1917

454
RULES OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—HONGKONG
Second reading. 41When a motion for a second reading of a Bill shall have beem
made and seconded, a debate may be taken only upon the general merits
and principles of the Bill, and if such second reading be assented to, the
Council may either refer the Bill to a Standing or Special Committee or
may, either forthwith or at a subsequent meeting, resolve itself into a
Committee of the whole Council.
Publication. 42.—Except as provided for in Rule 48, no Bill shall be read a
second time before it shall have been published at least once in the
Gazette, and, subject to the said exception, no Bill which shall have been
materially amended in Committee shall be read a third time until it has
been published as so amended in the Gazette.
Procedure 43.—When the Council shall, by motion made and seconded, hav&
m ommi ej. regoiVed itself into a Committee of the whole Council for the considera¬
tion of a Bill, the Clerk shall read the Bill clause by clause unless the
President with the consent of the Committee shall have directed him to-
read the marginal headings only. And the Committee shall agree to or
alter each clause separately as they may think fit. Provided that any
clause may be left over for discussion and decision at a subsequent meet¬
ing of the Council in Committee, and that whether the whole Bill or any
clause thereof be left in Committee the Council may on motion made and
adopted resume and proceed with the remaining business of the day.
tilling blanks. 44.—In filling up blanks in Bills, and in putting questions of
amendmtnt 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.
BiU reported on 45.—If a Committee to which any Bill has been referred shall
Committee? recommend any material amendment therein, the Bill may be printed
with such amendments and, after publication in the Gazette, may with per¬
mission of the Council be substituted for the Bill as read a second time.
Every such Bill shall be considered in Committee of the whole Council.
committed6 ™ ^ ^10u. a Bill has been reported to the Council as having passed
through Committee, or if, on the third reading, any Member desire to
omit or amend any provision contained in the Bill, or to introduce any
fresh provision thereinto, it may on motion to that effect being made
and carried be re-committed, provided that it has not been read a third
time, and thereupon the Council shall again resolve itself into Committee
for the discussion of any specified amendment to any clause. If a Bill
has passed through Committee with the exception of any specially
reserved clause it shall not be possible for any Member to move an
amendment to any clause already assented to and passed, unless a motion
shall have been previously made and carried that the clause or the whole
Bill be re-committed.
Third reading. 47.—If no material alteration be made in any Bill in Committee of
the whole Council, it may be read a third time, and passed, at the same
meeting, if no Member object; but, except as provided for in Rule 48, if
any material alteration be made, or any Member object to proceed
immediately with the third reading, it shall be postponed till the next
ensuing meeting.
itanding011 °f cases where no amendments whatever, or only amendments
orders. °f am unimportant nature have been made to a Bill, or in cases of
emergency, if the Governor declares that such emergency exists, and the-
grounds therefor, and that in his opinion it is necessary or desirable in the
public interest that any of the Standing Rules relative to the ordinary
procedure in respect to Bills be suspended, it may be moved that the said
Rules be suspended, and if the motion be adopted by a majority of the