Page:Robert's Parliamentary Practice.djvu/109

Rh has no right to interrupt business pending at that time, but as soon as such business is disposed of it has the right to consideration before all main questions except special orders. These postponed questions are General Orders.

Special Orders. If it is desired to give a question the privilege of interrupting any business that may be pending at a certain time, it is necessary to make it a Special Order for that time. This is done by adopting by a two-thirds vote a motion "to postpone the pending question and make it the special order for 3 P.M. tomorrow"; or, if the resolution is not pending the form is, "that the following resolution 'Resolved, That,' etc. [giving the resolution] be made the special order for 9 P.M. at the next meeting." When several subjects are to be made special orders for certain hours it is usual to adopt a Program or Order of Business with the hour specified for taking up each subject. The motion to make a special order is debatable and amendable, and it requires a two-thirds vote because it suspends all rules that interfere with its consideration at the specified time.

When the orders of the day are called for, the chairman should announce the business that properly comes before the assembly at that time. If, however, he thinks two-thirds of the assembly prefer to continue the consideration of the pending question, he may submit the matter to the assembly thus: "The orders of the day are called for. Will the assembly