STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1903 Session I, I-07a

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(As REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.] House of Bepresentatives, 17th September, 1 903. [Note. —Amendments made in Committee of the Whole are shown by erased and italic type, having a black rule down tbe side.]

1903. NEW ZEALAND.

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE).

Brought up in the House of Representatives, Tuesday, 25th August, 1903, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE. Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Thursday, the 2nd Day op July, 1903. Ordered, " That a Standing Orders Committee, consisting of ten members, be appointed ; three to be a quorum: the Committee to consist of Mr. Speaker, Mr. Fisher, Mr. W. Fraser, Mr. Graham, Mr. Massey, Mr. Millar, Mr. McNab, Sir W. R. Russell, Hon. Sir W. J. Steward, and the Mover."—(Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon.)

The Standing Orders Committee recommend that the following alterations be made in the Standing Orders of the House : — 15a. New Standing Order : In case of an equality of votes in any division connected with the election of a Speaker, the Question shall be decided by the taking of a ballot or ballots. 26. To be amended as follows : Whenever the House shall be informed by the Clerk at the Table of the unavoidable absence of Mr. Speaker, the Chairman of Committees is to perform the duties and exercise the authority of Speaker in relation to all proceedings of the House, as Deputy Speaker, until the next meeting of the House, and so on from day to day, on the like information being given to the House, until the House shall otherwise order ; provided that if the House shall adjourn for more than twenty-four hours the Deputy Speaker shall continue to perform the duties and exercise the authority of Speaker for twenty-four hours only after such adjournment. The Chairman of Committees may at any tune, during the sitting of the House, at the request of Mr. Speaker, take the chair as Deputy Speaker with ut any formal communication to the House. 53 and 54. Transfer to page 18, before Standing Order 78. £5. To be amended as follows': No Ordor o£—feo Day or -jfotico of Motion ahall -be-ealled— ea [aftor Tvvolvo o'clock at night. No new business shall be taken after Half-past Twelve o'clock at night. |The Speaker or Chairman of Committees shall leave the chair at Twelve o'clock on Saturday night, and no sitting of the House shall take place between Twelve o'clock on Saturday night and Oae Half-past Two o'clock on Monday »<wß»g afternoon. 56. To be amended as follows : The House can only be adjourned by its own Resolution, except in the cases mentioned in $feer Standing Orders 45, 48, aa4 50, and 55, or where after the Question of the Adjournment of the House has been negatived and there is no further business that can be transacted under the Standing Orders, when Mr. Speaker adjourns the House without putting any Question. 57 and 58. Transfer to Miscellaneous, page 80, after No. 432. 72a. New Standing Order: Notices of Motion placed by Government before Orders of the Day continue to be dealt with at 7.30 p.m. on Government days, provided that notice extending over two clear days has been given, specifying the hour when the Motion is to be made, and the intention to continue the debate at 7.30 p.m. 73. To be amended as follows : The Orders of the Day ase-te shallhe disposed of in the order in which they stand upon the Paper, the right being reserved to Ministers of placing Government Orders or Government Motions at the head of the list, in the rotation in which they are to be taken, on the days (Tuoodayo and Fridaya) on which Government business has precedence; but such business, if not disposed of on those days, shall revert to that position on the Order Paper which it would have occupied if it had not been advanced as Government business. 74. To be amended as follows : Private Members' Motions and Bills shall take precedence of all Government Orders, and Orders in charge of Members of the Government, on Wednesdays throughout the session, unless otherwise ordered by resolution of the House. 75. To be amended as follows : For the first cis ten weeks of the Session there shall be no Questions on the Order Paper for Thursday, and Local Bills shall have precedence on that day until they are disposed of, after which for the first six weeks only private Members' Public Bills [shall be dealt with. At the expiration of gaek-eix ton wooks-Q=e¥ef»afteat-buoinoao ohall tako procodonoo lea-Thuredayo. six iveeks, if Local Bills are disposed of, Government business shall be dealt with. At the \zxpiration of ten weeks Government business shall take precedence on Thursdays.

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(Amendment to 75 not to come into operation until next Session.) 77. To be amended as follows : All dropped Orders of the Day are-te shall be set down is on the Order-feiSHak Paper after the Orders of the Day for the next day on which the House stall sit*. Standing Orders 382 and 383 to be transferred to page 18, after No. 77. 78. To be amended as follows : The House shall proceeds each day with business in the following order : 1. Private business ; 2. Public Petitions ; 3. Giving Notices of Motion and Notices of Questions ;4. Prooontation of Paporo Unopposed Motions for Beturns; 5. Motions for Leave of Absence; 6. TJnoppoaod Motiono for Boturno Leave to introduce Bills ; 7. Loavo to introduce Billo Presentation of Papers ; 8. Beports of Select Committees and resumption of debates on Beports on Bills by Select Committees interrupted by the adjournment of the House at half after five o'clock on the previous day ; 9. Questions; 10. Orders of the Day and Notices of Motion, in the order in which they are set down is on the Order Paper. 78a. New Standing Order: When the Government signifies that a Motion for a Beturn is unopposed, the Speaker shall put the Motion to the House, unless six Members stand up in their places to signify that it is opposed. 80. To be amended as follows: Except on Thursdays, of the first ten weeks of the Session, before the public business is entered upon, Questions are permitted to be put to Ministers of the Crown relating to public affairs, and to other Members relating to any Bill, Motion, or other public matter connected with the business of the House in which such Members may be concerned. (Amendment to 80 not to come into operation until next Session.) Standing Order 83 to be transferred to page 23, to precede No. 104. 83a. New Standing Order : Questions and Notiooo of Moties shall have priority on the Order Paper in order of date upon which the notice of such Question or Motion was given, and shall be answered and movod in such order ; and, ao rogarets-Quooties% shall be answered by the Minister to whom they are addressed, as grouped. (Not to apply to notices already given.) Struck out. 84. To be amended as follows : Every Member, in giving Notice of Motion or Question, is shall, at the time fixed under Standing Order 78, te deliver at the Table a copy of such Notice, fairly written, together with his name, and the day proposed for bringing on sues the Motion or Question, without reading it viva voce in the House, u?iless the consent of the Speaker has been previously obtained. 88. To be amended as follows : No Notice saay shall be given for any day beyond tho period whioh ohall inoludo tho four dayu-noxt following on whioh Notiooo aro ontitlod to prooodonco two weeks, dse allowanoo boing mado for any intorvonisg-ftdj-ournmont of tho House r -aad-feH3-period boing in that caoo oo far oxtondod ao to inoludo four Notioo dayo falling during the-sittisg of tho Houoo, 103. To be amended as follows, by adding at the end of the Standing Order : Struck out. No Member snail speak for more than half an hour at a tune in any Debate in the House, except in the Debate on the Address in Beply, or on the Financial Statement, or in a Debate on a Motion of "No Confidence," or in moving the second reading of a Bill, or on the Debate on the Appropriation Bill, when a Member shall be at liberty to speak for one hour. In Committee of the House no Member shall speak for more than tea five minutes at any one time, or more than four times on any one Question before the Committee, except in Committee of Supply, when a Member speaking to the first vote, or any amendment thereto, of the General, Public Works, or Supplementary Estimates shall be allowed four speeches of not more than ten minutes each: Provided that this rule shall not apply in Committee to a Member in charge of a Bill, or to a.Minister when delivering the Financial Statement in Committee of Supply, or, in regard to the number of his speeches, to a Minister in cliarge of a Class of the Estimates in Committee of Supply. Standing Order 83 to be transferred from page 23 to precede 104. Struck out 104. To be amended as follows : The Adjournment of the House may be moved at any time after the Questions are disposed of, whether by reply or by postponement, but the Debate on such Motion must be confined strictly to the Question of Adjournment, unless Seven Members rise in support thereof, and then any specific queotiono alludod-to in roplies-of Ministoro to Quootiono-on that day subject may be discussed, except the provisions of any Bill or Motion on the Order Paper. When the Adjournment of the House is moved upon a Question before the House, the Debate on the Adjournment must be confined to that Question or to reasons for or against the Adjournment. 106. To De amended as follows: No second Motion tor the Adjournment of the House shall be made on the same day, save by a Minister of the Crown, or by a Member supported by at least Nine other Members rising in their places in support of the Motion, and then the Debate shall be confined solely to the Question of Adjournment. Struck out. — 111 a. New Standing Order: Alter a Question has been proposed, either in the House or in Committee, a Member may move, without debate, " That the vote be now taken," and if ten or more Members (including the Mover) rise in support of such Motion, and Mr. Speaker or the Chairman of the whole House considers that the Motion is reasonable, it shall thereupon be put from the Chair, and if it is affirmed by two-thirds of the Members present, then the vote on the original Question shall be forthwith taken. 150 a. New Standing Order : Mr. Speaker or the Chairman of Committees may order a Member whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the House during the remainder of that day's sitting, and the Serjeant-at-Arms shall act on such orders as he may receive from the Chair in pursuance of this Standing Order. 152. To be amended as follows : If a Motion for the Adjournment of the Debate hew negatived, it <3aa may be moved again by anothor Mombof; at a later stage of the same Debate, provided nomo othor ■ motion ohall havo intervened ; by another Member supported by at least nine other Members, who signify their support by rising in their places ; but cannot it shall not be moved, or seconded, a second time by the-sa»e a Members who has previously proposed or seconded ftiest it.

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158. To be amended as follows : When an Amendment is moved, the Debate must be confined to the Amendment, unless it be of such a nature as to involve the consideration or decision of the Main Question (of whioh Mr. Spoakor io tho judge), in which case both the Main Question and the Amendment are open for discussion, but by buoli Momboro only ao to tho 159. To be amended as follows : No Member who has spoken to any Amendment which involves the consideration or decision of the Main Question eas shall subsequently speak to the Main Question, either as originally proposed or as amended. 162. To be amended as follows: A Member who has spoken to the Main Question, or to any Motion which involves the Main Question, siay shall not move or second an Amendment (except in Committee), the Adjournment of the House, the Adjournment of the Debate, the Previous Question, or a Motion to proceed to the Orders of the Day. or a partioular Ordef. He may speak to any such Motion (except the previous Question) when made by another Member, but must confine his remarks thereto, aud may not debate the Main Question thereupon. 189. Omit the following Standing Order : When such a Besolution has been agreed to, or an Order of the Day read for the House to resolve itself into Committee, Mr. Speaker puts a Question, " That I do now leave the Chair," which being agreed to, he leaves the Chair accordingly. 193 a. New Standing Order : As soon as may be convenient after the commencement of every Session, the House shall appoint a Panel of not more than three Members to act as temporary Chairmen of Committees, when requested by the Chairman of Committees. Struck out. 205 a. New Standing Order: A Member in charge of a Bill may, at any time after the Bill has been gone through in Committee, move that the Bill be reported, and such Bill shall be reported if the Motion is carried by a majority of three-fifths of those voting, provided that such Motion shall j not be again made until some other Motion shall have intervened. 271. Omit the following Standing Order as no longer acted on : It is the sole duty of the Managers of the one House to read and deliver to the Managers of the other House the Besolutions of the other House on Bills, with reasons for insisting upon Amendments or disagreements to Amendments, or otherwise. 272. To be amended as follows : After one or more Messages on any subject, a Fsee Conference thereon may be held, at which the difference between the two Houses may be discussed. Further Free Conferences may be held on the same subject, if desired by either House. 273. To be amended as follows: If a Free Conference is held, and no agreement come to, the Bill or Besolution which was the subject of such Conference shall be in possession of the House objecting to the Amendments, so that it may, if it think fit, accept the Bill or Besolution. 274. To be amended as follows : After a ¥me Conference the Managers shall bring up a Beport, which shall, on Motion without notice, be taken into consideration by the House either immediately or on a future day to be appointed for considering the same. 324. To be amended as follows : Private Bills shall be understood to be Bills which are promoted for the private interest of individuals, c? companies or their trustees, or of ecclesiastical or other bodies, corporate or unincorporate, and which, by their provisions, ifecctiy interfere with the private property of individuals, companies or their trustees, or of ecclesiastical or other bodies, corporate or unincorporate. and tho Private Billo Gesmittee-Bhealtl—givo a liboral intorprotation to tho Standing Ordoro in favour of Billo-of a publie-aateffe Amendment to 324 not to come into operation until the close of the present session. 327. To be amended as follows : A Bill is shall be presented by the Member, or one of the Members, ordered to prepare and bring in the same, and ouch Member io dooirod by Mr. Speaker to feriHg-it-apT 329 a. New Standing Order : At the commencement of every Session a Lands Committee, consisting of ten members, shall be appointed, to whom shall stand referred after their first reading all Bills affecting or in any way relating to the lands of the Crown, Educational or other public reserves; the.Committee shall have power to make such amendments therein as they think proper, and to report generally when necessary upon the principles and provisions of the Bill. 330. To be amended as follows: A Bill With the exception of ihe Bills referred to in Standing Orders 329 a and 391, a Bill feavisg-feeea when read a first time is shall be ordered to be read a second time on a future day. 336. To be amended as follows : When it is intended to refer a Bill to a Select Committee the second reading may be moved pro forma, and in such case there shall be no speech by the mover and no Debate ether than the-speeeh-ef-tho Mover, provided that notice of intention to move pro formd must be given either at the time of fixing the date for second reading or not less than two clear sitting-days before the date fixed for second reading, the sa.me to be notified on the Order Paper. 354. To be amended as follows : On a new clause being offorod moved in Committee, or on tho whoro apea it ie-te shall be read a first time without Question put. feat-ana-elauoo io to bo offofed-ea-eeasidepa-tiea-ef-Beport-without notice; 354 a. New Standing Order: Except in the case of new clauses moved by the Member in charge of the Bill, those appearing on the Order Paper shall have precedence over others. Struck out. 356 a. New Standing Order: A Bill may, on the motion of the Member m charge, and without debate, be committed " pro formd" for the purpose of incorporating amendments. Thereupon the amendments shall be made without debate, and the Bill shall be reported and ordered to be reprinted in the amended form and recommitted for a future day. 382. To be amended as follows : On days on which Private Members' business has precedence, Private Members' Bills standing for third reading shall take precedence of Bills for Beport, and Bills for Beport of Bills for Committee, m and Bills for Committee of Bills, for second reading. Standing Oruer 382 to be transferred to page 18, after No. 77. Struck out. 383. To be amended as follows : When Private Members' Public Bills become dropped Orders they are-te shall be set down upon the Order Paper after the Orders set down for the next day, and shall be arranged as follows, viz.: (1) Second readings of Bills pro forma; (2) Bills standing for report or third reading ; (i) (3) Bills for Committee or for further consideration in Committee ; (3) (4) ISecond readings. Standing Order 383 to be transferred to page 18, after No. 77.

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384. To be amended,as follows: "Bocal Bills are those which, not being Private Bills, affect a particular looalitieo locality only. 385. To be amended as follows: No Local Bill shall be read a second time unless notice shall have has been given of the said' Bill in the locality to which tho Bill it refers; such notice shall state explicitly the object which saiah the Bill is intended to effect, and shall have been published once at least in each of three successive- weeks, on the same day in each week, before the second reading, in a newspaper circulating in such locality. 386. To be amended as follows: At the time of the first publication of such notice a copy of the Bill shall be deposited in the Magistrate's Court of the district, and shall be open to public inspection for a period of three complete weeks ; and ouch Bill shall, at the expiration of tho proooribod such period for advoftioing, be forwarded to the Clerk of the House in which the Bill is to be introduced, indorood with a certificate fees* written on the face of the Bill by the Stipendiary Magistrate, or Clerk of the Magistrate's Court, that such Bill was so deposited and remained open for public inspection for the prescribed time. Each page of the Bill so deposited shall also be stamped with the Court seal and initialled by the Magistrate, or Clerk of the Court. 388. To omit the following Standing Order: When it is intended in such Bill to take power to deal with any lands, plans or surveys of such lands, on a scale of not less than two inches to a mile, and certified by an authorised surveyor, shall be deposited with the Bill. 388 a. New Standing Order : When it is intended in such Bill to take power to deal with any lands, the copy deposited as aforesaid shall be accompanied by plans or surveys of such lands drawn on the following scales, viz : Scale of not less than one inch to five chains if the lands to be dealt with are town or suburban lands ; not less than two.inches to a mile ii the lands to be dealt with are other than town or suburban and do not exceed an area of ten square miles ; and not less than one inch to a mile if the lands to be dealt with exceed an area of ten square miles. Such plans and surveys shall be certified by an authorised surveyor, and shall also be certified, stamped, find initialled by the Magistrate or Clerk of the Magistrate's Court in the same manner as the Bill to vhich they refer. 392. To be amended as follows : The Committee on Local Bills shall have power to confer with any Committee appointed for a similar object by the other branch of the Legislature, or to sit with any such Committee as a Joint Committee. 393. To be amended as follows : Local Bills reported on by the Local Bills Committee or Joint Local Bills Committee shall be set down for second reading on the following Thursday, on which day Orders relating to Private Members' Local Bills take precedence of all other business till disposed of. {See also Standing Order 75.) 394. To be amended as follows : In the event of a Local Bill introduced in any Session, and in regard to which the Local Bills Committee or Joint Local Bills Committee shall have reported that the Standing Orders have been complied with, failing to be finally dealt with during such Session, then such Bill may be reintroduced during the next succeeding Session, and the notices, advertisements, and deposits issued, published, and made in compliance with the Standing Orders relating to local Bills prior to or during the first-mentioned Session shall be as good and effectual in respect of such Bill as if they had been issued, published, and made immediately before or during such succeeding Session : Provided, however, that if it be intended to reintroduce such Bill during the next succeeding Session, a notice of such intention shall be advertised in not less than two issues of some newspaper published in the district within which such Bill is to have operation, or, if there be no such newspaper, then in some newspaper circulating therein. (The amendments in Standing Orders relative to Local Bills not to come into operation until the close of the present Session.) 399. To omit the following Standing Order: Accounts and other papers which are required to be laid before this House by any Act of Parliament, or by any Order of the House, may be deposited in the office of the Clerk of this House, and the same will be laid on the Table, and a list of such accounts and papers read by the Clerk. 403. To be amended as follows : Speeches addressed to the House by His Excellency the Governor, and Bills or clauses of.Bills introduced into the House specially affecting the Maoris, a*e shall be translated and printed in the Maori tongue for the information of Be? His Majesty's subjects of that race. 422. To be amended as follows : Whero When it has been proposed to omit or reduce items in a Vote, the Question shall be afterwards put upon the original Vote, or upon the reduced Vote, as the case may be. without Amondmeatr 432. To be amended as follows : Strangers may at any time, even during debate, be ordered to withdraw from the body of the House and tho whole ef all the galleries, on a motion without notice to that effect being put and carried ; but no Amendment or Debate shall be allowed on that Question ; and in his own discretion Mr. Speaker or the Chairman of Committees may at any time order strangers to withdraw. Transfer 57 and 58 from page 14, to follow No. 432. Private Bills. 2. To be amended as follows : Private Bills shall be understood to be Bills which are promoted for the private interest of individuals, or companies or their trustees, or of ecclesiastical or other bodies, corporate or unincorporate, and which, by their provisions, directly interfere with the private property of individuals, companies or their trustees, or of ecclesiastical or other bodies, corporate or unincorporate. (Amendment not to come into operation until close of present session.) , New Paragraphs added in Committee of the Whole. 80a. New 7 Standing Order : Ministers shall give written replies to all Questions on each Wednesday afternoon, and such written replies shall be accepted as dealing with the said Questions, and shall appear upon a separate and Supplementary Order Paper headed " Questions and Beplies," and such Questions and Beplies shall be printed in Hansard as under existing conditions. 415. To be amended as follows : Whenever the Committee of Supply stands as an Order of the Day for Ta«*day Friday Mr. Speaker shall leave the chair without putting any Question except on the first occasion of going into Committee of Supply after the Financial Statement. 95a. New Standing Order : When urgency in the public interest is claimed by the Government for any matter or proceeding, a Motion that urgency be accorded shall be moved by a Minister, and the Question shall be decided without Debate other than the speech of the Mover. Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,425 copies), .£2 7s. Gd.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9o3. Price 3d.]