SENATE 

To

MOTION TO AMEND THE RULES OF 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND RULES 

Date AUGUST 24, 1973 

"That Senate approve the following motions as 

described in Paper S.73-100, 

MOTION 1: 

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'That Rule I of Rules of Procedure of Senate, 

Status of these Rules of Procedure, sentence 

2, be amended to read, 'Alterations of these 

Rules of Procedure shall require written 

notice at a regular meeting of Senate prior 

.

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to the meeting at which a vote on the proposed 

alteration is taken, which vote shall require 

an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the 

voting members present to carry.' 

MOTION 2: 

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'That the rules of Senate be suspended in order 

to permit a postal vote on the motion to amend 

the Rules of Procedure.' 

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SENATE 

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND RULES 

Subject MOTION TO AMEND. THE RULES OF 

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Date AUGUST 24 1973 

At the May 7, 1973 meeting of Senate, the Senate Committee 

on Agenda and Ruleswere instructed to recommend to the October 1973 

meeting of Senate rules and procedures for the conduct of the business 

of Senate; in preparing their recommendation the Committee were in- 

structed to bear in mind Senate's current and precedent procedural 

experience. 

The Committee have in mind to incorporate subsequent rules, 

practices, and precedents with the basic Rules of Procedure of Senate 

as defined on April 4, 1966, and to present the whole for the approval 

of Senate as the working rules of Senate. 

This will, in effect, amount to an alteration of or addition 

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to the Rules of Procedure of Senate as defined in April 1966. Under 

the Rules of April, 1966, an alteration of the Rules of Procedure shall 

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• ? 

require an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the membership of Senate 

• to carry. According to Robert's Rules of Order the usual practice In 

amending the rules requires either two-thirds vote at one session, or 

a majority vote in two successive sessions; the current requirement of 

approval by two-thirds of the whole membership is therefore unusually 

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• ? 

stringent, and was, presumably, designed toprevent hasty or ill- 

considered alteration of the Rules of Procedure. Recent experience 

shows that amendment to the Rules of Senate would be very difficult; 

In the course of the last 28 meetings of Senate, on 9 occasions an 

amendment of the Rulep would have been impossible because fewer than 

two•-thIrds of the membership of Senate were present, at 3 meetings a 

unanimous vote would have been required, and at 5 meetings contrary 

votes by three members or less would have defeated a motion to amend 

the Rules. 

The Committee are of the opinion that the proposed amendment 

would create a more practical role and that Senate would be protected 

from capricious and ill-considered amendment by the necessary advance 

notice of any proposal to change the Rules of Procedure. 

To_

Sub

SENATE 

MOTION 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND RULES 

Date AUGUST 24, 1973 

In accordance with Rule I of Senate Rules of Procedure, 

April 4, 1966, notice is hereby given of the following motions to 

be presented at the September 10, 1973 meeting of Senate: 

MOTION 1: 

?

"That Rule I of Rules of Procedure of Senate, 

Status of these Rules of Procedure, sentence 

2, be amended to read, 'Alterations of these 

Rules of Procedure shall require written 

notice at a regular meeting of Senate prior 

to the meeting at which a vote on the proposed 

alteration is taken, which vote shall require 

an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the 

• ? 

voting members present to carry." 

MOTION 2: 

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"That the rules of Senate be suspended in order 

topermit.a postal vote on the motion to amend 

the Rules of Procedure." 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND RULES 

Subed 

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NOTICE OF MOTION 

TO AMEND THE 

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26, 1973 

RULES OF 

At the May 7,1973 meeting. of Senate, the Senate Committee 

on Agenda and Rules were instructed to recommend to the October 1973 

meeting of Senate rules and procedures for the conduct of the business 

of Senate; in preparing their recommendation the Committee were in- 

structed to bear in mind, Senate's current and precedent procedural 

experience. 

The Committee have in mind to incorporate subsequent rules, 

practices, and precedents with the basic Rules of Procedure of Senate 

as defined on April 4, 1966, and to present the whole for the approval 

of Senate as the working rules of Senate. 

This will, in effect,amount to an alteration of or addition 

to the Rules of Procedure of Senate as defined in April 1966. Under 

• ? 

. ,

?

,the Rules of April, 1966, an alteration of the Rules of Procedure shall 

require an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the membership of Senate 

to carry. According to Robert's Rules of Order the usual practice in 

amending the rules requires either two-thirds vote at one session, or 

a majority vote in two.successive sessions; the current requirement of 

approval by two-thirds of the whole membership is therefore unusually 

stringent, and was, presumably, designed to prevent hasty or ill- 

considered alteration of the Rules of Procedure. Recent experience 

shows that amendment to the Rules of Senate would be very difficult; 

in the course of the last 28 meetings of Senate, on 9 occasions an 

amendment of the Rules would have been impossible because fewer than 

two-thirds of the membership of Senate were present, at 3 meetings a 

unanimous vote would have been required, and at 5 meetings contrary 

votes 

by three members or less would have defeated a motion to amend 

the Rules. 

'The Committee are of the opinion that the proposed amendment 

would create 'a more practical role and that Senate would be protected 

from capricious and ill-considered amendment by the necessary advance 

notice of any 

proposal to, change the Rules of Procedure. 

SENATE 

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND RULES 

NOTICE OF MOTION 

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Date 

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JULY 26, 1973 

lie

In accordance with Rule I of Senate Rules of Procedure, 

April 4, 1966, notice is hereby given of the following motions to 

be

,

presented at the September 10, 1973 meeting of Senate: 

MOTION 1: ? 

"That Rule I of Rules of Procedure of Senate, 

Status of these Rules of Procedure, sentence 

• ? 

2, be amended to read, 'Alterations of these 

Rules of Procedure shall require written 

notice at a regular meeting of Senate prior 

to the meeting at which a vote on the proposed 

alteration is taken, which vote shall require 

an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the 

voting members present to carry." 

MOTION 2: ? 

"That the rules of Senate be suspended in order 

•

?

to permit a postal vote on the motion to amend 

the Rules of Procedure." 