1933

RULES OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—HONGKONG
235
28.—Third Reading of a Bill
(1) When a bill has passed through committee the member in charge of the
bill may at the same or any subsequent meeting report to tlie Council that the bill
has passed through committee and may at the same time moye that the bill be read
a third time, provided that if in the opinion of the President any material amend¬
ment of the bill shall have been made in committee the bill shall not be read a third
time at the same meeting except after the suspension of the Standing Orders. If
the third reading of any bill is for this reason postponed to a subsequent meeting of
the Council the bill shall be published in the Gazette as amended before it is read
a third time.
(2) If upon the third reading of a bill being proposed and Seconded any mem¬
ber desires to omit or amend any provision contained in the bill, nr to introduce any
fresh provision into it, the bill may upon motion made and seconded be re-com¬
mitted, and thereafter the Council shall again resolve itself into.a committee of the
whole Council for the consideration of the proposed amendment, but no bill shall
be re-committed after it shall have been read a third time.
(3) When a bill has been read a third time it, shall be deemed to have been
passed.
29.—General Provisions relating to Bills
(1) On each reading of a bill the Clerk shall read only the long title of the bill.
(2) If at any stage in the progress of a bill the President declares that in his
opinion an emergency exists and that it is desirable in the public interest that the
Standing Orders should be suspended in order to eliable the bill to pass through all
its stages, or all its remaining stages, at that meeting of Council, it may be moved and
seconded that the Standing Orders be suspended accordingly and if the motion be
adopted the bill may be carried through all its stages, or all its remaining stages,
at that meeting.
30.—Bills affecting Private Rights
(1) Where any bill shall be proposed which is intended to affect or benefit some,
particular person, association, or corporate body, notice of the bill shall be given
by the promoters, by two advertisenlents in sdnie dailynewspaper published ip the
Colony, and, if any'bh the persons likely to be benefited or prejudiced maybe
Cljinese, by two additional advertisements in some Chinese newspaper published in
the ^Colony, and in any case by two successive publicitioHS of; the bill in the. Gazette,
as required by Clause XXVII of the Royal Instructions of the Itth February, 1917:;
provided that, as laid down in the said Clause XXVII this'pdragtaph shall not apply;
to any such bill which is a Government measure.
t (2) If any person considers that his individual rights or interests would be
affected by the provisions of any such bill, he, may petition to be heard on the bill
either in person of by counsel, and he shall be heard accordingly, either upon
motion made' seconded and adopted, ur by order of the President. The President,
shall direct whether’the person in question or his counsel shall be.heard before the
Council, or before a committee of the whole Council, or before a standing committee*
or a select committee.
(3) -< On any such-petition the petitioner, oy ,any member, .phall, .-upon motion
made, seconded and adofited:. , or by order of , the President,’be entitled to call and
examine witnesses on oath or affirmation, provided .that a list, containing tlie/hames,'
residences and occupations of the witnesses shall havg been delivered to the Clerk
at least two clear days before the meeting of the Council hr committee a^ fifib cdse
may be. Any such witness if called by the petitioner may be cross-examined by
any member, and if called by any member may be cross-examined by any other
member or by the petitioned The oath or affirmation shall be-tendered-by the
Clerk, or, in any committee, by the Chairman.