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HANKOW MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS.
Ch. XVII
and also the written assent to serve if elected of each candidate proposed. The names of all persons proposed shall on the first day of March be exhibited at the entrance of the Bureau Building and kept there exhibited until the nominations shall be read out to the Meeting. If the number of proposed candidates is exactly three Chinese and three British, the election of these six persons shall be confirmed without ballot. If the number of proposed candidates exceeds six, the Meeting shall by ballot elect six of them. of whom three shall be Chinese citizens and three shall be British. In the event of less than three Chinese or less than three British being nominated or the combined nominations being less than six, the out- going Council shall remain in office for the following year.
Article 19. The members of the Council are elected for one year and shall enter office after the Annual General Meeting. In case of vacancies occurring during the Municipal year, owing to any member's refusal or inability to serve. illness or death, the Director shall have the power to fill up such vacancies by appointment. from among persons registered at the last Annual General Meeting and present at Hankow. If such vacancies exceed three in number, or such appointee or appointees are not acceptable to the majority of the remaining members of the Council or by any group of persons representing altogether not less than one-third of the voters registered at the last meeting and present in Hankow, a special meeting may be convened under Article 28 of the Regulations to elect a member or members to fill up such vacancy or vacancies.
The names of the members of the Council when elected, shall be reported by the Director of the Bureau to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for record.
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Article 20. The Director of the Bureau shall, in the capacity of Chairman, preside at all Meetings of the Council. In case of the temporary absence of the Chairman from a meeting, a representative shall be duly appointed by him to preside.
Article 21. Meetings of the Council are called by notifications of the Secretary under instructions of the Chairman-stating all questions to be discussed. Meetings shall also be called by the request of two members of the Council.
Article 22. Meetings of the Council are valid if at least five persons including the Chairman are present, resolutions are passed by a majority of votes, and in case of an equal division of votes the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
Article 23. The Council shall have authority to discuss and decide all questions connected with management and administration of the District.
Resolutions passed by the Council shall be carried out by the Director. Should the Director consider that any such resolution constitutes an infringement of Chinese sovereign rights, a violation of Chinese Customs, which are or are liable to be re- cognized by a Chinese Court of Justice, or a transgression of the Regulations, he may suspend its execution but in such a case he shall report immediately to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government who shall decide whether it shall take effect or be cancelled, and this decision shall be final. The Council's view shall be heard and considered before such decision is given.
Article 24. The members of the Council shall designate among themselves the responsibilty for a definite, branch of the municipal affairs of the Bureau, such as Finance, Police, Public Works, Public Health, Public Utilities and Water Supply, so that each of them may be in a better position to supervise work and to devise ways and means for the improvement of the particular branch for which each of them is responsible.
In the performance of the duties incident to their respective branch of work, Members of the Council may suggest Committees or Sub-Committees to be appointed by the Director.
Article 25. Members of the Council acting in conformity with these rules and regulations bear 10 personal responsibility for their actions.
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