Directory_and_Chronicle_1869 — Page 526

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-HONGKONG.

STANDING ORDERS AND RULES

FOR

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG.

Extracts from the Royal Instructions to the Governor of Hongkong, Dated the 6th April, 1843.

"IV. -And we do declare our pleasure to be, that the said Legislative Council shall not be competent to act in any case, unles two members at least of such Council, in addition to the Governor for the time being, shall be preesent at and throughout the meetings of such Council."

"VI.-And for ensuring punctuality of attendance of the members of the said Council, and for the prevention of meetings of the said Council being holden without convenient notice to the several members thereof: It is our pleasure, and we do hereby direct, that you, or the Governor of Hongkong for the time being, do frame, for the guidance of the said Council, such Standing Rules and Orders as may be necessary for those purposes, with such other Standing Rules and Orders as may be best adapted for maintaining order and method in the despatch of business, and in the conduct of all debates in the said Council; which Rules and Orders (not being repug- nant to the said recited Charter, or to these instructions, or to any other instructions which you may receive from Us,) shall at all times be followed and observed, and shall be binding upon the said Council, unless the same or any of them shall be disallowed by Us."

"VII-It is our pleasure, and we do hereby direct, that no law or Ordinance shall be made or enacted by the said Council, unless the same shall have been pre- viously proposed by yourselves, and that no question shall be debated at the said Council unless the same shall first have been proposed for that purpose by you: Pro- vided nevertheless and it is our pleasure, that if any member of the said Council shall deem any law fit to be enacted by the said Council, or any question proper to be there debated, and shall, of such his opinion, transmit a written Statement to you, it shall be lawful for any such member of the said Council to enter upon the minutes thereof a copy of any such statement, together with the reasons upon which such, his opinion, may be founded."

“XXIII.—And we do hereby further declare our will and pleasure to be, that all questions proposed and debated in the said Legislative Council shall be decided by the majority of voices; and that the Governor for the time being of the said Colony shall, in the said Legislative Council, have both an original vote, and (in case of the votes being equally divided) a casting vote. And we do further declare our pleasure to be, and do ordain and appoint, that it shall be competent to the Governor of the Colony, and he is hereby authorized to make and promulgate, as an ordinance of the said Governor and Legislative Council, any ordinance which may have by him been pro- posed for the adoption of the said Council, even though all the members of the said Council, except himself, shall have voted against the adoption and passing thereof; and every

ordinance so made and promulgated as aforesaid shall, until the same may be repealed or disallowed by Us, have the force and authority of law in the said Colony, as fully as if it had been adopted by the unanimous votes of all the members of the said Council."