51124-1917-PROCLAMATION — Page 9

བར་བཀའ་བཅུད་དང་བག་འཁོ

228

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, APRIL 20, 1917.

Seats declared void in certain cases.

Resignation of Members.

Council may

transact business

notwithstanding vacancies.

Quorum.

Precedence of Members.

Who to preside.

Questions to be decided by a majority.

Governor

to have original and easting vote.

Rules and orders to be made.

Question, &c., for debate.

Rules and regula-

XVII. If any Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council shall become bankrupt or insolvent, or shall be convicted of any criminal offence, or shall absent himself from the Colony for more than three months without leave from the Governor, the Governor may declare in writing that the seat of such Member at the Council is vacant, and immediately on the publica- tion of such declaration he shall cease to be a Member of the Council.

XVIII. Any Unofficial Member may resign his seat at the Council by writing under his hand, but no such resignation shall take effect until it be accepted in writing by the Governor, or by Us through one. of Our Principal Secretaries of State.

XIX. The Legislative Council shall not be disqualified from the trans- action of business on account of any vacancies among the Members thereof; but the said Council shall not be competent to act in any case unless (in- cluding the Governor or the Member presiding) there be present at and throughout the meetings of the Council five Members at the least.

XX. The Official Members of the Legislative Council shall take pre- cedence of the Unofficial Members; and among themselves shall take precedence as We may specially assign, and, in default thereof, first the ex officio Members, in the order in which their offices are mentioned (except that the Senior Military Officer, if below the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in Our Army, shall take precedence after the person lawfully discharging the functions of Attorney-General), then other Official Members and all Un- official Members according to the priority of their respective appointments, or if appointed by or in pursuance of the same Instrument according to the order in which they are named therein.

Every mediately the termination of his term of office shall take precedence according to the date from which he has been continuously a Member of the said Council.

Ponofficial Member of the Legislative Council re-appointed im-

XXI. The Governor shall attend and preside in the Legislative Council, unless prevented by illness or other grave cause; and in his absence any Member appointed by him in writing shall preside, or in default of such Member, the Member who is first in precedence of those present shall preside.

XXII. All questions proposed for debate in the Legislative Council shall be decided by the majority of votes, and the Governor or the Member presiding shall have an original vote in common with the other Members of the Council, and also a casting vote, if upon any question the votes shall be equal.

XXIII. The Legislative Council may from time to time make standing rules and orders for the regulation of their own proceedings; provided such rules and orders be not repugnant to Our said recited Letters Patent, or to these Our Instructions, or to any other Instructions from Us under Our Sign Manual and Signet.

XXIV. It shall be competent for any Member of the Legislative Council to propose any question for debate therein; and such question, if seconded by any other Member, shall be debated and disposed of according to the standing rules and orders. Provided always that every ordinance, vote, resolution, or question, the object or effect of which may be to dispose of or charge any part of Our revenue arising within the Colony, shall be pro- posed by the Governor, unless the proposal of the same shall have been expressly allowed or directed by him.

XXV. In the passing of Ordinances the Governor and the Council shall Ordinances are to observe, as far as practicable, the following Rules :-

tions under which

be enacted.

Form of enacting Ordinances.

1. All laws shall be styled "Ordinances," and the enacting words shall be, "enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent "of the Legislative Council thereof.”