Page:Robert's Parliamentary Practice.djvu/94

72 session, or at the next session in an assembly with regular meetings as often as quarterly, it is not safe to leave a question on the table for any length of time. At any meeting the temporary majority may "take the question from the table" and adopt or reject it in opposition to the wishes of a majority of the society. In an ordinary society having regular meetings as often as quarterly the question has ceased to exist if it is not taken from the table before the end of the next session. This motion should not be used to kill a measure because its privilege of being adopted by a majority without debate is given it on the ground that it does not kill the measure, but that the matter laid on the table comes up later for debate before final action is taken upon it.

Whenever it is desired to renew the consideration of the question that has been laid on the table, the motion is made to "take from the table the resolution [or question] relating to ——— [mentioning the subject]," as explained more fully, page 78.

While, as a general rule, free debate on the pending question is allowed, to prevent a minority from making an improper use of this privilege, it is necessary to allow the assembly by a two-thirds vote to limit the debate or to close it immediately. The motions to accomplish these objects may be applied to any