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182 Mi:NICIPAr. LAW.
that (|iu'.sti()n thru Htaiids as it was, hut may he suppressed hy the proviou*
question, or eoiimiitteih or aineixh-cl.
If fh'citled in tins aHinnative, tlie (|uesti«)n so postponed cannot ho taken
up hefore tile time speeitied, except l)y a two-thirds vote of the mendjers
present. II' iel't U> the specified time, it has iiiece<h'nee over all (|UeHtions,
exce]»t tlie privileijed oni's.
(f several (piestions postponed, when they are taken up it shall l>e in
the order of time to which they were postponed.
111. Indefinite Postponement, or tne fauKuis "Six months' hoist,"
is a motion intendeil to remove a (juestion alto<fether. It cannot he
amended, l)Ut it hiUii;s u|) the whole suhject for diseu.ssion, and if decided
in the aflirmative, the proposition is (piashed entirely. A ne;j;ativ(! (k'cision
has no etl'ect on the main (piestion : it cannot he made while the " pre\ioiis
question " is peiidinjf. This motion would not he used in nninicipal coun-
cils, or other assemhiies havinjj short se.ssions, as it woidd only hind ioi*
the one scs.sion. The motion more suitahle for such Ixnlies woidd l>e to
postpone to the next meetin<:.or to some particular meetinj,', when it would
I'' ' "
come up under the oi'der of " l'iitinishe<l husiness
The American practice allows a iiKjtion to post[ione indelinitely to he
amended by makiiiff it to a day certain, and if any other tlay is desired it
may he moved as an amendment to the amendment, or it may he moved as
an independent motion after the amendment has lieen ne-^atived.
But in Canada, anil some States in the Union, the motion to postpone
indefinitely cnnnof ht; amended, for the reason that one form of a motion
cannot be; chan^^ed into another directly contrary. A nejfative vote would
be the only way of disposin<j of it, and then to make a new motion, if
desired, end)odyiu<f the sen.se of the House.
The motion for the six months' hoist would Ito : " I move that this
; i bill be not now read (a .secomi time), but that it be read (a second time)
] •
this day six months."
ll*i. Motions to Commit, or to reconnuit, if the proposition has
already l)een once counnitted to acounnittee, take precedence over motions
to amend, or to indefinitely postpone. 'J'he motion niay be dehatecl, and
also opens up the whole (piestion which it is proposed to refer to eounnittee.
It may also be amended by substitntin<f one kind of conunittee for another,
or by enlar<:,inj;' or diminishinj^- the numl)er of mend)ers of the conunittee
originally proposed, or by <fivin^ certain instructions to the conunittee. It
yields to the usual " privile;;'e (|uestions," as adjournment, call for the
orders (}f the day, Hxinj^ the time to which the House shall adjouiii
questions ndatini;' to the privilejres of the as.sembly, to ajjpeals or (piestions
of order, reading of pai)ers, suspension of rules, leave to withdraw the
previous (|ue.stion, an<l to po.stpone to a day certain. (The American use
of the previous question would not allow the motion to conunit to be
superseded by the previous (|Uesti<m if m.tde before the latter j.
If the motion to conunit is decided in the aHirmative, the propo,sition
so committed is removed from before the Assendily, hence no ji'round left
for the previous question, for postponement or amentlment; if in the
negative —that the moti(ai shall not Vie counnitted—then the previous
question, postponement, or amendment is in order.