducing such a motion
it is necessary to amend the constitution or by-laws, or amend or rescind the
conflicting standing rule or resolution. So, too, a motion is not in order that
conflicts with a resolution previously adopted by the assembly at the same
session, or that has been introduced and has not been finally disposed of. If it
is not too late the proper course is to reconsider [36]
the vote on the motion previously adopted, and then amend it so as to express
the desired idea. If it cannot be reconsidered, then by a two-thirds vote the
old resolution may be rescinded when the new one can be introduced, or by giving
notice it may be rescinded by a majority vote at the next meeting. In ordinary
societies, where the quorum is a small percentage of the membership, and the
meetings are as frequent as quarterly, no resolution that conflicts with one
adopted at a previous session should be entertained until the old one has been
rescinded, which requires a two-thirds vote unless proper notice has been given.
[See 37.]
12. Subsidiary Motions are such as are
applied to other motions for the purpose of most appropriately disposing of
them. By means of them the original motion may be modified, or action postponed,
or it may be referred to a committee to investigate and report, etc. They may be
applied to any main motion, and when made they supersede the main motion and
must be decided before the main motion can be acted upon. None of them, except
the motion to amend and those that close or limit or extend the limits of
debate, can be applied to a subsidiary, incidental (except an appeal in certain
cases), or privileged motion. Subsidiary motions, except to lay on the table,
the previous question, and postpone indefinitely, may be amended. The motions
affecting the limits of debate may be applied to any debatable question
regardless of its privilege, and require a two-thirds vote for their adoption.
All those of lower rank than those affecting the limits of debate are debatable,
the rest are not. The motion to amend anything that has already been adopted, as
by-laws or minutes, is not a subsidiary motion but is a main motion and can be
laid on the table or have applied to it any other subsidiary motion without
affecting the by-laws or minutes, because the latter are not pending.
In the following list the subsidiary motions are
arranged in the order of their precedence, the first one having the highest
rank. When one of them is the immediately pending question every motion above it
is in order, and every one below it is out of order. They are as follows:
Lay on the Table
28
The Previous Question
29
Limit or Extend Limits of Debate
30
Postpone Definitely, or to a Certain Time
31
Commit or Refer, or Recommit
32
Amend
33
Postpone Indefinitely
34
13. Incidental Motions are such as arise
out of another question which is pending, and therefore take precedence of and
must be decided before the question out of which they rise; or, they are
incidental to a question that has just been pending and should be decided before
any other business is taken up. They yield to privileged motions, and generally
to the motion to lay on the table. They are undebatable, except an appeal under
certain circumstances as shown in 21. They
cannot be amended except where they relate to the division of a question, or to
the method of considering a question, or to methods of voting, or to the time
when nominations or the polls shall be closed. No subsidiary motion, except to
amend, can be applied to any of them except a debatable appeal. Whenever it is
stated that all incidental motions take precedence of a certain motion, the
incidental motions referred to are only those that are legitimately incidental
at the time they are made. Thus, incidental motions take precedence of
subsidiary motions, but the incidental motion to object to the consideration of
a question cannot be made while a subsidiary motion is pending, as the objection
is only legitimate against an original main motion just after it is stated,
before it has been debated or there has been any subsidiary motion stated. The
following list comprises most of those that may arise:
Questions of Order and Appeal
21
Suspension of the Rules
22
Objection to the Consideration of a Question
23
Division of a Question, and Consideration by Paragraph or Seriatim
24
Division of the Assembly, and Motions relating to Methods of Voting,
or to Closing or to Reopening the Polls
25
Motions relating to Methods of Making, or to Closing or to Reopening
Nominations
26
Requests growing out of Business Pending or that has just been
pending; as, a Parliamentary Inquiry, a Request for Information, for Leave to
Withdraw a Motion, to Read Papers, to be Excused from a Duty, or for any other
Privilege
27
14. Privileged Motions are such as, while
not relating to the pending question, are of so great importance as to require
them to take precedence of all other questions, and, on account of this high
privilege, they are undebatable. They cannot have any subsidiary motion applied
to them, except the motions to fix the time to which to adjourn, and to take a
recess, which may be amended. But after the assembly has actually taken up the
orders of the day or a question of privilege, debate and amendment are permitted
and the subsidiary motions may be applied the same as on any main motion. These
motions are as follows, being arranged in order of precedence:
Fix the Time to which to Adjourn (if made while another question is
pending)
16
Adjourn (if unqualified and if it has not the effect to dissolve
the assembly)
17
Take a Recess (if made when another question is pending)
18
Raise a Question of Privilege
19
Call for Orders of the Day
20
15. Some Main and Unclassified Motions.
Two main motions (to rescind and to ratify) and several motions which cannot
conveniently be classified as either Main, Subsidiary, Incidental, or
Privileged, and which are in common use, are hereafter explained and their
privileges and effects given. They are as follows: