1.—7

1903. NEW ZEALAND.

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE).

Brought up in the House of Bepresentatives, 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, trie 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 time during the sitting of the House, at the request of Mr. Speaker, take the chair as Deputy Speaker 'without any formal commimication to the House. 53 and 54. Transfer to page 18, before Standing Order 78. £5. To be amended as follows : No Order of the Day or Notice of Motion shall be called on after 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 morning afternoon. 56. To be amended as follows : The House can only be adjourned by its own Resolution, except in the cases mentioned in Wea- Standing Orders 45, 48, a»4 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 «¥e-te shall be 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 Fridayo) 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 J3ills shall take precedence of all Government Orders, and Orders in charge of Members of the Government, on Wednesdays throughout the session, unless othenvise ordered by resolution of the House. 75. To be amended as follows : For the first six 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 private Members' Public Bills shall be dealt with. At the expiration of such sis ten weeks Government business shall takes precedence on Thursdays. (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 m on the Order-book Paper after the Orders of the Day for the next day on which the House shall sit*. Standing Orders 382 and 383 to be transferred to page 18, after No. 77.