7. A member who is decided to be out of order loses his right to the floor, but this is seldom insisted on.
8. A member cannot speak more than once on the same question without special permission, which must not be given until all have spoken; but he may speak on amendments, and on the same subject, when it is returned from a committee.
10. A member who has been misrepresented has the right to explain, but not to interrupt any one who is speaking for that purpose.
11. Debate may be stopped by the previous question; by determining in advance that at a certain time, the question shall be decided; or by adopting a rule limiting each member to so many minutes. In the latter case, the chair announces the expiration of the time, and the member takes his seat.
12. Every member should be listened to with respect, and no attempt made to interrupt him, unless he transgress the bounds of order. Calling for the question, hissing, coughing, etc., should be restrained by the chair if possible. The speaker may learn from these things that the assembly does not wish to hear him, but he is not bound to heed them. If necessary, the chair will name the obstinate offenders for punishment, who may be heard in their own defence, but must then withdraw while the assembly determines what punishment should be inflicted. But if all means of preserving order fail, and the chairman’s repeated calls are unnoticed, he is not responsible for this disorder, although it would be better then to resign an office that he can no longer make respected, unless so bound by public duty that he cannot take this course.
13. If a member in speaking makes use of disorderly words, notice should be taken at once. The words used, if the offence is serious, should be reduced to writing while fresh in the memory of all. If necessary, the assembly may determine what words were used, whether they were offensive or not, and at its pleasure require an apology, censure, or expel the offender. If other business is done before attention is called to the disorderly words, they cannot again be taken up.
PUTTING THE QUESTION.
When discussion and all preliminary matters are finished, the next step is to ascertain the will of the assembly. There are six ways of doing this. We will put first those that are most used:
1. The chair asks, “Are you ready for the question?” No objection being made, he first puts the affirmative, asking those who favor the motion to say, “Aye;” those who are opposed, “No.” He judges from the volume of sound, and declares which he believes has the majority. If any one doubts this, he may require the vote to be taken in a more exact way.
2. In place of saying “aye,” the affirmative may be asked to hold up their hands; then when these are down the same is asked of the negative. The determination in this case is the same as in the former case.