THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, MARCH 8, 1912.
in Committce.
43.-When the Council shall, by motion made and seconded, have resolved itself Procedure into a Committee of the whole Council for the consideration of a Bill, the Clerk shall read the Bill clause by clause unless the President with the consent of the Committee shall have directed him to read the marginal headings only. And the Committee shall agree to or alter each clause separately as they may think fit. Provided that any clause may be left over for discussion and decision at a subsequent meeting of the Council in Committee, and that whether the whole Bill or any clause thereof be left in Com- mittee the Council may on motion made and adopted resume and proceed with the remaining business of the day.
44.-In filling up blanks in Bills, and in putting questions of amendment respect- Filling blanks, ing amounts of money or periods of time, the question of the lowest amount of money or shortest period of time proposed shall be first put.
45.-If a Committee to which any Bill has been referred shall recommend any Bill reported on
by Standing material amendment therein, the Bill may be printed with such amendments and, after committee. publication in the Gazette, may with permission of the Council be substituted for the Bill as read a second time. Every such Bill shall be considered in Committee of the whole Council.
committed.
46.-When a Bill has been reported to the Council as having passed through Com- Bill may be re- mittee, or if, on the third reading, any Member desire to omit or amend any provision contained in the Bill, or to introduce any fresh provision thereinto, it may on motion to that effect being made and carried be re-committed, provided that it has not been read a third time, and thereupon the Council shall again resolve itself into Committee for the discussion of any specified amendment to any clause. If a Bill has passed through Committee with the exception of any specially reserved clause it shall not be possible any Member to move an amendment to any clause already assented to and passed, unless a motion shall have been previously made and carried that the clause or the whole Bill be re-committed.
for
47.-If no material alteration be made in any Bill in Committee of the whole Third reading. Council, it may be read a third time, and passed, at the same meeting, if no Member object; but, except as provided for in Rule 48, if any material alteration be made, or any Member object to proceed immediately with the third reading, it shall be postponed till the next ensuing meeting.
48.-In cases where no amendments whatever, or only amendments of an unimpor- Suspension of tant nature have been made to a Bill, or in cases of emergency, if the Governor declares Standing Orders. that such emergency exists, and the grounds therefor, and that in his opinion it is necessary or desirable in the public interest that any of the Standing Rules relative to the ordinary procedure in respect to Bills be suspended, it may be moved that the said Rules be suspended, and if the motion be adopted by a majority of the votes of the Members present, the Bill may be carried through its remaining stages at one sitting.
49.-A Bill may be referred either to a Special Committee or to a Standing Reference of Bill Committee at any stage of its progress prior to the third reading.
to a Committee.
50.-When a Bill has been read a third time, the question "that this Bill do Passing of Bills. pass" shall immediately be put.
PETITIONS.
51. The Petitions addressed to the Council may be sent to the Clerk or they may Fetitions. be presented by any Member of the Council.
No Petition shall be received which is not properly and respectfully worded, or which does not relate to matters of Legislation.
It shall be the duty of the Clerk or of the Member presenting a Petition to inform the President if he has any doubt whether the Petition comes under either of these pro- hibitions; and as to the first the decision of the President shall be final, and as to the
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