responsibility and expense, and to them belongs the honor of commencing the proceedings, and of opening the way for business. 3. The meeting being thus organized, the Chairman will ask for, or produce himself, the call of the meeting, as published in the papers or in handbills, which he will read, or cause to be read by the Secretary. Or, he may, at his option, instead of reading the call, verbally offer some remarks explanatory of the objects of the course is strictly in order. meeting. Either This being done, "the meeting is the Chairman will say, now organized, and ready to proceed to business." 4. The proper course is then for some individual who has been designated for that duty, by the persons who called the meeting, to rise and say " Mr. Chairman-I move that a committee be appointed to draft resolutions for the action of the meeting," or, "expressive of the sense of the meeting." The motion being seconded, the Chairman will, after asking if the meeting "is ready for the question," put the question in the manner before mentioned. If the motion prevails, the Chairman will say "the motion is agreed to," and ask : "Of how many shall the committee consist?" Some member of the meeting will then probably nominate "three," perhaps another "five," and another "seven." The custom is to take the question on the highest number first. If that does not prevail, the Chairman will proceed with the next highest, and so on until the meeting agrees to a certain number. If only one number be named, and that number be five, the Chairman will say: "The number five has been named, and as no other number is mentioned, the committee will consist of five." 5. The Chairman should then ask: "How shall the committee be appointedwill the meeting nominate ?" If those present desire to name the committee, they will then nominate, and when the number is filled up, and the names read off by the Secretary, the Chairman will say, "Shall these gentlemen be your committee ?" If no objection be offered, he will add-" they will be your committee." The most usual course, however, in forming committees, is, for several voices to say, "the Chair will appoint," whereupon the Chairman will ask, "Is it the pleasure of the meeting that the Chair appoint the committee?" If no objection be made, he will then, himself, select and announce the committee. 6. It is customary to place the gentleman who makes a motion, as the first on the committee, it being understood that he will act as its Chairman. Any other course is calculated to give offence, and I have known such an omission regarded as a personal affront. If the gentleman so named, or any other appointed on the committee, does not wish to serve, he may decline. In such cases it is usual for the gentleman to assign his reasons, whereupon the presiding officer asks, "Shall the gentleman be excused?" and if no serious objection be made, he will declare him excused, and appoint another in his place. As a general rule, gentlemen ought not to move to raise committees, involving labor and trouble, unless they are willing to share that labor and trouble themselves. 7. When the committee is announced, the gentleman first named will go to the Secretary's table, and obtain a copy of the names of his colleagues, and request them to accompany him to an adjoining room, or some contiguous place. During the absence of the committee, it is usual to call upon some well known speaker to address the meeting. When the committee have agreed upon a report, they should immediately return, and the Chairman should place himself near the President, and in view of the person speaking, who will most probably bring his remarks to a close, as soon as he finds the committee returned and prepared to report. The moment he ceases, the Chairman of the committee will address the presiding officer of the meeting, and say: "Mr. Chairman-the committee appointed to prepare resolutions, have instructed me to report the following," and then hand the resolutions to the Chair, or proceed to read them himself. The Chairman will receive the resolutions and say, "the committee appointed to prepare resolutions report the following. They will be read," and then direct the Secretary to read them. After being read, he will continue, "the resolutions are before the meeting--will the meeting consider them separately or altogether?" Most probably members will say "separately," whereupon the Chairman will say "the resolutions will be considered separately-the first resolution is before the meeting." Some gentleman will then rise to speak, or to move that it be adopted. In the former case, the Chairman will say, "Mr. —," naming him-in the latter case, he will say, "it is moved and seconded that the resolution be adopted-is the meeting ready for the question?" If no one rises, after pausing a moment or two, he will put the question in the following manner: "As many as are in favor of the adoption of the resolution will please say 'aye'-those of the contrary opinion will say ' no.'" Should the ayes appear to preponderate, he will say, "the ayes appear to have it," and if no one calls for a division, he will continue, the ayes have it-the resolution is agreed to." 8. Should a division be called for any time previous to the result being declared by the |