13

H.—ll

Joint Addresses,

Legislative Council learns His Excellency's - pleasure.

i Form of presenting Joint Ad- i ■dress. *

•Governor's answer reported by Mr. Speaker.

Or by one of the Members who , presented the Address.

Time forpresenting Petitions.

Petition to be written, lithographed, or printed. Signatures to be written.

No erasure or interlineation in printed or lithographed Petition

How erasures or interlineations may be made in written Petition.

To be signed by at least one person on skin on which prayer is written.

To be in Eoglish or Maori.

To be signed by the parties.

288. Joint Addresses of both Houses are presented to the Governor by both Houses, or in such other manner as may be agreed upon. 289. The Legislative Council learns His Excellency's pleasure when he will receive a Joint Address, and communicates the same to the House of Representatives. 290. When a Joint Address is presented to the Governor by both Houses the Speaker and Members of the Council, and Mr. Speaker, with this House, proceeds to His Excellency's residence, and, being admitted to the Governor's presence, the Speaker of the Council (with Mr. Speaker on his left hand) reads the Address to the Governor. 291. The Governor's answer to any Address presented by the whole House is reported by Mr. Speaker. 292. The Governor's answer to any Address presented otherwise than by the whole House is reported to the House by one of the Members who presented the Address.

XXVII.— Public Petitions. 293. No Petition shall be presented during any Debate, nor after the House shall have proceeded to Motions or Orders of the Day, unless it be a Petition referring to the Question before the House, which may be received immediately upon the reading of the Order of the Day or Notice of Motion. 294. Every Petition is to be fairly written, lithographed, or printed. '295. Signatures to every printed or lithographed Petition are to be written or properly attested, as provided by Standing Order 300. 296. No printed or lithographed Petition will be received if it contains any erasure or interlineation. 297. Every erasure or interlineation in a written Petition must be signed or initialed at each end of such erasure or interlineation by the person or persons signing the Petition, and all such erasures or interlineations must be indorsed and duly signed and attested on the back of every such Petition by the petitioner or petitioners. 298. Every Petition is to be signed at least by one person on the skin or sheet on which the prayer of the Petition is written, printed, or lithographed. 299. Every Petition is to be written, printed, or lithographed in the English or Maori language; and every Maori Petition shall be translated by a Maori Translator appointed by the Speaker from time to time for that purpose before it shall be presented to the House. 300. Every Petition is to be signed by the persons whose names are appended thereto, except in the case of incapacity to write, and in such case the mark or assent of the petitioner or petitioners roust be witnessed or certified to by at least two persons, or by a Justice of the Peace or Postmaster. 4—H. 11.

301. The signatures are required to be written upon the Petition itself, and not pasted upon or otherwise transferred thereto. 302. Petitions of corporations aggregate are required to be under their common seal; or, in the case of bodies incorporated elsewhere than within the colony, then under the hand of duly-authorised attorneys of such corporations. 303. No letters, affidavits, or other documents may be attached to any Petition. 304. No reference may be made in a Petition to any Debate in Parliament, nor to any intended Motion, unless notice of such Motion shall have been duly given and printed in the Order Paper. 305. This House will not receive any Petition for compounding any sum of money owing to the Crown upon any branch of the revenue without a certificate from the proper officer or officers annexed to the said Petition stating the debt, what prosecutions have been made for the recovery of such debt, and setting forth how much the petitioner and his security are able to satisfy thereof. 306. It is highly unwarrantable, and a breach of the privileges of this House, for any person to set the name of any other person to any Petition to be presented to this House, except as provided in Standing Order 268. 307. Every Member presenting a Petition to the House is to affix his name at the beginning thereof. 308. Every Member presenting a Petition is to take care that the same is in conformity with the Rules and Orders of the House. 309. Every Petition is to be respectful, decorous, and temperate in its language. 310. Petitions can only be presented to the House by a Member. 311. A Member cannot present a Petition from himself. 312. Every Member offering to present a Petition to the House, not being a Petition for a Private Bill, or relating to a Private Bill before the House, is to confine himself to a statement of the parties from whom it comes, of the number of signatures attached to it, and of the material allegations contained in it. 313. Every such Petition, not containing matter in breach of the Privileges of this House, and which, according to the Rules or usual practice of this House can be received, is brought to the Table by the direction of the Speaker, who cannot allow any Debate or any Member to speak upon or in relation to such Petition ; but it may be read by the Clerk at the Table, if required. 314. In the case of such Petition complaining of some present personal grievance for which there maybe an urgent necessity for providing an immediate remedy, the matter contained in such Petition may be brought into discussion on the presentation thereof. 315. All other such Petitions, after they shall have been ordered to lie on the Table,

Signatures not to be transferred.

Common seals of corporations.

No letters, affidavits, &c, to be attached. Debates not to be referred to.

Petitions for compounding' debts to the Crown.

Forgery of signatures.

Members to affix their names.

Members to peruse Petitions.

Petitions to be respectful.

Petitions presented by Members. Petitions from Members.

Members confined to statements of certain facts.

Not to be debated.

Petitions complaining of grievances.

Petitions re* ferred to Petitions