OF MOTIONS IN GENERAL.
59. When a proposition is made to a deliberative assembly, for its
adoption, the proposition may be in such a form as to be put to the
question, and the assembly may be in such a state as to be willing to
come to a decision upon it, at once; and when this is the case,
nothing more can be necessary than to take the votes of the members,
and ascertain the result. But a different state of things may and
commonly does exist; the assembly may prefer some other course of
proceeding to an immediate decision of the question in the form in
which it is presented; and, as it is proper, that every parliamentary
body should have the means of fitly disposing of every proposition
which may be made to it, certain forms of question have from time to
time been invented, and are now in general use, for that purpose.
These forms of question may properly be called _subsidiary_, in order
to distinguish them from the principal motion or question to which
they relate.
60. The different states of mind, in which a proposition may be
received by a deliberative assembly, and the corresponding forms of
proceeding, or subsidiary motions, to which they give rise, in order
to ascertain the sense of the assembly, are the following:
_First._ The assembly may look upon the proposition as useless or
inexpedient; and may therefore desire to suppress it, either for a
time, or altogether. The subsidiary motions, for this purpose, are the
previous question, and indefinite postponement.
_Second._ The assembly may be willing to entertain and consider of a
proposition, but not at the time when it is made; either because more
information is wanted by the members individually; or because they
desire further time for reflection and examination: or because the
assembly is then occupied with some other matter, which has more
pressing claims upon its present attention. The usual motions, under
such circumstances, are postponement to some future day or time, and
to lie on the table.
_Third._ The subject-matter of a proposition may be regarded with
favor, but the form in which it is introduced may be so defective,
that a more careful and deliberate consideration, than can
conveniently be given to it in the assembly itself, may be necessary
to put it into a satisfactory form. In this case, it is most proper to
refer the proposition to a committee.
_Fourth._ The proposition may be acceptable, and the form in which it
is presented so far satisfactory, that the assembly may be willing to
consider and act upon it, with such alterations and amendments as may
be thought proper. The motion adapted to this case is to amend.
61. It is not to be supposed that the subsidiary motions above
specified are the only ones that have at any time been adopted or
used; or that it is not competent to a deliberative assembly to frame
new motions at pleasure; but these are the forms in most common use,
and are entirely sufficient for all practical purposes.[9] Neither is
it to be supposed, that these motions are always applied strictly to
the cases to which they most appropriately belong; several of them are
frequently used to effect purposes, for which others would be more
proper. These misapplications will be taken notice of, under the heads
of the several motions.
9. It is usual in legislative assemblies, to provide by a special
rule, both as to the particular motions to be used, and the order
in which they may be made. Thus, the rule in the house of
representatives of Congress (which is also adopted in the house of
representatives of Massachusetts), is, that, “when a question is
under debate, no motion shall be received, but to adjourn, to lie
on the table, for the previous question, to postpone to a day
certain, to commit, to amend, to postpone indefinitely, which
several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they
are arranged.”