68

H.—22a

Majority of votes to decide any question.

Who may vote,

Disqualification of voters.

Adjourned elections.

Chairman

Vaoancies,

Hospitals and Charitable Institutes.

14

(2.) The persons to go out of office shall be those who have been the longest in office without re-election, or, where four or more have been in office for the same length of time, then those to go out of office shall be determined by lot. 56. (1.) Every question submitted to any meeting of contributors shall be decided by a majority of the votes of contributors then present. (2.) Every person who during the previous twelve months has contributed the sum of one pound or upwards shall have and may exercise at any meeting of contributors one vote and no more. (3.) No person shall be qualified to vote at any meeting of contributors unless he is of the age of eighteen years, and has been a contributor to the institution for the space of one month previous to the meeting ; but where a contributor has paid his subscription for the year immediately preceding the year in which any such meeting takes place, the payment of his subscription for the then current year at any time before such meeting sball entitle him to vote. 57. If at any first meeting or at any annual, or general meeting of contributors to any institution at least ten of the contributors qualified to vote do not assemble and proceed to business within one hour from the time fixed for the meeting, no election of Trustees shall be made, nor shall any business be done at that time ; but in such case there shall be another meeting of contributors at the same place and at the same hour of the same day in the following week, which, meeting shall be publicly notified, and at this lastmentiOned meeting four contributors qualified to vote shall constitute a meeting. 58. (1.) At the first meeting, and thereafter at every annual meeting of contributors, the contributors present shall, after electing Trustees as aforesaid, elect one of the Trustees to be Chairman of the institution for the ensuing twelve months. (2.) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Trustees and of the contributors at which he is present. (3.) If the Chairman is absent from any meeting, the contributors present in the case of a meeting of contributors, or the Trustees present in the case of a meeting of Trustees, shall elect some contributor or Trustee (as the case may be) to preside at that meeting, and the person so elected shall have the same power at that meeting as the Chairman would have had if he had been present. (4.) At every meeting, whether of Trustees or of contributors, the Chairman shall have a deliberative vote, and in case the votes are equal shall have a casting-vote also. (5.) If the Chairman resigns his office or dies, the remaining Trustees shall appoint one of their number to be Chairman until the next annual meeting of contributors. 59. (1.) If a Trustee dies, or resigns by writing under his hand addressed to the Secretary of the institution, or becomes bankrupt or of unsound mind, or is convicted of any offence punishable by imprisonment with hard labour for two years or upwards, or is absent without leave from four consecutive ordinary meetings of the Trustees, or holds any office or place of profit under or in the gift of the Trustees, or is concerned or participates (other than as a member