Page:Roberts Rules of Order Revised 4th Edition (1915).djvu/26

20 and adopt some Rules of Order for the conduct of its business.  

These Rules are prepared to meet partially this want in deliberative assemblies that are not legislative in their character. They have been made sufficiently complete to answer for the rules of an assembly until it sees fit to adopt special rules conflicting with and superseding any of the rules of detail, such as the Order of Business, etc. They are based upon the rules and practice of Congress so far as these are adapted to ordinary deliberative assemblies with short sessions and comparatively small quorums, as has just been explained. In cases where these Rules differ from the practice of Congress, usually the congressional rule will be found in a foot note. The foot notes need not be referred to for any other purpose than to ascertain the practice of Congress.

This Manual contains a Table of Contents, Table of Rules, Part I, Part II, Lesson Outlines, and the Index.

Table of Contents. This gives a clear, systematic idea of the arrangement of subjects treated in the Manual.

Order of Precedence of Motions and Table of Rules. A careful study of these tables so as to be able to use them quickly will enable any one in an emergency to ascertain whether a motion is in order, and whether it may be debated, or amended, or reconsidered, or requires a second, or a two-thirds vote, or is in order when another member has the floor.

Part I, comprising the main part of the Manual, contains a set of Rules of Order systematically arranged, as shown in the Table of Contents. It begins with snowing how business is introduced in a deliberative assembly, and then follows it step by step until the vote is taken and announced. The next section, 