The Forums of Glennain

My Lords and Gentlemen,

One main responsibility of the speaker is to coordinate and facilitate the smooth operation of the Parliament, and this cannot be done if the speaker can be seen abusing his position.

Therefore, in consideration of the standing rule from Section 4, article 16:

Quote:Section 4. Divisions of the House

16. When he believes that debate on a Bill, Resolution, or amendment has reached its proper conclusion, the Speaker shall call for a division. If a majority of the members voting declare themselves to be Content with the measure, it shall be passed.

It shall be the policy of this speaker to to consider that debate has reached its proper conclusion upon 2 consecutive business days of no debate. The speaker shall use the forums clock as his objective time piece for this policy.

In the interest of not causing undue delay the speaker shall, at his discretion, be precise about the times. For example, should the last post of debate be marked at 7:30 PM, then at 7:31 PM two business days hence the speaker may call for the division.

God save the King

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I shall amend this policy to allow for members to call for a cloture vote.

Any member may make a motion to call for the end of debate and the start of the division, and if seconded then the cloture vote shall immediately proceed, followed possibly by the division or more debate as the division directs.

God save the King

My Lords and Gentlemen,

In keeping with the newly developing sense of ourselves in Parliament I am suspending the policy allowing a call for cloture by that term.

If I may, I ask Mr. Livingston to be of guidance here and detail a properly worded and procedurally correct substitution.

God save the King

My Lords and Gentlemen,

The British equivalent to this is a prerogative motion, That the Question be now put. This works the same way as any motion, it just overrules the original motion. The procedure is thus:

1. A Member moves the motion: "My Lords and Gentlemen, I beg to move that the Question be now put." This motion immediately ends debate, and must immediately be put to a vote.

2. Thus the Speaker calls a division in the normal way: "My Lords and Gentlemen, the Question is that the Question be now put. May all that are of that opinion say Content; to the contrary, Not Content."

3. Voting ensues and ends as usual. If the motion fails ("My Lords and Gentlemen, the Not Contents have it."), then debate continues. If the motion carries ("My Lords and Gentlemen, the Contents have it.") then the Speaker immediately calls a vote on the original Bill or Resolution or whatever it was.

My Lords and Gentlemen:

If my understanding of this is correct, it seems that a majority voting block could squash debate right from the outset and ram-rod legislation through.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

Doesn't this require a second? I thought it did.

God save the King

My Lords and Gentlemen,

In the British Parliament, it is understood that if one puts the motion "That the Question be now put" to quash debate, avoid it entirely, or for some frivolous purpose, one will be censured by the House, likely expelled.

Indeed, it is regarded as such an exceptional procedure that the Lord Chancellor is required to ask the motioner to reconsider, and to read the following very slowly: "I am instructed by order of the House to say that the motion "That the Question be now put" is considered to be a most exceptional procedure and the House will not accept it save in circumstances where it is felt to be the only means of ensuring the proper conduct of the business of the House; further, if a member who seeks to move it persists in his intention, the practice of the House is that the Question on the motion is put without debate."

To my knowledge, seconds are not used in British parliamentary procedure. Generally the presiding officer has discretion to ignore obviously frivolous motions.