ORGANIC LAW OF THE UNION. 195 



14. THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. Third-class. Can- 

 not be amended or debated. Does not admit of any third- 

 class motion except to lay on the table. Applies to ques- 

 tions of privilege and to all debatable questions. Must be 

 seconded. Requires aH;wo- thirds vote to carry. May be 

 confined to an amendment. Member may offer resolution 

 and move previous question at same time. Much confusion of 

 understanding sometimes exists as to this motion. It does 

 not apply to any motion previously introduced, as its name 

 would seem to imply, but is called previous question 

 because it requires the question or vote to take precedence 

 over the debate. It applies to the question before the 

 house, whether it be main question, amendment or substi- 

 tute, and is practically a motion to stop the debate and 

 call for the vote. If a question and amendment is pend- 

 ing when a motion for the previous question is carried the 

 President at once proceeds to take the vote, first on the 

 amendment to the amendment, second on the amendment 

 as amended, and then, third, on the main question as 

 amended or not, as the case may be. All this is implied 

 by the previous question unless the mover limits it to the 

 amendment, which he has a right to do and which exhausts 

 the previous question when the vote is taken on the amend- 

 ment, and leaves the main question open for debate the 

 same as when originally introduced. The previous ques- 

 tion is also exhausted on a motion to reconsider, and 

 therefore does not shut off debate on the main question 

 after the motion to reconsider has prevailed. It is not 

 exhausted on a motion to commit, which, therefore, when 

 decided in the negative, requires the vote on the main 

 question without debate. It is exhausted on a motion to 

 postpone, and the main question is debatable when the 

 motion to postpone is lost. It is also exhaiisted on a 

 question of privilege. Bear in mind that regardless of the 

 name of this motion its object is simply to stop the 



