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24. While the committees of supply and ways and means are open, the Adjournment from house, when it meets on Friday, shall, at its rising, stand adjourned until Friday to Monday. the following Monday, without any question being put, unless the house shall otherwise resolve.

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25. The house shall not be counted between a quarter-past eight and Counting out. a quarter-past nine o'clock, but if on a division taken on any business between a quarter-past eight and a quarter-past nine o'clock it appears that forty members are not present, the business shall stand over until the next sitting of the house, and the next business shall be taken.

Closure of Debate.

26.-(1.) After a question has been proposed a member rising in his place Closure of debate. may claim to move, "That the question be now put," and, unless it shall appear to the chair that such motion is an abuse of the rules of the house, or an infringement of the rights of the minority, the question, "That the question be now put," shall be put forthwith, and decided without amendment or debate.

(2.) When the motion "That the question be now put" has been carried, and the question consequent thereon has been decided, any further motion may be made (the assent of the chair, as aforesaid, not having been withheld) which may be requisite to bring to a decision any question already proposed from the chair; and also if a clause be then under consideration, a motion may be made (the assent of the chair, as aforesaid, not having been withheld), that the question, that certain words of the clause defined in the motion. stand part of the clause, or that the clause stand part of, or be added to the bill, be now put. Such motions shall be put forthwith, and decided without

amendment or debate.

(3.) Provided always, that this rule shall be put in force only when the speaker or the chairman of ways and means is in the chair.

27.-Questions for the closure of debate under standing order "Closure Majority for of debate shall be decided in the affirmative, if, when a division be closure. taken, it appears by the numbers declared from the chair, that not less than one hundred members voted in the majority in support of the motion.

Divisions.

28.-(1.) If the opinion of the speaker or chairman as to the decision of Procedure on a question is challenged he shall direct that the lobby be cleared.

(2.) After the lapse of two minutes from this direction he shall put the question again, and, if his opinion is again challenged, he shall nominate tellers.

(3.) After the lapse of six minutes from this direction he shall direct that the doors giving access to the division lobbies be locked.

Divisions.

29.-(1.) A member may vote in a division although he did not hear Voting of the question put.

(2.) A member is not obliged to vote.

Members.

30. Mr. Speaker or the chairman, may, after the lapse of two minutes Division as indicated by the sand-glass, if in his opinion the division is frivolously frivolously or vexatiously claimed, take the vote of the house, or committee, by claimed. calling upon the members who support, and who challenge his decision, successively to rise in their places; and he shall thereupon, as he thinks fit, either declare the determination of the house or committee, or name tellers for a division. And, in case there is no division, the speaker or chairman

A 4

Presentation or introduction and first reading.

Procedure on

reading order for committee.

Reference of bills together to com

mittee.

Amendments in committee.

Postponement of preamble.

Discontinuance of first and second reading stages in committee.

Question not to be put on blanks.

Procedure on offer of new clause.

Report of bill.

chairman shall declare to the house or the committee the number of the minority who had challenged his decision, and their names shall be thereupon taken down in the house, and printed with the lists of divisions.

Public Bills.

31.-(1.) When any bill shall be presented by a member, in pursuance of an order of this house, or shall be brought from the Lords, the questions "That this bill be now read a first time," and "That this bill be printed," shall be decided without amendment or debate.

(2.) A member may, if he thinks fit, after notice, present a bill without an order of the house for its introduction; and when a bill is so presented, the title of the bill shall be read by the clerk at the table, and the bill shall then be deemed to have been read a first time, and shall be printed.

32.-When a bill or other matter (except supply or ways and means) has been partly considered in committee, and the chairman has been directed to report progress, and ask leave to sit again, and the house shall have ordered that the committee shall sit again on a particular day, the speaker shall, when the order for the committee has been read, forthwith leave the chair without putting any question, and the house shall thereupon resolve itself into such committee.

33.-Bills which may be fixed for consideration in committee on the same day, whether in progress or otherwise, may be referred together to a committee of the whole house, which may consider on the same day all the bills so referred to it, without the chairman leaving the chair on each separate bill; provided that, with respect to any bill not in progress, if any member shall object to its consideration in committee, together with other bills, the order of the day for the committee on such bill shall be postponed.

34.-It shall be an instruction to all committees of the whole house to which bills may be committed, that they have power to make such amendments therein as they shall think fit, provided they be relevant to the subject-matter of the bill; but that if any such amendments shall not be within the title of the bill, they do amend the title accordingly, and do report the same specially to the house.

35. In committee on a bill, the preamble shall stand postponed until after the consideration of the clauses, without question put.

36. The questions for reading a bill a first and second time in a committee of the whole house shall be discontinued.

37.-In going through a bill no questions shall be put for the filling up words already printed in italics, and commonly called blanks, unless exception be taken thereto; and if no alterations have been made in the words so printed in italics, the bill shall be reported without amendments, unless other amendments have been made thereto.

38.-On a clause being offered in the committee on the bill, or on the consideration of report of a bill, Mr. Speaker or the chairman shall desire the member to bring up the same, whereupon it shall be read a first time without question put, but no clause shall be offered on consideration of report without notice.

39.-At the close of the proceedings of a committee of the whole house on a bill, the chairman shall report the bill forthwith to the house, and when amendments shall have been made thereto, the same shall be received, without debate, and a time appointed for taking the same into consideration.

40.-When

40.-When the order of the day for the consideration of a bill, as Consideration of amended in the committee of the whole house, has been read, the house bill as amended. shall proceed to consider the same without question put, unless the member

in charge thereof shall desire to postpone its consideration, or a motion shall be made to re-commit the bill.

41.-Upon the report stage of any bill no amendment may be proposed Amendments on which could not have been proposed in committee without an instruction report. from the house.

42. No amendments, not being merely verbal, shall be made to any bill Amendments on on the third reading. third reading.

43.-Lords' amendments to public bills shall be appointed to be con- Lords' amendsidered on a future day, unless the house shall order them to be considered ments. forthwith.

44. With respect to any bill brought to this house from the House of Pecuniary penalLords, or returned by the House of Lords to this house, with amendments, ties. whereby any pecuniary penalty, forfeiture, or fee shall be authorized, imposed, appropriated, regulated, varied, or extinguished, this house will not insist on its ancient and undoubted privileges in the following cases :—

1. When the object of such pecuniary penalty or forfeiture is to secure the execution of the act, or the punishment or prevention of offences.

2. Where such fees are imposed in respect of benefit taken or service rendered under the act, and in order to the execution of the act, and are not made payable into the treasury or exchequer, or in aid of the public revenue, and do not form the ground of public accounting by the parties receiving the same, either in respect of deficit or surplus.

3. When such bill shall be a private bill for a local or personal act.

45.-The precise duration of every temporary law shall be expressed in Temporary laws. a distinct clause at the end of the bill.

Standing Committees.

46.-(1.) When a bill has been read a second time it shall stand Committal of committed to one of the standing committees, unless the house, on motion Bills. to be decided without amendment or debate, otherwise order; and such a motion shall not require notice, must be made immediately after the bill is read a second time, may be made by any member, and may, though opposed, be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business. this order shall not apply to-

But

(a) Bills for imposing taxes, or Consolidated Fund, or Appropriation Bills; or

(b) Bills for confirming Provisional Orders.

(2.) Provided that the house may, on motion made by the member in charge of a bill, commit the bill to a standing committee in respect of some of its provisions, and to a committee of the whole house in respect of other provisions, and that if such a motion is opposed the speaker, after permitting, if he thinks fit, a brief explanatory statement from the member who makes and from the member who opposes the motion, shall without further debate put the question thereon.

(3.) Where a bill has been committed to a standing committee, or has been so committed in respect of any provision, then at the report stage of the bill or provision, the rule against speaking more than once shall not apply to the member in charge of the bill or to the mover of any amendment or new clause in respect of that amendment or clause.

47.-(1.) Four

Constitution of standing committees.

Nomination of standing committees.

Chairmen of standing committees.

Report of bills

committed to standing committees.

47.-(1.) Four standing committees shall be appointed for the consideration of all bills committed to them; and the procedure in such committees shall be the same as in a select committee, unless the house shall otherwise order: provided that strangers shall be admitted, except when the committee shall order them to withdraw; and the said committees shall not sit whilst the house is sitting, except in pursuance of a resolution of the committee, moved by the member in charge of the bill before the committee, and decided without amendment or debate, and shall not sit after four p.m. without the order of the house: provided also, that any notice of amendment to any clause in a bill which may be committed to a standing committee, given by any honourable member in the house, shall stand referred to such committee: provided also, that twenty be the quorum of such standing committees.

(2.) One of the standing committees shall be appointed for the consideration of all public bills relating exclusively to Scotland and committed to a standing committee, and shall consist of all the members representing Scottish constituencies, together with not more than fifteen other members to be nominated in respect of any bill by the committee of selection, who shall have regard in such nomination to the approximation of the balance of parties in the committee to that in the whole house, and shall have power from time to time to discharge, for non-attendance or at their own request, the members so nominated by them, and to appoint others in substitution for those discharged.

(3.) Subject as aforesaid the bills committed to a standing committee shall be distributed among the committees by Mr. Speaker.

(4.) In all but one of the standing committees government bills shall have precedence.

(5.) Standing order 19 (as to irrelevance and repetition) and standing orders 26 and 27 (as to closure) shall apply to standing committees, with the substitution in standing order 26 of the chairman of the committee for the chairman of ways and means, and, in standing order 27 of 20 for 100 as the number necessary to render the majority effective for the closure, and the chairman of a standing committee shall have the like powers as the chairman of a committee of the whole house has under standing order 23 (as to dilatory motions).

48.-Each of the said standing committees shall consist of not less than sixty nor more than eighty members, to be nominated by the committee of selection, who shall have regard to the classes of bills committed to such committees, to the composition of the house, and to the qualifications of the members selected; and shall have power to discharge members from time to time for non-attendance or at their own request, and to appoint others in substitution for those discharged. Provided that, for the consideration of all public bills relating exclusively to Wales and Monmouthshire, the committee shall be so constituted as to comprise all members sitting for constituencies in Wales and Monmouthshire. The committee of selection shall also have power to add not more than fifteen members to a standing committee in respect of any bill referred to it, to serve on the committee during the consideration of such bill. Provided that this Order shall not apply to the standing committee on Scottish bills.

49.-The committee of selection shall nominate a chairmen's panel to consist of not less than four nor more than eight members, of whom three shall be a quorum; and the chairmen's panel shall appoint from among themselves the chairman of each standing committee, and may change the chairman so appointed from time to time.

50.-All bills which shall have been committed to one of the said standing committees shall, when reported to the house, be proceeded with, as if they had been reported from a committee of the whole house: provided only, that all bills reported from a standing committee, whether

amended

amended or not, shall be considered on report by the, house without question put, unless the member in charge thereof desire to postpone its consideration or a motion be made to re-commit the bill.

Committees of the whole House.

51.-Whenever an order of the day is read for the house to resolve When speaker itself into committee (not being a committee to consider a message from leaves chair withthe crown, or the committee of supply, or the committee on the East India out question put. revenue accounts), Mr. Speaker shall leave the chair without putting any question, and the house shall thereupon resolve itself into such committee, unless notice of an instruction thereto has been given, when such instruction shall be first disposed of.

52.-When the chairman of a committee has been ordered to make a When chairman of report to the house, he shall leave the chair without question put.

committee leaves chair without question put.

53.-Every report from a committee of the whole house shall be Report to be brought up, without any question being put.

Select Committees.

brought up without question put.

54.-All committees shall have leave to sit, except while the house is Sittings. at prayers, during the sitting, and notwithstanding any adjournment of the house.

55.-No select committee shall, without leave of the house, consist of Number, more than fifteen members; such leave shall not be moved for without notice; and in the case of members proposed to be added or substituted, after the first appointment of the committee, the notice shall include the names of the members proposed to be added or substituted.

56.-Every member intending to move for the appointment of a select Consent of memcommittee shall endeavour to ascertain previously whether each member bers. proposed to be named by him on such committee will give his attendance thereupon.

57.-Every member intending to move for the appointment of a select Notice of names committee, shall, one day next before the nomination of such committee, of members. place on the notices the names of the members intended to be proposed by him to be members of such committee.

58.-Lists shall be affixed in some conspicuous place in the committee Lists of members office and in the lobby of the house of all members serving on each select serving. committee.

59. To every question asked of a witness under examination in the Entry of questions. proceedings of any select committee there shall be prefixed in the minutes asked. of the evidence the name of the member asking such question.

60. The names of the members present each day on the sitting of any Entry of members select committee shall be entered on the minutes of evidence, or on the minutes attending. of the proceedings of the committee (as the case may be), and reported to the house on the report of such committee.

61.- In the event of any division taking place in any select committee, Entry of divisions. the question proposed, the name of the proposer, and the respective votes thereupon of each member present, shall be entered on the minutes of evidence, or on the minutes of the proceedings of the committee (as the case may be), and reported to the house on the report of such committee.

62.-If,

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