Pairing-Off
Black's Law Dictionary · Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
Black's Law Dictionary
In the practice of legislative bodies, this is the name given to a species of negative proxies, by which twe members, who belong to opposite parties or are on opposite sides with regard to a given question, mutually agree that they will both be absent from voting, either for a specified period or when a division is had on the particular question. By this mutual agrcement a vote is neutralized on each side of the question, and the relative numbers on the division are precisely the same as if both members were present.
May, Pari. Pr. 370.