I.—7a

(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.