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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-HONGKONG.
GENERAL RULES.
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1.-Two days' notice shall be given of any meeting of Council to each member by the Clerk of Councils; but should circumstances occur to render a meeting on any day appointed for the same inconvenient, the Council may be adjourned to such early day as the Governor shall appoint, by a notice in writing, to be transmitted to each member by the clerk one day prior to the period which had been appointed; and in cases of urgency, the Governor may dispense with the necessity of the two days' notice.
II. The hour of meeting, except under special circumstances, shall be at noon; and if any member shall move that the Council do adjourn, and if such motion be seconded, it shall be put to the vote.
III. No member shall absent himself from Council, without communicating to the Governor his inability to attend.
IV.-As soon as five members, exclusive of the Governor, shall be present, after the hour appointed for the meeting of Council, the Governor shall take the chair, and will direct the clerk to read the minutes of the last meeting, which, having been ap- proved or corrected, if necessary, are to be confirmed by the Governor.
V.-Should a quorum of members not be present at the expiration of fifteen minutes from the time for which the Council shall have been summoned on any par- ticular day, the meeting shall stand adjourned to noon on the next following day, not being a Sunday or a Public Holiday-notice of the said adjournment to be sent by the clerk to the members.
VI.--Any member desiring the minutes to be corrected, shall propose such cor- rection immediately after the minutes are read, and such correction shall be forthwith admitted or rejected by the Council.
VII-A book called "The Order Book" shall be kept by the clerk, and therein shall be inserted a notice of all original propositions, intended to be submitted by any member through the Governor to the Council, in the order of priority of time at which the same shall have been transmitted. Measures proceeding originally from the Governor need not be inserted in the Order Book.
VIII.--With the exception of questions of privilege, which shall take precedence of all others, business shall be taken in the order in which it appears in the Order Book; unless, on motion made by permission of the Governor, aud carried, preference be given to any particular subject.
IX.-The Governor shall preserve order, and decide on all disputed points of order. X.-Every motion or amendment, except for adjournment, must be in writing, and must be seconded before it can be put to the vote.
XI.-No member shall be allowed to read any speech, but may obtain permis- sion to introduce documentary matter.
XII. Every member in discussing any question shall address the Governor; and should he wish to allude to the speech or opinion of any other member. should avoid employing his name. Official members may be designated by their appoint-
ments.
XIII.-If two or more members wish to speak at the same time, the Governor shall call on the one entitled in his opinion to pre-audience.
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XIV.-On any question being put, every member present is required to give his vote in the distinct terms, "Aye or No," beginning with the junior,--the clerk minuting the vote of each member: after which the Governor shall declare the num- ber of votes for and against the question.
XV. Any member may protest in writing against any decision of the majority of the Council, provided he give notice of his intention immediately after such decision, and than such written protest be delivered to the clerk within seven days after such decision. It shall be competent to the majority of the Council to expunge any passage deemed offensive in such protest.
XVI. The members of Council shall have freedom of speech, and shall not at any time be questioned by government for anything they have said thereon.
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XVII. In the general discussion, no meinber shall be at liberty to speak more than once, except in explanation, or on the clauses of an ordinance in committee.
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