The Rev Martin Smyth, the UUP president facing disciplinary action, gave up his right to chair proceedings on Saturday.
As with a previous meeting of party officers called to discuss action against him, Mr David Burnside and Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, he decided it would be better for someone more removed from the eye of the storm to officiate.
Mr Jim Nicholson, a respected figure within the UUP and the party's MEP, was selected to oversee proceedings.
Delegates then debated the motion put by the three MPs who have resigned the Westminster whip and who disagree with the party position on the two governments' Joint Declaration, which is aimed at opening the way to the restoration of the Stormont institutions.
Their motion, a shorter version of that circulated earlier this week, simply stated: "This Ulster Unionist Council notes with regret that three Ulster Unionist MPs have had to resign the party whip and calls on the leader and party officers to withdraw the disciplinary charges immediately".
Also on the table was a proposed amendment from Mr David Trimble, which said: "The Ulster Unionist Council notes with regret the action of the three Ulster Unionist MPs resigning the Parliamentary Whip and calls on them to resume the whip and to accept the decisions of the Ulster Unionist Council".
Key speakers for the three MPs' motion were Mr Neil Oliver, who proposed their motion, and Mr Roy Walker, who was the seconder.
The Irish Times was told Mr Donaldson spoke in impassioned terms about the declaration and the threat to the party's electoral fortunes which he believes it represents. He is also said to have outlined his efforts at finding consensus on the issue throughout the summer.
He is reported to have said he sacrificed holiday time in the search for progress. However, there were reports that some delegates heckled him, with a few scoffing at his selflessness.
Ms Arlene Foster, a key associate of the three MPs and a party officer, addressed the meeting. Lord Molyneaux, Mr Trimble's predecessor as leader, also spoke.
For the leadership side, Mr Trimble - returning to the same platform on which he was elected UUP leader nearly eight years ago - proposed his amendment to the resolution.
He has portrayed the three MPs as acting in defiance of the Ulster Unionist Council, rather than in terms of trying to undermine him personally.
He also appeared conciliatory, arguing that by resuming the whip the three MPs would avoid disciplinary moves which would then fall by the wayside.
Mr Trimble was supported by the former environment minister, Mr Dermot Nesbitt, and by the party's east Belfast chairman, Mr Tim Lemon.
The leadership argues that Mr Trimble's style is one of openness and that all MPs and assembly candidates have been involved in constructing party policy in relation to the Joint Declaration.
They have been keen to counter the view that Mr Trimble is acting alone and out of touch with popular unionist opinion.
Lord Maginnis, the former Fermanagh-South Tyrone MP, also spoke in support of the party leader's motion. He is said to have backed Mr Trimble strongly, praising him for his eight years at the party helm.
He denied that party members were free to dissent at will and do as they please. Discipline was a key issue, he added. He referred to the three MPs' position in hostile terms, accusing Mr Donaldson of DUP-style politics, and criticised Ms Foster, a key Donaldson associate, accusing her of supporting a non-UUP candidate at the last election.
Lord Kilclooney, formerly known as Mr John Taylor, also addressed the council, in what one unionist said was the speech of the day. Earlier last week Lord Kilclooney, a former deputy leader under Mr Trimble, had said he would not vote in favour of disciplinary action.
On Saturday he referred to the split in UUP ranks and warned that the traditional 55-45 split between the Trimble and dissident camps could only be resolved by the finding of consensus. The 55 per cent could not rule the 45 per cent, nor could it happen in reverse, he warned.
He also referred to Mr Trimble's leadership and commented that there were many in the Ulster Hall who favoured a new leader. He said he was not among them.
Lord Kilclooney was later credited with swaying minds in the hall. He reminded delegates of previous party splits in the 1970s and asked rhetorically what those divisions had done for the party.
He appealed to the three MPs to retake the party whip and not to judge the legislation in support of the Joint Declaration until it was published.