RULE 1. The chairman of the board shall take the chair at the hour to which the board shall have adjourned, and shall call the members to order, and, a quorum being present, shall cause the minutes of the preceding regular meeting to be read; and, in the absence of the chairman, the senior member present shall preside as chairman pro tempore. RULE 2. The chairman 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 board; and no other business shall be in order until the question on appeal shall have been decided. RULE 3. The chairman shall propound all motions in the order in which they are moved, unless the subsequent motion shall be previous in its nature, except that, in naming sums and fixing times, the largest sum and the longest time shall be put first. RULE 4. The chairman shall, at the request of any member, make a division of a question when the sense will admit. RULE 5. The chairman shall, without debate, decide all questions relating to priority of business to be acted upon. RULE 6. The chairman shall declare all votes; but if any member doubts a vote, the chairman shall cause a rising vote to be taken, and when any member so requests, shall cause the vote to be taken or verified by yeas and nays. RULE 7. The chairman shall appoint all committees, fill all vacancies therein, and designate the rank of the members thereof. RULE 8. When the chairman of the board or the chairman pro tempore shall desire to vacate the chair he may call any member to it; but such substitution shall not continue beyond an adjournment.

MOTIONS.

RULE 9. Every motion shall be reduced to writing if the chairman shall so direct. *

RULE 10. 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.

RULE 11. No motion or proposition of a subject different from that under consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment.

RULE 12. When an order or resolution relates to a subject which may properly be examined and reported upon by an existing committee of the city council, such order or resolution shall, upon presentation, be referred to such committee. When a motion is made to refer any subject, and different committees are proposed, the motion shall be put in the following order:

1. To a standing committee of the board.
2. To a special committee of the board.
3. To a joint standing committee.
4. To a joint special committee.

RULE 13. After a motion has been put by the chairman, it shall not be withdrawn except by unanimous consent.

RULE 14. When a question is under debate the following motions only shall be entertained, and in the order in which, they stand arranged:

RULE 15. A motion to adjourn shall be in order at any time, except on an immediate repetition, or pending a verification of a vote; and that motion, the motion to lay on the table, and the motion to take from the table, shall be decided without debate.

READINGS.

RULE 16. Every ordinance, order, and resolution reported by a committee shall, unless rejected, have two several readings, both of which may take place at the same session, unless objection is made. Whenever the second reading immediately follows the first reading the document may be read by its title only. Orders from the board of street commissioners, changing the names of streets, and orders granting locations for poles or posts, shall, however, have one reading only at the same session.

CONFIRMATIONS.

RULE 17. The question of confirming a nomination made by the mayor shall be decided by a yea and nay ballot.

RECONSIDERATION.

RULE 18. When a vote has been passed, any member may move a reconsideration thereof at the same meeting, or he may give notice to the clerk, within twenty-four hours of the adjournment, of his intention to move a reconsideration at the next regular meeting, in which case the clerk shall retain possession of the papers until the next regular meeting ; and, when a motion for reconsideration is decided, that vote shall not be reconsidered.

CONDUCT OF MEMBERS.

RULE 19. Every member when about to speak shall rise, address the chair, and wait until he is recognized, and in speaking shall confine himslf to the question, and avoid personalities.

RULE 20. No member speaking shall, without his consent, be interrupted by another except upon a point of order.

RULE 21. No member shall be permitted to vote on any question, or serve on any committee, where his private right is immediately concerned, distinct from the public interest.

RULE 22. Every member who shall be present when a question is put, where he is not excluded by interest, shall give his vote, unless the board for special reasons shall excuse him. Application to be so excused on any question must be made before the board 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 without debate.

STANDING COMMITTEES

RULE 23. The following standing committees of the board, to consist of five members each, except where otherwise herein provided, and the members of the joint standing committees on the part of this board, named in the joint rules and orders of the city council and all other committees, unless otherwise provided for, or specially directed by the board, shall be appointed by the chair:

Committee on Armories and Military Affairs — County Accounts — Electric Wires — Faneuil Hall and County Buildings — Lamps — Licenses — Markets — Railroads — Public Improvements, to consist of all the members of the board, and to be divided by the chairman of the committee into the following sub-committees, namely, Paving division, Sewer division, Bridge division, Sanitary division Street-cleaning division, and Ferry division.

ORDER OF BUSINESS.

RULE 24. At every regular meeting of the board the order of business shall be as follows:

Communications from his honor the mayor.

Hearings.

Presentation of petitions, memorials, and remonStrances.

Papers from the common council.

Unfinished business of preceding meetings.

Orders of notice of hearings.

Reports of city officers.

Reports of committees.

Motions, orders, and resolutions.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.

RULE 25. Committees of the board, to whom any matter , is especially referred, shall report within four weeks or ask for further time.

SPECTATORs.

RULE 26. No person, except a member of the board, shall be permitted to occupy the seat of any member while the board is in session.

RULE 27. No persons, excepting members of the city council, heads of departments, and reporters, shall be allowed in the anteroom of the aldermanic chamber while the board is in session. No person shall be allowed to enter the aldermanic chamber while the board is in session, after the seats furnished for spectators are occupied. The city messenger shall enforce this rule.

LICENSES.

RULE 28. No licenses shall be granted for exhibitions of wrestling.

RULE 29. No permission to erect a pole or post for the support of electric wires, or, for the construction of underground conduits, shall be granted until a public hearing shall have been given by the board of aldermen on the application." for such permission. The clerk of committees shall give notice of such hearing not less than three days before the date fixed therefor by causing to be delivered at each house upon that portion of the street in which permission to locate poles or conduit is asked, a copy of the petition for location, together with notice of the place and date fixed for hearing thereon. The expense necessary for delivery of such notices shall be borne by the applicant for permit.

RULE 30. Every license or permit hereafter granted for the location of a street-railway track, the erection of a pole or post, the construction of an underground conduit, the laying of a pipe or wire, or for the doing of any other work which may involve the disturbance of a surface of a street, shall specify the time within which the contemplated work shall be done, and shall not confer authority to do any such work after the expiration of such specified time.

SUSPENSION OF RULES.

RULE 31. Any rule may be suspended by vote of twothirds of the members of the board present and voting.