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170 MINKIPAL LAW

PARLlAMKNTAItV \iV\jKH OF ORDER
AM) DKHATi:.

Tlici'c lias i^rowii up eoiiti'inpDiMiunm.sly witli IJritisli coUHtitiitiouiil
goveriiiiioiit Jiiid t'l'ocfloin of Hpi'uc!li, a piirliauii'iitaiy law— ,i co ic of rules
ami usaiTcs — ^fovei'uiui'' tlit- la'oeci'diiitrs of all (It'iil)L'i'ativt', li'"'i.slati\i', ami
public ho:li('H iu tin; iviiliu, which has Ihmmi adoptcil with sli<,'ht UKtiHHca-
tion hy all tlu; iMii^lish-speakinii' uatious.
The t'(jll(>wiiin' suiiuiiiiiy of tiiis connuou la \\ of I'ai'lianient as
inoilificd, ailapto(|, and cstahHslu'd by usa;f>' iu the Domiuiou of Canada,
will serve for all our deliberative assemblies and lejrislative bodies,
fraternal associations, lod;^(!s, conventions, and political lufctiuf^s which
liave no constitutional or statutory provision made for their guidance in
the discussion of ([uestions and conduct of their business.
JiiO. Meaning of Terms. Mi'rlinn means the interval of time
between the us.sendtlin;; ami closing Ity ailjournmrnt f(U' the time or day.
Session or Sifti n;/ means the duration of the meetings from day to day or
week to week, as the case may be, until the proceedings come to a close
by prorogation or otherwise.
151. The Presiding Officer. Every assend)ly or body of men
organized for the di.scu.ssion of any cpie.stion or tran.saction of any business
mii.st have a presiding otficer. Such officer may be called the Siwtikcr, or
J'residftiif, or Mmleriitor, or C'liiiirtini n, etc., but the functions of the ottice
are much the same in every case.
In the respective municipal councils the presiding oHicer is called
Mayor, Wardni or licct-e.
Jn the various fraternal and benevolent associations special and dis-
tinctive names are usually given the ])residing olhcer as well as other
otticial.s.
The ])i'esiding otHcei' is figni'atively denoniiufitetl the Chan:
In addi'essing tlujse officers it is in good form to call them liy their
.special title— as, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Presi<lent, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Moder-
ator, etc.
In most cases provision is made to have one or more vice-presidents,
or a deputy speaker, etc., to take the place of the presiding officer dining
his ab.sence.
liVi. Duties of President are chiefly
To prom])tly open the meeting oi' session by taking tlie cliair at the
appointed time, or when a quorinn i.s present, as the case may be, aucl call
the mendjers to order.
To maintain order and decorum in tlio as.s(!mbly.
To follow the rules of order rigidly in the conduct of the proceedings,
e.xce))t where legally changed.
To rect'ive and submit to the member.sall proper motions and propo-i-
tions presented by the member.s.
To read all moticais before .submitting them to the member.s for
discussion or vote.