Roberts Rules of Order | Page 9

of
all other questions, except the two preceding, to which they yield. The
Previous Question [§ 20] can be applied to these, as to all other
debatable questions.
13. Orders of the Day. A call for the Orders of the Day takes
precedence of every other motion, excepting to Reconsider [§ 27], and
the three preceding, to which latter three it yields, and is not debatable,
nor can it be amended. It does not require to be seconded.
When one or more subjects have been assigned to a particular day or
hour, they become the Orders of the Day for that day or hour, and they
cannot be considered before that time, except by a two-thirds vote [§
39]. And when that day or hour arrives, if called up, they take
precedence of all but the three
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preceding questions [§§ 10, 11, 12]. Instead of considering them the
assembly may appoint another time for their consideration. If not taken
up on the day specified, the order falls to the ground.
When the Orders of the Day are taken up, it is necessary to take up the
separate questions in their exact order, the one first assigned to the day

or hour, taking precedence of one afterwards assigned to the same day
or hour. (A motion to take up a particular part of the Orders of the Day,
or a certain question is not a privileged motion). Any of the subjects,
when taken up, instead of being then considered, can be assigned to
some other time.
The Form of this question, as put by the Chair when the proper time
arrives, or on the call of a member, is, "Shall the Order of the Day be
taken up?" or, "Will the assembly now proceed with the Orders of the
Day?"
The Effect of an affirmative vote on a call for the Orders of the Day, is
to remove the question under consideration from before the assembly,
the same as if it had been interrupted by an adjournment [§ 11].
The Effect of a negative vote is to dispense
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with the orders merely so far as they interfere with the consideration of
the question then before the assembly.
Incidental Motions. [§§ 14-18; see § 8]
14. Appeal [Questions of Order]. A Question of Order takes precedence
of the question giving rise to it, and must be decided by the presiding
officer without debate. If a member objects to the decision, he says, "I
appeal from the decision of the Chair." If the Appeal is seconded, the
Chairman immediately states the question as follows: "Shall the
decision of the Chair stand as the judgement of the assembly?"* [The
word Assembly can be replaced by Society, Convention, Board, etc.,
according to the name of the organization.] This Appeal yields to
Privileged Questions [§ 9]. It cannot be amended; it cannot be debated
when it relates simply to indecorum [§ 36], or to transgressions of the
rules of speaking, or to the priority of business, or if it is made while
the previous question [§ 20] is pending. When debatable, no member is
allowed to speak but once, and whether debatable or not, the presiding
officer, without leaving the

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Chair, can state the reasons upon which he bases his decision. The
motions to Lie on the Table [§ 19], or for the Previous Question [§ 20],
can be applied to an Appeal, when it is debatable, and when adopted
they affect nothing but the Appeal. The vote on an Appeal may also be
reconsidered [§ 27]. An Appeal is not in order when another Appeal is
pending.
It is the duty of the presiding officer to enforce the rules and orders of
the assembly, without debate or delay. It is also the right of every
member, who notices a breach of a rule to insist upon its enforcement.
In such cases he shall rise from his seat, and say, "Mr. Chairman, I rise
to a point of order." The speaker should immediately take his seat, and
the Chairman requests the member to state his point of order, which he
does, and resumes his seat. The Chair decides the point, and then, if no
appeal is taken, permits the first member to resume his speech. If the
member's remarks are decided to be improper, and any one objects to
his continuing his speech, he cannot continue it without a vote of the
assembly to that effect. Instead of the method just described, it is usual,
when it is simply a case of improper language used in debate, for a
member to say, "I call the gentleman to order;" the Chairman
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decides whether the speaker is in or out of order, and proceeds