496
Precedence
when two Mem- bers rise to-
gether.
Speech not to be read.
President's au- thority.
RULES OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-HONGKONG
19. If two Members rise to speak at the same time, the President shall call upon one of them to address the Council.
A Member may not read his speech, but he may read extracts from written or printed papers in support of his argument.
20.-It shall be the duty of the President on his own authority to enforce all these Rules: and when the President addresses the Council, any Member speaking shall immediately resume his seat.
21.-No speech shall be made on presenting a petition, beyond Speech on peti- such as may be necessary to explain its nature and object.
tion.
No debate on question an. swered.
How often Mem-
22.-When a question has been asked and answered, no further de- bate thereon shall be permitted.
23.-No Member may speak more than once on any question, except
bers may speak. When the Council is in Committee.
Motion or am-
be seconded.
The Mover of any motion may, however, reply at the close of a debate, and any Member may explain himself if he has been misappre- hended in any essential statement.
24.—The Mover of any motion or amendment may speak in support endment should thereof; but no further debate shall be allowed, whether the Council be
in Committee or not, until the motion or amendment be duly seconded.
25.-If any amendment be proposed and seconded, it shall be con- sidered before the original question.
Order in which amendments
should be enter- tained.
Proposed amend-
ments to be
committed to writing.
Clauses of Bills.
Filling Blanks.
Question to be
If any amendment of a proposed amendment be moved and duly seconded, it shall be considered as if such previous amendment were an original question.
26. Any amendment moved and seconded may be required by the President to be committed to writing by the Mover and delivered to the Clerk.
27.—When a Bill is in Committee each Clause shall be read by the Clerk and shall then be put from the Chair, without Motion, by this Question:-"That this Clause shall stand part of the Bill," and the Clause shall be treated as a Motion, except that a Clause may be amended portion by portion, the earlier amendments having precedence of the later.
28. In filling up blanks in Bills, and in putting Questions of Amendment respecting 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.
29.-All questions proposed for debate in the Legislative Council decided by ma. shall be decided by the majority of votes, and the Governor or the jority. Governor to have Member presiding shall have an original vote in common with the other original and cast. Members of the Council, as also a casting vote, if upon any question the
votes shall be equal.
ing vote.
Manner of vot- ing.
Dissent.
No discussion
after question
put.
Suspension
of
Standing Orders
30.-On a division, the votes shall be taken by the Clerk.
The roll of Members present shall be read by the Clerk, beginning with the Junior Member.
Each Member shall in his turn declare whether he is for or against the motion made.
The Clerk shall then read out the result, mentioning the total number of votes for and against respectively.
31.-If any Member dissenting from the opinion of the majority wish to have his dissent recorded, he shall state so forthwith; and the reasons of his dissent may be laid on the table either at the same or at the following ordinary meeting.
32. After a question has been put by the President no further discussion thereupon shall be allowed.
33.--The Standing Orders of the Council may be suspended by the consent of the President and a majority of the Members present.
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