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Chapter 10 - Debate
Personal
explanations and explanations of speeches
There are two procedures for senators to make explanations to the
Senate without speaking in debate on a motion.
By leave of the Senate, a senator may explain matters of a personal
nature, although there is no question before the Senate, but such matters may
not be debated (SO 190). As with other
procedures requiring leave of the Senate, an objection by one senator present
prevents the making of a personal explanation, but leave is usually granted.
The procedure is
usually employed to respond to some misrepresentation of a senator in an
earlier debate in the Senate or in some other forum or publication. It is not
necessary for a senator to claim to be misrepresented to use this procedure,
but the explanation must relate to matters personally affecting the senator
(ruling of President Givens, SD, 2/3/1917, p. 10849).
A senator who has spoken to a question before the Senate may explain,
without leave, some part of the senator’s speech which has been misquoted or
misunderstood, but may not interrupt a senator speaking or introduce any new or
debatable matter (SO 191). This right to
correct misquotations, misunderstandings and, in practice, misrepresentations
of a senator’s words may be used only where a senator has spoken in a debate,
and must be used during that debate or at the conclusion of the debate. It
cannot be used to respond to matters in debates which have occurred at an
earlier stage in the proceedings. It also cannot be used simply to respond to
arguments raised in debate; to use the procedure a senator must claim to be
misquoted, misunderstood or misrepresented. (Rulings of President Baker, SD,
2/8/1905, p. 460; 3/8/1905, p. 516.)
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