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Executive
Council not to proceed to business unless
summoned by Governor's authority. Quorum.
Who to preside.
Minutes of
Executive
Council to be kept.
To be transmit-
ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS-HONGKONG
VII.-The Executive Council shall not proceed to the despatch of business unless duly summoned by authority of the Governor, nor unless two Members at the least (exclusive of himself or of the Member presid ing), be present and assisting throughout the whole of the meetings at which any such business shall be despatched.
VIII. The Governor shall attend and preside at all meetings of the Executive Council, unless when prevented by illness or other grave cause, and in his absence such Member as the Governor may appoint, or in the absence of such Member the senior Member of the Council actually present, shall preside.
IX.-Minutes shall be regularly kept of all the proceedings of the Executive Council; and at each meeting of the Council the Minutes of the last preceding meeting shall be confirmed or amended, as the case may require, before proceeding to the despatch of any other business.
Twice in each year a full and exact copy of all Minutes for the ted home twice preceding half year shall be transmitted to Us through one of Our
Principal Secretaries of State.
a year.
Governor to
tive Council.
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X.-In the execution of the powers and authorities granted to the consult Execu- Governor by Our said recited Letters Patent, he shall in all cases consult with the Executive Council, excepting only in cases which may be of such a nature that, in his judgment, Our service would sustain material pre- judice by consulting the Council thereupon, or when the matters to be decided shall be too unimportant to require their advice, or too urgent to admit of their advice being given by the time within which it may be necessary for him to act in respect of any such matters. In all such urgent cases he shall, at the earliest practicable period, communicate to the Executive Council the measures which he may so have adopted, with the reasons therefor.
Governor alonę
entitled to sub- mit questions.
Governor may
to Council.
Reporting
grounds for so doing.
XI.-The Governor shall alone be entitled to submit questions to the Executive Council for their advice or decision; but if the Governor decline to submit any question to the Council when requested in writing by any Member so to do, it shall be competent to such Member to require that there be recorded upon the Minutes his written application, together with the answer returned by the Governor to the sanie.
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XII. The Governor may, in the exercise of the powers and authori- act in opposition ties granted to him by Our said recited Letters Patent, act in opposition to the advice given to him by the Members of the Executive Council, if he shall in any case deem it right to do so; but in any such case he shall fully report the matter to Us by the first convenient opportunity, with the grounds and reasons of his action. In every such case it shall be adverse opinion competent to any Member of the said Council to require that there be recorded at length on the Minutes the grounds of any advice or opinion. he may give upon the question.
Member may require their
to be recorded on Minutes.
Constitution of Legislative Council,
XIII.-The Legislative Council of the Colony shall consist of the Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor (if any), the Senior Military Officer for the time being in Command of Our regular troops within the Colony, the persons for the time being lawfully discharging the functions of Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General, Secretary for Chinese Affairs, and Treasurer of the Colony, and such other persons holding office in the Colony, and not exceeding four in number at any one time, as at the date of the coming into operation of Our said recited Letters Patent are Official Members Official Members of the said Council, or as We may from time to time. appoint by any Instructions or Warrants under Our Sign Manual and Signet, or as the Governor, in pursuance of Instructions from Us through
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