05-30-2004, 08:29 PM
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<center>First Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Kingdom of Hanover In the Reign of His Majesty King Alexander I</center></div>
<div style="text-align:center">Resolution 01
<em>Adopted May 6, 2003
Amended May 29, 2003
Amended October 18, 2003</em>
</div>
It was Resolved, by Messrs Beckford, Wyndham, and Evereste, Members of Parliament, that the following measure be adopted:
<div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:small;">The Parliamentary Standing Orders of the Kingdom of Hanover</span></div>
[list]
[*]<strong>Definitions & General Provisions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]The following definitions are to be applied throughout this document. For all other definitions the Oxford English Dictionary shall be considered the highest authority.<>
[list=a]
[*]A Session of Parliament is the six month period between Constitutionally prescribed elections, during which time Parliament sits to discuss its business. Parliament is considered to be “in session” between the opening Speech From the Throne and the King’s announcement of the Dissolution of Parliament.<>
[*]The House is an alternative way of describing Parliament in the Kingdom of Hanover.<>
[*]A Member is a subject of His Majesty the King of Hanover who has been elected to a seat in Parliament. <>
[*]The Speaker is the chairman of the House. His duties are to officially represent the House to other organs of Government and to the public, and to keep the House in order. The Speaker, or the Presiding Member, may sometimes be referred to as the Chair.<>
[*]The Father of the House is the Member who has been a citizen of the Kingdom for the longest length of time and who is also not a Minister of the Crown.<>
[*]Divisions of the House take place to ascertain the majority opinion on Parliamentary matters. After a Division the Speaker must announce the result to the House. Divisions always last for twenty four (24) hours or until all Members have voted, whichever is sooner, unless otherwise stated.<>
[*]A General Election is the Constitutionally prescribed election in which subjects are elected to serve in the next session of Parliament.<>
[st]
[*]Throughout this document, the male pronoun is considered to also include the female.<>
[st]
[list=I]
[*]<strong>The Speaker</strong><>
<ol>
[*]Before any motion is called at the start of a new Session of Parliament, a Speaker must be elected. <>
[list=a]
[*]Any Member may nominate another Member for the Speakership without a second. Members may decline a nomination. <>
[*]When nominations have been made the House will divide on the question of who shall be Speaker. Each Member may vote for one nominee. The nominee with the most votes becomes the Speaker and shall be addressed with due respect when Parliament is in session.<>
[*]In the event of a draw Parliament shall be asked to Divide a second time with only the tying nominees as options. Should the second division also result in a draw the nominee first nominated becomes the Speaker.<>
[*]During the election of the Speaker and at any time when the Speaker is unable to fulfill his duties (which shall be deemed to be the case if the Speaker fails to perform a duty for twenty four (24) hours from the time at which the duty could first have been performed), the Father of the House shall become the Presiding Member and shall take up the duties and powers of the Speaker.<>
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[*]The Speaker shall be the representative of the House to other organs of Government, and he must maintain order and discipline in the House in the following ways;<>
<ol type='a'>
[*]He may order a Member to withdraw an offensive remark and to apologise to the offended party.<>
[*]He must make rulings on points of order.<>
[*]He must preside over divisions of the House, and announce the results.
- with the use of the following powers;<>
[*]A Member who has failed to adhere to these Rules may be issued by the Speaker with a Warning.<>
[*]A Member who, having received a Warning in the same month again fails to adhere to these Rules may be suspended from the House by the Speaker for no more than twenty-four (24) hours.<>
[*]The Speaker may propose a motion to the House that a Member, who, having been suspended under paragraph (e) above, be suspended for a defined period of longer than twenty-four (24) hours. These motions shall be entitled Motion of Suspension and may be amended by other Members. A Motion of Suspension requires a two-thirds majority.<>
[*]The Speaker may propose a motion to the House that a Member, who, having been suspended under paragraph (e) above, be expelled permanently from the House. These motions shall be entitled Motion of Expulsion and may not be amended by other Members. A Motion of Expulsion requires unanimous favour by those Members present in the House. If a Motion of Expulsion passes a by-election must immediately take place for the vacated seat. A Member who has been expelled may never re-enter the House.<>
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[*]<strong>Membership and the Prime Minister</strong><>
<ol>
[*]The number of Members to be elected to Parliament shall be specified by His Majesty or His Majesty’s representative before a General Election. This number shall not change except at the next General Election.<>
[*]The Leader or official Prime Ministerial candidate of the political party which holds the greatest number of seats in Parliament, or which holds the greatest number of seats within a coalition which together holds the greatest number of seats becomes Prime Minister. In the event of a tie, or lack of a Prime Ministerial candidate, the whole Parliament should elect the Prime Minister using the method detailed in Section I.1 of these Rules. The Prime Minister may appoint a Deputy Prime Minister to fulfill his duties if he is unable to do so.<>
[*]On the first Monday of each month, except in April and October, the Speaker of Parliament shall ask the Members to confirm their attendance. Parliament may not make legally binding resolutions until three fifths of the membership, which constitutes a quorum, respond in the affirmative.<>
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[*]<strong>The Progress of Bills</strong><>
<ol>[list=a]
[*]Any member may submit proposals to the speaker at any time whilst Parliament is sitting. The member may make any such remarks as he wishes to accompany the proposal, but the text of the Proposal must be clearly identified and separated from extraneous text.<>
[*]Proposals must be examined by the Speaker and edited where necessary so that they will comply with these Rules. The draft of a Bill must be approved by the Member who proposed the Bill before it is put to the House. <>
[*]Proposals must then be published by the Speaker in separate threads (titled with the short name of the proposal) to Parliament’s forum, and if practical, to an official Government website. The proposal shall then be considered to have entered the first reading. Explanatory Notes may be published alongside the proposal, but must be separate from the official text.<>
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[*]Once put to the house the Proposal shall be open to debate by any member at any time until the matter is completed, either by withdrawal, ratification or defeat in a vote. At any time during the First Reading, except while a vote is taking place on that matter, the member who put the Proposal to Parliament may alter or remove any part of it, or add to it in any way, so long as he does not change its basic meaning and intent.<>
[*]On the first Saturday after it is proposed, the Speaker shall put the Proposal to a vote. Each member may vote for one of the following:<>
[list=a]
[*]To defer action and continue to debate the Proposal, in which case no action shall be taken. The Proposal shall be put to the same voting process described in Section 4, the following Saturday.<>
[*]To approve the Proposal at first reading, in which case it will enter a Second Reading.<>
[*]To decline the Proposal, in which case the Proposal will be no longer under debate.<>
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[*]During a Second Reading, any member may propose an Amendment to the Proposal. This may delete certain text, add certain text, or alter any text of the Proposal, or any combination of those. <>
[*]On the first Saturday after the Proposal has entered a Second Reading, the Speaker shall put the Proposal and Amendments to a vote. Each member may vote either in favour or against each of the Amendments. When all Amendments have been voted upon, or if there are no Amendments, each member may vote for one of the following:<>
[list=a]
[*]To defer action and continue to debate the Proposal and Amendments, in which case no action shall be taken. The Proposal and Amendments shall be put to the same voting process described in Section 5, the following Saturday.<>
[*]To approve the Proposal, at which point it will be considered ratified by Parliament. If it is a Resolution, the Speaker shall make it public. If it is a Bill, the Speaker shall forward it to the monarch for Royal Assent.<>
[*]To decline the Proposal, in which case the Proposal will be no longer under debate.<>
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[*]<strong>Resolutions</strong><>
[list]
[*]
Any Member may propose a Resolution to the House. Resolutions must be published in a separate thread (entitled “First Reading: Resolution on [topic]”). The Resolution then proceeds in the same way a Bill, except that it does not require Royal Assent, and it does not become an Act of Parliament.<>
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[*]<strong>Proposals Before the House</strong><>
[list=a]
[*]The Speaker shall maintain a list of proposals to be put before the House. The Speaker is obliged to add to the list in chronological order, according to the date on which it was received, any proposal given to him by a Member.<>
[*]The House shall deal with no more than three Bills and three Resolutions at one time. The Speaker shall place proposals before the House as necessary so that the maximum amount is being dealt with at any time.<>
[*]The Prime Minister is entitled to ask that any one of the three Bills and any one of the three Resolutions be a Bill or Resolution of his choosing. The Speaker must accede to this request.<>
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[*]<strong>Incidental Motions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]If a Member believes there has been a breach of these Rules or other rules and laws of the kingdom during Parliamentary proceedings, he may move a Point of Order by posting to the thread where the breach is made. This motion interrupts other proceedings on that matter. The Member must quote directly the passage he believes to be in breach of the Rules and give reasons for that belief. The Speaker must then make a ruling on the legality of the passage in question, and if necessary ask the Member against whom the motion was brought to withdraw the passage.<>
[*]If for any reason a Member feels it would be necessary to suspend these Rules, he may put a Motion to Suspend the Rules, which must be posted in a new thread (entitled “Motion to Suspend Rules”) with the question “That the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure be suspended to allow…” This motion must be seconded by another Member within twenty four (24) hours of being put. If the motion is seconded, the Speaker must ask the House to Divide on the question. The motion needs a two-thirds majority of ayes to pass. If the motion is not seconded, the motion fails. After a motion to suspend the Rules has passed, it cannot take effect until all business currently underway is completed.<>
[*]If a Member wishes to withdraw or modify a motion he has put or Bill he has proposed he must request the permission of the Speaker to do so, by posting to the thread in question. This motion interrupts other proceedings on that matter. Other Members have twelve (12) hours to raise an objection. If no objection is raised the withdrawal or modification may be made. If there is an objection the Speaker must ask the House to Divide on the question. The motion needs a simple majority of ayes to pass. Bills may not be withdrawn or modified, except by amendment, after the First Reading stage.<>
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[*]<strong>Subsidiary Motions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]Any Member may put the motion that activity on a Bill or Resolution be postponed for a defined period of time of a maximum of two months or indefinitely, by posting to the relevant thread the motion “That this [Bill/Resolution] be suspended [for “amount of time”/indefinitely] because…” This motion may not interrupt amendments of Incidental Motions, but is dealt with afterwards. A suspension of a defined period of time of no more than two months requires a two-thirds majority of ayes to pass. An indefinite suspension requires a unanimous aye vote to pass.<>
[*]Any Member may put the motion that a Bill or Resolution be referred to a committee or other organ of Government for study, by posting to the relevant thread “That this [Bill/Resolution] be referred to [the body] because…” If necessary, this motion may also contain provisions for setting up the committee to which the matter is referred. This motion may not interrupt amendments of Incidental Motions, but is dealt with afterwards. A referral motion requires a two-thirds majority to pass.<>
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[*]<strong>Questions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]Question Time occurs on each Wednesday where Parliament is in session. Questions may be put to the Prime Minister under a new thread each week (entitled “Questions: Wednesday [Date]”). The Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown must answer any questions that are relevant to the work of his Government and of Parliament. Questions may be referred to the Speaker if the Prime Minister or Minister believes they are inappropriate or phrased in an offensive manner. The Speaker must make a ruling on the matter.<>
[*]Government Ministers may be called upon to speak in Parliament on Bills or Resolutions currently under consideration by the House. Any Member may put a motion to question a Minister or to invite a Minister to speak, by posting to the relevant thread. This motion interrupts other proceedings on that matter. If the motion is seconded within twelve (12) hours and receives no objections during that time, no Division is required. If there is an objection, or no second, then the House must Divide on the question. The Prime Minister may invite Ministers to make a report to Parliament once per month.<>
[*]At no other time may anyone who is not a Member of Parliament address the House.<>
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[*]<strong>Fast-Track</strong><>
<ol>
[*]If the Speaker believes that a Resolution, for example one that is no more than normal Parliamentary procedure, is not controversial and does not require debate, he may ask the House to Divide immediately. If an objection is raised by a Member of the House, the normal procedure for a Resolution must be followed.<>
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[*]<strong>Nominations subject to Approval</strong>
<ol>
[*]Where the constitution provides that the Crown must make an appointment or perform some action subject to the approval of Parliament, he may convey his appointment or action to the Speaker. The Speaker shall put a resolution before Parliament asking for its approval.<>
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[*]<strong>Parliamentary Standing Orders</strong><>
<ol>
[*]This document may be taken up by Parliament as its Standing Orders, governing procedure within the House, by a simple majority of ayes.<>
[list=a]
[*]The Standing Orders may be amended by a Resolution requiring a two-thirds majority of ayes on the final Division.<>
[*]Additional Standing Orders that do not conflict with these orders may be adopted by a Resolution requiring a simple majority of ayes.<>
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[*]
[list=a]
[*]When taken up by Parliament according to paragraph (1) above this document shall be called "The Parliamentary Standing Orders of the Kingdom of Hanover".<>
[*]Each section of this document, beginning with a Roman Numeral, constitutes one Standing Order.<>
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[st]
[*]<strong>Forum Conduct</strong><>
<ol>
[*]Only members of parliament shall have unrevokable authority to post in the forum.<>
[list=a]
[*]All non-members may view the posts.<>
[*]Posts by non-members shall be immediately removed by any authorized forum maintenance agent.<>
[st]
[*]The speaker of the house may authorize outside agents to post in the forum for purposes of conducting parliamentary business.<>
[list=a]
[*]The speaker of the house shall name the specific person, or otherwise identify the person by ezBoard ID.<>
[*]The speaker of the house shall name the scope of the posts to which the outside agent shall be confined>
[*]Such authorization expires upon completion of the identified task.<>
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<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><em>Example Bill (NB: Italics are notes, not part of the text of the Bill)</em>
<div style="text-align:center"><strong>A Bill</strong>
to prohibit the consumption, manufacture, sale, transport and distribution of alcohol within the realms and dominions of His Majesty the King.
<em>"A Bill... the King", including the text in between, is the full long title of the Bill - this must be put in the proposal to put a new Bill on the Agenda, as per the proposed Standing Orders. This effectively replaces the "purpose of the Act" clause seen on some Bills.
However, on Bills where the purpose is complex, an additional "Purpose of the Act" clause may be added, which always comes first. Also, it may sometimes be necessary to add a "General Principles" clause which lists the general principles by which the Act must be interpretted. This clause must come second.</em></div>
Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the elected representatives of His Majesty's subjects, in this <em>number of Parliament, e.g. first</em> Parliament here assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:- <em>This enacting clause is basically taken from that used by the UK Parliament.</em>
[list=I]
<strong>
[*]Offences Directly Related to the Consumption, Manufacture, Sale, Transport and Distribution of Alcohol<></strong>
<em>In a Bill, this is the title of a clause, which in an Act is called a section. The word "section" or clause should not be added - the use of a Roman Numeral and short title indicates the nature of the text.</em>
<ol>
[*]A person is guilty of an offence if he willingly consumes any amount of alcohol, except:-<>
[list=a]
[*]Where the alcohol is part of a medication prescribed by a registered health practitioner.<>
<em>This numbering method is used in the Constitution, and consistency is desired between it and Acts of Parliament. Beneath (a), (b), etc. is also (i), (ii), etc. The Standing Orders provide for the Speaker to edit Bills that are presented to him so that they conform with this numbering system.</em>
[st]
[*]A person is guilty of an offence if he willingly takes part in the manufacture of alcohol, or allows the use of his property to another for the purposes of manufacturing alcohol.<>
<em>Etc.</em>
[st]
<li number=4>Short Title and Commencement<>
<em>This is not necessarily section four, but it is always the last section of the Bill/Act.</em>
<ol>
[*]This Act may be cited as the Alcohol Prohibition Act 2003.
<em>The short title should tend to include the subject of the Act, i.e. alcohol, the action performed by the act, i.e. prohibition, and the year in which it is passed, i.e. 2003 - NB: NOT the year in which it is proposed.</em><>
[*]This Act shall come into force upon receiving Royal Assent.
<em>A specific date may be set (although Royal Assent must be received before the set date), or it may be provided that the Act shall come into force "on such day as the Prime Minister/a Minister of the Crown may appoint."</em><hr></blockquote><>
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<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><strong>Suggested Basic Protocol</strong>
<ol>
[*]All comments within the House should be addressed through the Chair. For instance, when making a point a Member might say, "Mr Speaker, I believe that..." or when commenting on another Member's speech he might say "Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman doesn't seem to get the point..."<>
[*]Fellow Members should be reffered to as either "the honourable (or hon.) gentleman" or, in the case of Members from the same Party, "my honourable friend" unless some other title takes precedence. Members who are Lords (Dukes) should be addressed as "the noble Lord", Princes, as usual, "His Royal Highness".<>
[*]The Prime Minister and any Minister of the Crown within the House should be addressed as "the right honourable (or rt. hon.) gentleman", and in the case of the first reference in a particular debate this should be extended to "the right honourable gentleman, the Prime Minister" (or "Minister for..." where appropriate).<>
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<center>First Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Kingdom of Hanover In the Reign of His Majesty King Alexander I</center></div>
<div style="text-align:center">Resolution 01
<em>Adopted May 6, 2003
Amended May 29, 2003
Amended October 18, 2003</em>
</div>
It was Resolved, by Messrs Beckford, Wyndham, and Evereste, Members of Parliament, that the following measure be adopted:
<div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:small;">The Parliamentary Standing Orders of the Kingdom of Hanover</span></div>
[list]
[*]<strong>Definitions & General Provisions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]The following definitions are to be applied throughout this document. For all other definitions the Oxford English Dictionary shall be considered the highest authority.<>
[list=a]
[*]A Session of Parliament is the six month period between Constitutionally prescribed elections, during which time Parliament sits to discuss its business. Parliament is considered to be “in session” between the opening Speech From the Throne and the King’s announcement of the Dissolution of Parliament.<>
[*]The House is an alternative way of describing Parliament in the Kingdom of Hanover.<>
[*]A Member is a subject of His Majesty the King of Hanover who has been elected to a seat in Parliament. <>
[*]The Speaker is the chairman of the House. His duties are to officially represent the House to other organs of Government and to the public, and to keep the House in order. The Speaker, or the Presiding Member, may sometimes be referred to as the Chair.<>
[*]The Father of the House is the Member who has been a citizen of the Kingdom for the longest length of time and who is also not a Minister of the Crown.<>
[*]Divisions of the House take place to ascertain the majority opinion on Parliamentary matters. After a Division the Speaker must announce the result to the House. Divisions always last for twenty four (24) hours or until all Members have voted, whichever is sooner, unless otherwise stated.<>
[*]A General Election is the Constitutionally prescribed election in which subjects are elected to serve in the next session of Parliament.<>
[st]
[*]Throughout this document, the male pronoun is considered to also include the female.<>
[st]
[list=I]
[*]<strong>The Speaker</strong><>
<ol>
[*]Before any motion is called at the start of a new Session of Parliament, a Speaker must be elected. <>
[list=a]
[*]Any Member may nominate another Member for the Speakership without a second. Members may decline a nomination. <>
[*]When nominations have been made the House will divide on the question of who shall be Speaker. Each Member may vote for one nominee. The nominee with the most votes becomes the Speaker and shall be addressed with due respect when Parliament is in session.<>
[*]In the event of a draw Parliament shall be asked to Divide a second time with only the tying nominees as options. Should the second division also result in a draw the nominee first nominated becomes the Speaker.<>
[*]During the election of the Speaker and at any time when the Speaker is unable to fulfill his duties (which shall be deemed to be the case if the Speaker fails to perform a duty for twenty four (24) hours from the time at which the duty could first have been performed), the Father of the House shall become the Presiding Member and shall take up the duties and powers of the Speaker.<>
[st]
[*]The Speaker shall be the representative of the House to other organs of Government, and he must maintain order and discipline in the House in the following ways;<>
<ol type='a'>
[*]He may order a Member to withdraw an offensive remark and to apologise to the offended party.<>
[*]He must make rulings on points of order.<>
[*]He must preside over divisions of the House, and announce the results.
- with the use of the following powers;<>
[*]A Member who has failed to adhere to these Rules may be issued by the Speaker with a Warning.<>
[*]A Member who, having received a Warning in the same month again fails to adhere to these Rules may be suspended from the House by the Speaker for no more than twenty-four (24) hours.<>
[*]The Speaker may propose a motion to the House that a Member, who, having been suspended under paragraph (e) above, be suspended for a defined period of longer than twenty-four (24) hours. These motions shall be entitled Motion of Suspension and may be amended by other Members. A Motion of Suspension requires a two-thirds majority.<>
[*]The Speaker may propose a motion to the House that a Member, who, having been suspended under paragraph (e) above, be expelled permanently from the House. These motions shall be entitled Motion of Expulsion and may not be amended by other Members. A Motion of Expulsion requires unanimous favour by those Members present in the House. If a Motion of Expulsion passes a by-election must immediately take place for the vacated seat. A Member who has been expelled may never re-enter the House.<>
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[st]
[*]<strong>Membership and the Prime Minister</strong><>
<ol>
[*]The number of Members to be elected to Parliament shall be specified by His Majesty or His Majesty’s representative before a General Election. This number shall not change except at the next General Election.<>
[*]The Leader or official Prime Ministerial candidate of the political party which holds the greatest number of seats in Parliament, or which holds the greatest number of seats within a coalition which together holds the greatest number of seats becomes Prime Minister. In the event of a tie, or lack of a Prime Ministerial candidate, the whole Parliament should elect the Prime Minister using the method detailed in Section I.1 of these Rules. The Prime Minister may appoint a Deputy Prime Minister to fulfill his duties if he is unable to do so.<>
[*]On the first Monday of each month, except in April and October, the Speaker of Parliament shall ask the Members to confirm their attendance. Parliament may not make legally binding resolutions until three fifths of the membership, which constitutes a quorum, respond in the affirmative.<>
[st]
[*]<strong>The Progress of Bills</strong><>
<ol>[list=a]
[*]Any member may submit proposals to the speaker at any time whilst Parliament is sitting. The member may make any such remarks as he wishes to accompany the proposal, but the text of the Proposal must be clearly identified and separated from extraneous text.<>
[*]Proposals must be examined by the Speaker and edited where necessary so that they will comply with these Rules. The draft of a Bill must be approved by the Member who proposed the Bill before it is put to the House. <>
[*]Proposals must then be published by the Speaker in separate threads (titled with the short name of the proposal) to Parliament’s forum, and if practical, to an official Government website. The proposal shall then be considered to have entered the first reading. Explanatory Notes may be published alongside the proposal, but must be separate from the official text.<>
[st]
[*]Once put to the house the Proposal shall be open to debate by any member at any time until the matter is completed, either by withdrawal, ratification or defeat in a vote. At any time during the First Reading, except while a vote is taking place on that matter, the member who put the Proposal to Parliament may alter or remove any part of it, or add to it in any way, so long as he does not change its basic meaning and intent.<>
[*]On the first Saturday after it is proposed, the Speaker shall put the Proposal to a vote. Each member may vote for one of the following:<>
[list=a]
[*]To defer action and continue to debate the Proposal, in which case no action shall be taken. The Proposal shall be put to the same voting process described in Section 4, the following Saturday.<>
[*]To approve the Proposal at first reading, in which case it will enter a Second Reading.<>
[*]To decline the Proposal, in which case the Proposal will be no longer under debate.<>
[st]
[*]During a Second Reading, any member may propose an Amendment to the Proposal. This may delete certain text, add certain text, or alter any text of the Proposal, or any combination of those. <>
[*]On the first Saturday after the Proposal has entered a Second Reading, the Speaker shall put the Proposal and Amendments to a vote. Each member may vote either in favour or against each of the Amendments. When all Amendments have been voted upon, or if there are no Amendments, each member may vote for one of the following:<>
[list=a]
[*]To defer action and continue to debate the Proposal and Amendments, in which case no action shall be taken. The Proposal and Amendments shall be put to the same voting process described in Section 5, the following Saturday.<>
[*]To approve the Proposal, at which point it will be considered ratified by Parliament. If it is a Resolution, the Speaker shall make it public. If it is a Bill, the Speaker shall forward it to the monarch for Royal Assent.<>
[*]To decline the Proposal, in which case the Proposal will be no longer under debate.<>
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[*]<strong>Resolutions</strong><>
[list]
[*]
Any Member may propose a Resolution to the House. Resolutions must be published in a separate thread (entitled “First Reading: Resolution on [topic]”). The Resolution then proceeds in the same way a Bill, except that it does not require Royal Assent, and it does not become an Act of Parliament.<>
[st]
[*]<strong>Proposals Before the House</strong><>
[list=a]
[*]The Speaker shall maintain a list of proposals to be put before the House. The Speaker is obliged to add to the list in chronological order, according to the date on which it was received, any proposal given to him by a Member.<>
[*]The House shall deal with no more than three Bills and three Resolutions at one time. The Speaker shall place proposals before the House as necessary so that the maximum amount is being dealt with at any time.<>
[*]The Prime Minister is entitled to ask that any one of the three Bills and any one of the three Resolutions be a Bill or Resolution of his choosing. The Speaker must accede to this request.<>
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[*]<strong>Incidental Motions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]If a Member believes there has been a breach of these Rules or other rules and laws of the kingdom during Parliamentary proceedings, he may move a Point of Order by posting to the thread where the breach is made. This motion interrupts other proceedings on that matter. The Member must quote directly the passage he believes to be in breach of the Rules and give reasons for that belief. The Speaker must then make a ruling on the legality of the passage in question, and if necessary ask the Member against whom the motion was brought to withdraw the passage.<>
[*]If for any reason a Member feels it would be necessary to suspend these Rules, he may put a Motion to Suspend the Rules, which must be posted in a new thread (entitled “Motion to Suspend Rules”) with the question “That the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure be suspended to allow…” This motion must be seconded by another Member within twenty four (24) hours of being put. If the motion is seconded, the Speaker must ask the House to Divide on the question. The motion needs a two-thirds majority of ayes to pass. If the motion is not seconded, the motion fails. After a motion to suspend the Rules has passed, it cannot take effect until all business currently underway is completed.<>
[*]If a Member wishes to withdraw or modify a motion he has put or Bill he has proposed he must request the permission of the Speaker to do so, by posting to the thread in question. This motion interrupts other proceedings on that matter. Other Members have twelve (12) hours to raise an objection. If no objection is raised the withdrawal or modification may be made. If there is an objection the Speaker must ask the House to Divide on the question. The motion needs a simple majority of ayes to pass. Bills may not be withdrawn or modified, except by amendment, after the First Reading stage.<>
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[*]<strong>Subsidiary Motions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]Any Member may put the motion that activity on a Bill or Resolution be postponed for a defined period of time of a maximum of two months or indefinitely, by posting to the relevant thread the motion “That this [Bill/Resolution] be suspended [for “amount of time”/indefinitely] because…” This motion may not interrupt amendments of Incidental Motions, but is dealt with afterwards. A suspension of a defined period of time of no more than two months requires a two-thirds majority of ayes to pass. An indefinite suspension requires a unanimous aye vote to pass.<>
[*]Any Member may put the motion that a Bill or Resolution be referred to a committee or other organ of Government for study, by posting to the relevant thread “That this [Bill/Resolution] be referred to [the body] because…” If necessary, this motion may also contain provisions for setting up the committee to which the matter is referred. This motion may not interrupt amendments of Incidental Motions, but is dealt with afterwards. A referral motion requires a two-thirds majority to pass.<>
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[*]<strong>Questions</strong><>
<ol>
[*]Question Time occurs on each Wednesday where Parliament is in session. Questions may be put to the Prime Minister under a new thread each week (entitled “Questions: Wednesday [Date]”). The Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown must answer any questions that are relevant to the work of his Government and of Parliament. Questions may be referred to the Speaker if the Prime Minister or Minister believes they are inappropriate or phrased in an offensive manner. The Speaker must make a ruling on the matter.<>
[*]Government Ministers may be called upon to speak in Parliament on Bills or Resolutions currently under consideration by the House. Any Member may put a motion to question a Minister or to invite a Minister to speak, by posting to the relevant thread. This motion interrupts other proceedings on that matter. If the motion is seconded within twelve (12) hours and receives no objections during that time, no Division is required. If there is an objection, or no second, then the House must Divide on the question. The Prime Minister may invite Ministers to make a report to Parliament once per month.<>
[*]At no other time may anyone who is not a Member of Parliament address the House.<>
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[*]<strong>Fast-Track</strong><>
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[*]If the Speaker believes that a Resolution, for example one that is no more than normal Parliamentary procedure, is not controversial and does not require debate, he may ask the House to Divide immediately. If an objection is raised by a Member of the House, the normal procedure for a Resolution must be followed.<>
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[*]<strong>Nominations subject to Approval</strong>
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[*]Where the constitution provides that the Crown must make an appointment or perform some action subject to the approval of Parliament, he may convey his appointment or action to the Speaker. The Speaker shall put a resolution before Parliament asking for its approval.<>
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[*]<strong>Parliamentary Standing Orders</strong><>
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[*]This document may be taken up by Parliament as its Standing Orders, governing procedure within the House, by a simple majority of ayes.<>
[list=a]
[*]The Standing Orders may be amended by a Resolution requiring a two-thirds majority of ayes on the final Division.<>
[*]Additional Standing Orders that do not conflict with these orders may be adopted by a Resolution requiring a simple majority of ayes.<>
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[*]
[list=a]
[*]When taken up by Parliament according to paragraph (1) above this document shall be called "The Parliamentary Standing Orders of the Kingdom of Hanover".<>
[*]Each section of this document, beginning with a Roman Numeral, constitutes one Standing Order.<>
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[*]<strong>Forum Conduct</strong><>
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[*]Only members of parliament shall have unrevokable authority to post in the forum.<>
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[*]All non-members may view the posts.<>
[*]Posts by non-members shall be immediately removed by any authorized forum maintenance agent.<>
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[*]The speaker of the house may authorize outside agents to post in the forum for purposes of conducting parliamentary business.<>
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[*]The speaker of the house shall name the specific person, or otherwise identify the person by ezBoard ID.<>
[*]The speaker of the house shall name the scope of the posts to which the outside agent shall be confined>
[*]Such authorization expires upon completion of the identified task.<>
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<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><em>Example Bill (NB: Italics are notes, not part of the text of the Bill)</em>
<div style="text-align:center"><strong>A Bill</strong>
to prohibit the consumption, manufacture, sale, transport and distribution of alcohol within the realms and dominions of His Majesty the King.
<em>"A Bill... the King", including the text in between, is the full long title of the Bill - this must be put in the proposal to put a new Bill on the Agenda, as per the proposed Standing Orders. This effectively replaces the "purpose of the Act" clause seen on some Bills.
However, on Bills where the purpose is complex, an additional "Purpose of the Act" clause may be added, which always comes first. Also, it may sometimes be necessary to add a "General Principles" clause which lists the general principles by which the Act must be interpretted. This clause must come second.</em></div>
Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the elected representatives of His Majesty's subjects, in this <em>number of Parliament, e.g. first</em> Parliament here assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:- <em>This enacting clause is basically taken from that used by the UK Parliament.</em>
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<strong>
[*]Offences Directly Related to the Consumption, Manufacture, Sale, Transport and Distribution of Alcohol<></strong>
<em>In a Bill, this is the title of a clause, which in an Act is called a section. The word "section" or clause should not be added - the use of a Roman Numeral and short title indicates the nature of the text.</em>
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[*]A person is guilty of an offence if he willingly consumes any amount of alcohol, except:-<>
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[*]Where the alcohol is part of a medication prescribed by a registered health practitioner.<>
<em>This numbering method is used in the Constitution, and consistency is desired between it and Acts of Parliament. Beneath (a), (b), etc. is also (i), (ii), etc. The Standing Orders provide for the Speaker to edit Bills that are presented to him so that they conform with this numbering system.</em>
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[*]A person is guilty of an offence if he willingly takes part in the manufacture of alcohol, or allows the use of his property to another for the purposes of manufacturing alcohol.<>
<em>Etc.</em>
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<li number=4>Short Title and Commencement<>
<em>This is not necessarily section four, but it is always the last section of the Bill/Act.</em>
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[*]This Act may be cited as the Alcohol Prohibition Act 2003.
<em>The short title should tend to include the subject of the Act, i.e. alcohol, the action performed by the act, i.e. prohibition, and the year in which it is passed, i.e. 2003 - NB: NOT the year in which it is proposed.</em><>
[*]This Act shall come into force upon receiving Royal Assent.
<em>A specific date may be set (although Royal Assent must be received before the set date), or it may be provided that the Act shall come into force "on such day as the Prime Minister/a Minister of the Crown may appoint."</em><hr></blockquote><>
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<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><strong>Suggested Basic Protocol</strong>
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[*]All comments within the House should be addressed through the Chair. For instance, when making a point a Member might say, "Mr Speaker, I believe that..." or when commenting on another Member's speech he might say "Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman doesn't seem to get the point..."<>
[*]Fellow Members should be reffered to as either "the honourable (or hon.) gentleman" or, in the case of Members from the same Party, "my honourable friend" unless some other title takes precedence. Members who are Lords (Dukes) should be addressed as "the noble Lord", Princes, as usual, "His Royal Highness".<>
[*]The Prime Minister and any Minister of the Crown within the House should be addressed as "the right honourable (or rt. hon.) gentleman", and in the case of the first reference in a particular debate this should be extended to "the right honourable gentleman, the Prime Minister" (or "Minister for..." where appropriate).<>
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