In School Committee, March, 10, 1857.

Ordered, That one thousand copies of the Rules of the School Committee and the Regulations of the Public Schools of the City of Boston, this day adopted, together with the Organization of the Public Schools, and the Boundaries of the Grammar School Sections, be printed for the use of this Board.

Attest,

1

BARNARD CAPEN, Secretary.

RULES

OF THE

BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

CHAPTER I.

the board.

SECTION 1. At all meetings of the Board of School Organization of Committee, the Mayor, who shall be styled President, shall, if present, preside; and in his absence, the President of the Common Council shall preside; and in the absence both of the Mayor and President of the Common Council, a President pro tempore shall be chosen by ballot.

SECT. 2. At the first meeting in each year, the Board shall elect a Secretary by ballot, and fix his salary for the ensuing year; and the President shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Board, the following Standing Committees, viz:

1. A Committee on Elections, consisting of five Standing commembers.

2. A Committee on Rules and Regulations, consisting of five members.

3. A Committee on Salaries, consisting of five members.

4. A Committee on Accounts, consisting of five members.

5. A Committee on Text Books, consisting of five members.

6. A Committee on School Houses, consisting of five members.

mittees.

Chairmen of sub-committees.

Annual and quarterly meetings.

Quorum.

7. A Committee on the Latin School, consisting of five members.

8. A Committee on the English High School, consisting of five members.

9. A Committee on the Girls' High and Normal School, consisting of five members.

10. A Committee on each District into which the City may be divided, consisting of more or less members, according to the number of schools in the different Districts.

SECT. 3. In law, the City is only one District; but for convenience in the mangement of the schools, the territorial limits of the City shall be divided into as many Districts as there may be Grammar Schools in the City, and each District shall take its name from the Grammar School situated within its boundaries.

SECT. 4. The member first named on any standing or special committee, shall be the chairman thereof, and in his absence, the member named next in order, who shall be present, shall act as chairman pro tempore; provided, that the Committees of the Latin School, the English High School, the Girls' High and Normal School, and each District Committee, shall respectively elect their own Chairmen; and they shall report the names of such Chairmen to this Board.

SECT. 5. The Board shall hold its annual meeting for the election of teachers in the month of July, and shall hold a stated quarterly meeting on the first Tuesday of February, May, August and November, at four o'clock, P. M., at such place as the President may appoint; and the Board may hold special meetings whenever they are deemed necessary.

SECT. 6. A majority of the Board shall be requisite to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; but a less number may vote to send for absent members, and to adjourn.

CHAPTER II.

Powers and Duties of the President.

meetings.

SECTION 1. The President shall take the chair pre- Opening of cisely at the hour appointed for the meeting of the Board, and shall call the members to order, and on the appearance of a quorum he shall cause the minutes of the proceedings of the last meeting to be read, and shall proceed to business in the following order, and shall not depart from it unless authorized by a vote of the Board:

1. Papers from the City Council.

2. Unfinished business of preceding meetings.

3.

Nomination and Confirmation of Teachers.

4. Reports of Committees.

5. Motions, Orders, Resolutions, Petitions, &c.

Order of business.

President.

SECT. 2. The President shall preserve order and Duties of the decorum in the meetings; he may speak to points of order in preference to other members, and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Board, on motion of any member regularly seconded, and no other business shall be in order till the question on the appeal shall have been decided.

SECT. 3. When two or more members rise to speak Same. at the same time, the President shall name the member who may speak first.

SECT. 4. He shall rise to address the Board, and Same. to put a question, but may read sitting. He shall declare all votes; but if any member doubt the vote, the President, without further debate upon the question, shall require the members voting to rise and stand until they are counted, and he shall declare the result.

Committee of the Whole.

Yeas and nays.

Motions.

Motion to adjourn.

Previous question.

SECT. 5. When the Board shall determine to go into Committee of the Whole, the President shall appoint the member who shall take the chair, and at any other time he may call any member to the chair, but such substitution shall not continue longer than one meeting.

The President may express his opinion on any subject under debate; but in such case, he shall leave the chair and appoint some other member to take it; and he shall not resume the chair while the same question is pending; but he may state facts, and give his opinion on questions of order, without leaving his place.

SECT. 6. When any member shall require a question to be taken by Yeas and Nays, the President shall take the sense of the Board in that manner, provided one-fifth of the members present are in favor of it.

SECT. 7. All questions shall be propounded by the President in the order in which they are moved, unless the subsequent motion shall be previous in its nature; except in naming sums and fixing times, the largest sum and the longest time shall be put first. After a motion is seconded, and stated by the Presi dent, it shall be disposed of by vote of the Board, unless the mover withdraw it before a decision or an amendment.

SECT. 8. The President shall consider a motion to adjourn as always in order, except when a member has possession of the floor, and when a question has been put and not decided; and a motion to adjourn shall be decided without debate. Any member who moves to adjourn to a day certain, shall assign his reasons for so doing.

SECT. 9. He shall put the previous question in the following form: "Shall the main question be now put?" and all amendments or further debate on the