ointed by the Chair would have to be appointed by
ballot, and if the required number were not elected by a majority vote,
then a second ballot must be taken in which a plurality of votes would
prevail; that each member would be limited in debate upon any question,
to one hour; that a day's notice must be given of the introduction of a
bill, and that before its passage it must be read three times, and that
without the special order of the assembly it cannot be read twice the
same day. These examples are sufficient to show the absurdity of the
idea that the rules of Congress in all things determine the common
parliamentary law.]

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Plan of the Work.

This Manual is prepared to partially meet this want in deliberative
assemblies that are not legislative in their character. It has been
made sufficiently complete to answer for the rules of an assembly, until
they see fit to adopt special rules conflicting with and superseding any
of its rules of detail, such as the Order of Business [Sec. 44], etc. Even
in matters of detail the practice of Congress is followed, wherever it
is not manifestly unsuited to ordinary assemblies, and in such cases, in
Part I, there will be found, in a foot note, the Congressional practice.
In the important matters referred to above, in which the practice of the
House of

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Representatives settles the common parliamentary law of the country,
this Manual strictly conforms to such practice.* [On account of the
party lines being so strictly drawn in Congress, no such thing as
harmony of action is possible, and it has been found best to give a bare
majority in the House of Representatives (but not in the Senate) the
power to take final action upon a question without allowing of any
discussion. In ordinary societies more regard should be paid to the
rights of the minority, and a two-thirds vote be required, as in this
Manual [Sec. 39], for sustaining an objection to the introduction of a
question, or for adopting a motion for the Previous Question, or for
adopting an order closing or limiting debate. In this respect the
policy of the Pocket Manual is a mean between those of the House and
Senate. But some societies will doubtless find it advantageous to
follow the practice of the H. R., and others will prefer that of the
Senate. It requires a majority,