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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 4TH FEBRUARY, 1893.
REGULATIONS
for Saint John's Cathedral Church, made under authority of Section 10 of "The Saint John's Cathedral Church Ordinance, 1892.”
I and II. (1) All male persons being 21 years of age, British subjects, frequenting the public services of the Cathedral, and not known to impugn publicly the doctrines of the Church of England, whose names shall be entered as seatholders in the Book kept for the purpose as hereinafter mentioned, shall be eligible to become and be lay members of the said Church Body.
(2) The election of lay members of the Church Body and Auditor shall take place by ballot at a General Meeting of the Seatholders hereinafter called the Annual Meeting, which it shall be the duty of the Church Body to summon during the month of January in each year. At least 10 days' notice of such meeting shall be given by notices exhibited at each doorway of the Church.
(3) The Church Body shall out of their number appoint a Treasurer and Secretary.
(4) The lay members of the Church Body and the Auditor shall continue in office until the election of their successors.
(5) In the event of the death, absence, incapacity to act, or resignation of any lay member or Auditor the remaining members may, within a reasonable time, appoint another lay member or Auditor to act until the next annual meeting. Notice of such appointment shall forthwith be given to the Colonial Secretary.
(6) The names of all persons elected as lay members, as of those appointed as Treasurer, Secretary, and Auditor shall be forthwith notified to the Colonial Secretary.
(7) The Bishop shall, when present, be the Chairman of the Church Body, and in the absence of the Bishop, the members present shall elect their own Chairman. The Chairman shall not have a casting vote.
III. (1) Meetings of the Church Body shall be held quarterly in the first week of February, May, August, and November respectively, and may be called at any time on the requisition of the Bishop or Chaplain or of any two lay members. Such meetings to be convened by written notice. Four members shall form a quorum.
(2) The Church Body, on receiving a requisition signed by not less than fifteen seatholders or subscribers asking for a General Meeting and stating the object, shall within fourteen days after receiving such requisition summon a General Meeting for its discussion.
(3) At least ten days' notice of the time and place of holding such General Meeting shall be given by notices conspicuously posted at each doorway of the Church. The Bishop, if present, shall preside at such meeting. No General Meeting except the annual meeting shall be held unless at least fifteen seatholders are present.
(4) The right of voting at every General Meeting shall be vested in subscribers to the Church Fund to the extent of not less than $10 annually and in holders of sittings in the Church who shall have duly paid their subscriptions or the rent of their sittings. Provided always that no subscriber or seatholder shall be allowed to give more than one vote.
IV. (1) The Church Body shall, from time to time, assess and fix a rent for such sitting in the Church and may at any time make agreement or contract with any person desirous to engage the same according to such assessment. The rents of all sittings in the Church shall be paid in advance. Sittings may be engaged for any portion of a year not less than one quarter, and proportionate rent shall be charged accordingly.
(2) No seatholder shall, under any pretence, be deprived of the free use of his sitting at all times when the Church shall be open for public worship, provided always that the Church Body shall have the power to declare all seats free that are not occupied at the beginning of every service other than the usual Sunday morning service.
(3) The Church Body shall keep accounts of all money received and paid by them, which accounts the Auditor may inspect at all reasonable times; such accounts shall be brought down to the thirty-first day of December in each year and then closed and audited and submitted at the annual meeting.
(4) The Church Body shall enter or cause to be entered in a book to be kept for the purpose the names of all holders of sittings in the said Church with the dates of commencement and termination of such occupancy, and they shall provide proper books of registry of all baptisms and marriages solemnised in the said Church and of all burials performed by the Incumbent of the said Church and shall also provide a fire-proof chest for the safe custody of the said books.
V. (1) The Church Body may, in their discretion and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, permit the erection of any monument or other memorial in the Church or in the enclosure surrounding it, on payment of such fee, not less than $100, as may seem to them advisable. Any person having received permission to erect a monument shall be allowed to maintain the same.