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 [§ 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 [§ 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, according to the Pocket Manual, to
order the yeas and nays, which is doubtless best in the majority of
assemblies; but in all bodies in which the members are responsible to
their constituents, a much smaller number should have this power. In