Quorum

“ Nor does any one deny that each House has the power to provide expressly that a majority of the entire membership of any of its Committees shall constitute a quorum for certain purposes and that, for other purposes, a different number shall be sufficient. For example, either House may provide expressly that, for the purpose of convening a session of a Committee or of approving a report, a majority of the Committee's entire membership shall be necessary and that, for the purpose of taking sworn testimony, one or more Committee members shall be sufficient to constitute a quorum. ”

“ One be mouth and the others repeat after him in unison. After prayer, divide into quorums of three. Let the first quorum who administer, anoint Brother Young with oil; then lay hands on him, one being mouth and the other two repeating in unison after him. When all the quorums have, in succession, laid their hands on Brother Young and prayed for him, begin again with the first quorum, by anointing with oil as before, continuing the administration in this way until you receive a testimony that he will be restored. ”

“ So whenever during the meeting there is found not to be a quorum present, the only thing to be done is to adjourn; though, if no question is raised about it, the debate can be continued, but no vote taken, except to adjourn.
In committee of the whole the quorum is the same as in the assembly; in any other committee the majority is a quorum, unless the assembly order otherwise, and it must wait for a quorum before proceeding to business. If the number afterwards should be reduced below a quorum, business is not interrupted, unless a member calls attention to the fact ”

“ If it is desired to have a smaller quorum than a majority for a board or standing committee it must be provided for in the by-laws of the parent body. It is impracticable for a majority of the members of an ordinary society to be present at many of the meetings, so it has been found best to authorize a smaller quorum. In large societies the quorum is often less than 10 per cent, of the membership.
Session and Meeting. Each regular or special meeting of a society, together with its adjourned meetings, constitutes a session. ”

“ If all the members of the select body or committee, or if all the agents are assembled, or if all have been duly notified, and the minority refuse or neglect to meet with the others, a majority of those present may act, provided those present constitute a majority of the whole number. In other words, in such case, a major part of the whole is necessary to constitute a quorum, and a majority of the quorum may act. ”

“ In Congress a call of the house is only used now when no quorum is present, and as soon as a quorum appears it is usual to dispense with further proceedings in the call, and this is in order at any stage of the proceedings. ”

“ If we appeal to the journal of the house, we find that a majority of its members were present when the bill passed, a majority creating by the constitution a quorum, with authority to act upon any measure; that the presence of that quorum was determined in accordance with a valid rule theretofore adopted by the house; and that of that quorum a majority voted in favor of the bill. ”

“ Witnesses in committee hearings cannot be required to be familiar with the complications of parliamentary practice. Even if they are, the power to raise a point of no quorum appears to be limited to members of the committee. We have no doubt that if a member of the committee had raised a point of no quorum and a count had revealed the presence of less than a majority, proceedings would have been suspended until the deficiency should be supplied. In a criminal case affecting the rights of one not a member, the occasion of trial is an appropriate one for petitioner to raise the question. ”

“ And it is impossible for men acquainted with the order of the Holy Priesthood to ignore this quorum, as it is one of the principal councils of the Church. While the Twelve stand as a bulwark ready to protect, defend and maintain, to step forward and carry out the order of God's Kingdom in times of necessity, such as above referred to, yet when everything is adjusted and matters assume their normal condition, then it is proper that the Quorum of the First Presidency, as well as all other quorums, should occupy the place assigned it by the Almighty. ”

“ No law can be passed except by an absolute majority of the house, and one-half of the members must be present to form a quorum; these arrangements have greatly facilitated the practice of obstruction, and often enable individual deputies to impose terms on the government for their attendance. ”

“ Two thirds of the managers shall form a quorum to act at the semi-annual meetings, and any number of the seven, the committee of the managers, with the Treasurer and Secretary, or either of them, may form a quorum to transact business at the weekly meetings ”

“ The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman raises the point of no quorum. The Chair will count. [After counting.]
Two hundred and seventeen present, a quorum. The noes have it, and the amendment is rejected.
The question being taken on the motion of Mr. Hoyer to suspend the rules and pass the bill, it was agreed to (two-thirds voting in favor thereof) .
So (the affirmative not being one-fifth of the whole vote) the yeas and nays were not ordered. ”

“ Two judges of a three-judge circuit court of appeals, on the other hand, ordinarily constitute a statutory quorum for the hearing and determination of cases. [4] 28 U.S.C. § 212, 28 U.S.C.A. § 212. The absence of such a quorum provision as to three-judge district courts is a strong corroborating indication that participation by all three judges is necessary to render a valid decision. The Act provides, it is true, that a decision may be reached by a three-judge court if a 'majority of said three judges' concur. But that means only that the decision of the three judges need not be unanimous ”

“ It is argued, however, that even if the Government is not required to prove presence of a quorum affirmatively, lack of a quorum is a defense raising material questions of fact which should have been submitted to the jury. The theory is that if the subpoena required production of the records before the Committee on Un-American Activities qua committee, respondent could not have complied with the subpoena in the absence of a quorum had she wished to do so, and therefore her default is not wilful, albeit deliberate and intentional. ”

“ If a quorum is
not reached, the meeting shall be postponed to the same day on the
following week and in the same place. A quorum is considered attained
in the second meeting if 25% of the number of such shares or quotas is
represented. The company may apply to the Registrar for waiver of the
�
25% minimum if, in view of the agenda and other circumstances, the
minimum requirement would disserve the interests of the owners
generally. The company’s contract may require more stringent conditions
for a quorum. ”

“ The difference between this quorum and the quorum of Elders is, that one is to travel continually, and the other is to preside over the churches from time to time: the one has the responsibility of presiding from time to time, and the other has no responsibility of presiding, saith the Lord your God. ”

“ There is no specific number necessary to form a quorum of high priests, the quorum includes all high priests within a stake or branch where it exists, be they {347} many or few. The quorum organization is for convenience, for discipline, and for training its members in the art of government. Since to the high priests belongs the sphere of government, we know of no position in the church which calls for higher qualities of heart and mind than that of high priests. ”

“ These obstructive tactics were made possible chiefly by the use of privileged motions and roll calls to delay business, and the refusal to respond on the roll call for a vote, thus preventing a quorum. Speaker Thomas B. Reed of Maine, a virile and keen-witted leader, greatly strengthened the power of the speaker, as well as expediting the business of the House, by ruling that the Constitution required a present, not a voting, quorum ”

“ GURLEY RECEIVES HIS ENDOWMENT IN THE NAUVOO TEMPLE.
"ZENOS H. GURLEY arose and said that the Presidents of the quorum had RECEIVED THEIR ENDOWMENT. He observed that it was remarkable for an unusual outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He felt for the quorum that they should receive their endowment. The Church authorities, the quorum of seventy in succession, should furnish the people engaged in the endowment, one day each, and he wanted the quorum (21st) to acquit themselves from every obligation." ”

“ These councils each and all in their organized capacity, have jurisdiction over the fellowship of the members of these councils—if the member is an elder, or if a man has a standing in the seventies' quorum, or in the high priests' quorum, and he is misbehaving himself, shows a lack of faith, a lack of reverence for the position he holds in his council, or quorum, his fellowship in that quorum to which {189} he belongs, or his standing should be looked after or inquired into, for he is amenable to his quorum for his good standing and fellowship in it. ”

“ It is not the Speaker's (or Chairman's) duty to notice the absence of a quorum, but if his attention is drawn to it by a member he must at once rise in his place and proceed to count the House. There is a well-known story of a prolix [235] member speaking to empty benches in the Commons who referred sarcastically to the packed audience hanging upon his words, and was interrupted by the Speaker, who at once proceeded to "count out" the House, and put an end to the sitting as well as to the member's oration. ”

“ The jury found that she had power to produce the papers. The question therefore arises as to what possible prejudice respondent might have suffered if she had turned over the records to less than a quorum of the Committee. In the case of oral testimony, a witness might well desire to appear only if a quorum was present because of a feeling that some committee members, unrestrained by presence of a majority, might exceed proper bounds of inquiry. ”

“ If a quorum is found to be present, the clerk declares it to be in order to proceed to the election of a speaker. The vote is viva voce on the call of the roll, each member when his name is called pronouncing the name of his choice for speaker. Election is by majority of the votes given. ”

“ In ordinary societies, where the quorum is a small percentage of the membership, and the meetings are as frequent as quarterly, no resolution that conflicts with one adopted at a previous session should be entertained until the old one has been rescinded, which requires a two-thirds vote unless proper notice has been given. ”