[165]. In treating of amendments, it has already been seen, that it is allowable to amend a proposed amendment; and that the question on such sub-amendment must necessarily be put and decided before putting the [p93] ]question on the amendment. The former is incidental to the latter, and supersedes it for the time being.
Sect. III. Subsidiary Questions.
[166[!-- TN: original reads "176" --]. Subsidiary, or secondary, questions or motions, as has already been stated, are those which relate to a principal motion, and are made use of to enable the assembly to dispose of it in the most appropriate manner. These motions have the effect to supersede, and, in some cases, when decided one way, to dispose of, the principal question. They are also of different degrees among themselves, and, according to their several natures, supersede, and sometimes dispose of, one another.
[167]. The subsidiary motions in common use are the following, namely:—lie on the table,—the previous question,—postponement, either indefinite or to a day certain,—commitment,—and, amendment.
[168]. It is a general rule, with certain exceptions which will be immediately mentioned, that subsidiary motions cannot be applied to one another; as for example, suppose a motion to postpone, commit or amend a principal question, it cannot be moved to suppress [p94] ]the motion to postpone, etc., by putting a previous question on it; or, suppose the previous question is moved, or a commitment, or amendment, of a main question, it cannot be moved to postpone the previous question, or the motion for commitment or amendment. The reasons for this rule are: 1. It would be absurd to separate the appendage from its principal; 2. It would be a piling of questions one on another, which, to avoid embarrassment, is not allowed; and 3, The same result may be reached more simply by voting against the motion which it is attempted to dispose of by another secondary motion.
[169]. The exceptions to the rule above stated are, that motions to postpone (either to a day certain or indefinitely), to commit, or to amend, a principal question, may be amended, for the reason, that the useful character of amendment gives it a privilege of attaching itself to a secondary and privileged motion; that is, a subsidiary motion to carry out and improve another may be applied to that other, but a subsidiary motion to dispose of or suppress another is not admissible. Hence, the subsidiary motions above mentioned may be amended.
[p95]
][170]. A previous question, however, cannot be amended; the nature of it not admitting of any change. Parliamentary usage has fixed its form to be, shall the main question be now put? that is at this instant; and, as the present instant is but one, it cannot admit of any modifications; and to change it to the next day or any other moment is without example or utility. For the same reasons, also, that the form of it is fixed by parliamentary usage, and is already as simple as it can be, a motion to lie on the table cannot be amended.
Lie on the Table.
[171]. This motion is usually resorted to, when the assembly has something else before it, which claims its present attention, and therefore desires to lay aside a proposition for a short but indefinite time, reserving to itself the power to take it up when convenient. This motion takes precedence of and supersedes all the other subsidiary motions.
[172]. If decided in the affirmative, the principal motion, together with all the other motions, subsidiary and incidental, connected with it, is removed from before the assembly, [p96] ]until it is again taken up; which it may be, by motion and vote, at any time, when the assembly pleases.