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Chapter VI.-Rights and Duties.
Art. 21. The duties of the assembly shall be :-
1. To decide on the business to be introduced, or the reforms to be made in the
province;
2. To decide on the yearly estimates of expenditure and revenue;
3. To decide on the actual expenditure and revenue of the year;
4. To decide on the taxation and debt of the province;
5. To decide on increases of the responsibilities and duties of the province;
6. To decide on additions and changes in provincial rules and regulations;
7. To decide on the retention or extinction of provincial rights;
8. To nominate senators;
9. To answer enquiries from the Senate;
10. To answer enquiries of the Viceroy or governor ;
11. To give judgment on or compose disputes of the district councils of the
province;
12. To receive proposals for discussion from the district councils or private persons of the province.
(Note.-(2) and (5) are explained to refer to finances; (6) and (7) to laws).
Art. 22. Bills passed by the assembly shall be reported to the Viceroy or governor for promulgation and execution. If the Viceroy or governor does not approve a Bill, he shall state the grounds of his disapproval, and refer the Bill back to the assembly.
Art. 23. Bills rejected by the assembly shall be reported to the Viceroy or governor for modification. If the Viceroy or governor does not agree to modify a Bill the procedure laid down in article 22 shall be followed.
Art. 24. When in the case of a Bill referred back the assembly adheres to their first decision, the Viceroy or governor shall forward the whole case to the Senate for consideration.
Art. 25. Bills under heads (1) to (7) of article 21 shall be prepared in advance by the Viceroy and governor, and placed before the assembly for discussion. The assembly may also initiate proposals for discussion on all the subjects enumerated, except those under heads (2) and (3) (budgets and estimates).
Art. 26. The assembly has the right to apply to the Viceroy or governor for information in regard to executive acts in the province, or Bills passed by the assembly. If the Viceroy or governor decide that the information is confidential and should be withheld, he shall state the broad grounds for this decision.
Art. 27. Invasions of the rights of the assembly, or violations of the law by Viceroy or governor, shall be reported in the Senate by the assembly.
Art. 28. Acts of corruption or violations of the law committed by officials or gentry of the province shall be reported to the Viceroy or governor by the assembly, with the evidence, for the necessary action.
Art. 29. Disputes between the province and other provinces shall be reported to the Viceroy or governer by the assembly for reference to the Senate.
Art. 30. The decisions of the Senate in the cases referred to in articles 24, 27, and 29 shall be observed by all.
Chapter VII-Sittings.
Art. 31. Ordinary sessions and special sessions shall both be convened by the Viceroy or governor.
Each session shall be opened by the Viceroy or governor in person.
Art. 32. The ordinary sessions shall take place once a-year and last for forty days on the average, from the 1st of the 9th moon till the 11th of the 10th moon (in 1909, from the 14th October to the 23rd November. The sessions may be extended not more than ten days in case of necessity.
Art. 33. Special sessions up to twenty days each may be convened for extra- ordinary business by the Viceroy or governor, or by a request of one-third of the members, or by an united request of the president, vice-president, and standing committee.
Art. 34. A notification of the business before the House shall be communicated to each member by the president three days before the session opens,
Art. 35. The proportion of members necessary to form a quorum is one-half.
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Art. 36. Measures are passed by a simple majority. In case of equal votes for and against, the president has a casting vote.
Art. 37. The Viceroy or governor shall attend each sitting, or send a representative, but he shall not vote.
Art. 38. No member shall take part in the discussion of any question affecting himself personally.
Art. 39. Speeches made within the rules by members within the House entail no liability. Should a member himself publish his speech, he is liable for his statements according to law.
Art. 40. Unless in a case of evident crime, no member shall be arrested during a session without the consent of the Ilouse.
Art. 41. Sittings shall be open to the public except in the following cases --
1. Special order from the Viceroy or governor forbidding an open sitting;
2. When president and vice-presidents agree to forbid an open sitting;
3. When ten or more members propose to forbid an open sitting.
The House must recognise the validity of the exceptions.
Art. 42. Resolutions of the House shall be made public unless the president and vice-presidents agree that they shall be kept secret. They shall also be reported to the Viceroy or governor, and to the Senate.
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Art. 13. Members offending against the rules of the House, or of debate, shall be called to order by the president, and expelled if they disobey. In case of disorder the president shall suspend the sitting.
Art. 44. The president shall order the expulsion of any member of the public admitted to hear the debates who offends against the rule or causes disorder.
Art. 45. The detailed rules of debate and regulations for admission of the public shall be drawn up by the House, approved by the Viceroy or governor, and published for general information.
Chapter VIII-Direction.
Art. 46. The Viceroy or Governor has power of control over the elections and sittings. He has also powers to decide and put into execution any resolution of the assembly.
Art. 47. Sittings may be suspended by the Viceroy or governor in the following
cases :--
1. When the matter under discussion is outside the limits laid down and the warning of the Viceroy or governor is unheeded.
2. When a resolution of the House violates the law.
3. When the conduct of the members is violent and beyond the control of the president.
The suspension in such cases shall not exceed seven days.
Art. 48. In the following cases the Viceroy or governor shall request the throne
to dissolve the assembly and shall report the facts to the Senate :--
1. When a resolution involves disrespect to the court;
2. When a resolution is injurious to the peace of the State;
3. Disobedience to the order to suspend sittings, or repeated suspensions without reformation;
4. If a large number of members absent themselves and continue to do so after repeated reminders from the Viceroy or governor.
Art. 49. When the assembly is dissolved the Viceroy or governor shall at the same time order a new election and the opening of the new assembly within two months.
Chapter IX.-Secretariat,
Art. 50. The assembly shall establish a secretariat for the records and general business purposes, which shall be under the direction of the president and vice- president.
Art. 51. These shall be a chief secretary and four secretaries selected by the president and appointed by the Viceroy or governor.
Art. 52. The details of the business of the secretariat shall be settled by the assembly.
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