RULES AND ORDERS

OF THE

COMMON COUNCIL.

Duties and Powers of the President.

SECT. 1. The President shall take the chair precisely at the hour to which the Council shall have adjourned; shall call the members to order; and on the appearance of a quorum, cause the minutes of the preceding meeting to be read, and proceed to business.

SECT. 2. He shall preserve decorum and order; may speak to points of order in preference to other members; and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Council, by motion regularly seconded; and no other business shall be in order till the question on the appeal shall have been decided.

SECT. 3. He shall declare all votes, but if any member rises to doubt a vote, the President shall cause a return of the members voting in the affirmative, and in the negative, without further debate on the question.

SECT. 4. He shall rise to address the Council, or to put a question, but may read sitting.

SECT. 5. In all cases the President may vote.

SECT. 6. When the Council shall determine to go into a Committee of the Whole, the President shall appoint the member who shall take the chair. The President may at any other time, call any member to the chair, but such substitution shall not continue beyond an adjournment.

SECT. 7. On all questions and motions whatsoever, the President shall take the sense of the Council by yeas and nays, provided one-fifth of the members present shall so require.

SECT. 8. The President shall propound all questions in the order in which they are moved, unless the subsequent motion shall be previous in its nature, except, that in the naming sums and fixing times, the largest sum and longest time shall be put first.

SECT. 9. After a motion is stated or read by the President, it shall be deemed to be in possession of the Council, and shall be disposed of by vote, but the mover may withdraw it at any time before a decision or amend

ment.

SECT. 10. When a question is under debate, the President shall receive no motion, but to adjourn, to lay on the table, for the previous question, to postpone to a day certain, to commit, to amend, or to postpone indefinitely; which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they stand arranged; and a motion to strike out the enacting clause of an Ordinance shall be equivalent to a motion to postpone indefinitely.

SECT. 11. The President shall consider a motion to adjourn as always in order; and that motion, and the

motion to lay on the table, or to take up from the table, shall be decided without debate.

SECT. 12. He shall put the previous question in the following form: "Shall the main question be now put?" and all debate upon the main question shall be suspended until the previous question shall be decided. After the adoption of the previous question, the sense of the council shall forthwith be taken upon amendments reported by a Committee, upon all pending amendments, and then upon the main question.

SECT. 13. On the previous question, no member shall speak more than once without leave; and all incidental questions of order, arising after a motion is made for the previous question, shall be decided without debate, except on an appeal; and on such an appeal, no member shall be allowed to speak more than once without leave of the Council.

SECT. 14. When two or more members happen to rise at once, the President shall name the member who is first to speak.

SECT. 15. All Committees shall be appointed and announced by the President, unless otherwise provided for, or especially directed by the Council.

Rights, Duties, or Decorum of Members.

SECT. 16. In the absence of the President, the senior member present shall call the Council to order, and preside until a President pro tempore shall be chosen by ballot; and if an election is not effected on the first trial, on a second ballot a plurality of votes shall elect. SECT. 17. Every member when about to speak, shall

rise and respectfully address the President; shall confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personalities; and shall sit down when he has finished. No member shall speak out of his place, without leave of the President.

SECT. 18. No member speaking, shall be interrupted by another, but by rising to call to order, or for explanation.

SECT. 19. No member shall speak more than twice on one question, without first obtaining leave of the Council; nor more than once, until the other members, who have not spoken, shall speak, if they desire it.

SECT. 20. When a vote has passed, it shall be in order for any member who voted in the majority, to move a reconsideration thereof, at the same or the succeeding meeting, but not afterwards; and when a motion for reconsideration is decided, that vote shall not be

reconsidered.

SECT. 21. No member shall be obliged to be on more than two Committees at the same time, nor Chairman of more than one.

SECT. 22. No member shall be permitted to stand up to the interruption of another, while any member is speaking; or to pass unnecessarily between the Presi dent and the person speaking.

SECT. 23. When any member shall be guilty of a breach of either of the rules and orders of the Council, he may, on motion, be required by the Council to make satisfaction therefor; and in such a case, he shall not be allowed to vote, or speak, except by way of excuse, till he has done so.

SECT. 24. No member shall be permitted to vote or serve on any Committee, on any question where his

private right is immediately concerned, distinct from the public interest.

SECT. 25. Every member, who shall be present when a question is put, where he is not excluded by interest shall give his vote, unless the Council, for special reasons, shall excuse him; application to be so excused, on any question, must be made before the Council is divided, or before the calling of the yeas and nays, and such application shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the reasons, and shall be decided on without debate.

SECT. 26. Every motion shall be reduced to writing, if the President shall so direct.

SECT. 27. Any member may require the division of a question, when the sense will admit of it. A motion to strike out and insert, shall be deemed indivisible; but a motion to strike out, being lost, shall not preclude amendment or a motion to strike out and insert.

SECT. 28. No motion or proposition, of a subject different from that under consideration, shall be admitted under color of amendment.

SECT. 29. Motions and reports may be committed or recommitted at the pleasure of the Council.

SECT. 30. At every regular meeting of the Council, the order of business shall be as follows:

1. Papers from the Board of Aldermen.

2.

Unfinished business of preceding meetings.

3. Communications and Reports from City Officers, Presentation of Petitions, Remonstrances, and Memorials.

4. Reports of Committees.

5. Motions, Orders or Resolutions.