tion of by the Parliament in this Behalf, the Provisions of the last foregoing Section of this Act shall extend and apply to the issuing and returning of a Writ in respect of such vacant District. As to Elec- 44. The House of Commons on its first Speaker of assembling after a general Election shall House of proceed with all practicable Speed to elect Commons. One of its members to be Speaker. As to filling up Vacancy in Office of 45. In case of a Vacancy happening in the Office of Speaker by Death, Resignation, or otherwise, the House of Commons shall Speaker. with all practicable Speed proceed to elect another of its Members to be Speaker. Speaker to preside. Provision in case of absence of Speaker. Quorum of Commons. 46. The Speaker shall preside at all Meetings of the House of Commons. 47. Until the Parliament of Canada otherwise provides, in case of the Absence for any Reason of the Speaker from the Chair of the House of Commons for a period of Forty-eight consecutive Hours, the House may elect another of its Members to act as Speaker, and the Member so elected shall during the Continuance of such Absence of the Speaker have and execute all the Powers, Privileges, and Duties of Speaker. 48. The Presence of at least Twenty Members of the House of Commons shall be necessary to constitute a Meeting of the House House for the Exercise of its Powers; and for that Purpose the Speaker shall be reckoned as a Member. Commons. 49. Questions arising in the House of Voting in Commons shall be decided by a Majority of House of Voices other than that of the Speaker, and when the Voices are equal, but not otherwise, the Speaker shall have a Vote. Commons. 50. Every House of Commons shall con- Duration tinue for Five Years from the Day of the of House of Return of the Writs for choosing the House (subject to be sooner dissolved by the Governor General), and no longer. ment of 51. On the Completion of the Census in Decennial the Year One thousand eight hundred and Re-adjustseventy-one, and of each subsequent decen- Represennial Census, the Representation of the Four tation. Provinces shall be readjusted by such Authority, in such Manner, and from such Time, as the Parliament of Canada from Time to Time provides, subject and according to the following Rules : (1.) Quebec shall have the fixed Number of Sixty-five Members: (2.) There shall be assigned to each of the other Provinces such a number of Number Increase of number of House of Number of the Population of Quebec (so ascertained): (3.) In the Computation of the Number of Members for a Province a fractional Part not exceeding One half of the whole Number requisite for entitling the Province to a Member shall be disregarded; but a fractional Part exceeding One Half of that number shall be equivalent to the whole Number: (4.) On any such Re-adjustment the Number of Members for a Province shall not be reduced unless the Poportion which the Number of the Population of the Province bore to the Number of the aggregate population of Canada at the then last preceding Re-adjustment of the Number of Members for the Province is ascertained at the then latest Census to be diminished by One Twentieth Part or upwards: (5.) Such Re-adjustment shall not take effect until the Termination of the then existing Parliament. 52. The Number of Members of the House of Commons may be from Time to Commons. Time increased by the Parliament of Canada, provided the proportionate Representation of the Provinces prescribed by this Act is not thereby disturbed. Money Money Votes; Royal Assent. ation and 53. Bills for appropriating any part of Appropri the Public Revenue, or for imposing any Tax Bills. Tax or Impost, shall originate in the House of Commons. of money 54. It shall not be lawful for the House Recomof Commons to adopt or pass any Vote, Re- mendation solution, Address, or Bill for the Appropria- votes. tion of any Part of the Public Revenue, or of any Tax or Impost, to any Purpose that has not been first recommended to that House by Message of the Governor-General in the Session in which such Vote, Resolution, Address, or Bill is proposed. sent to 55. Where a Bill passed by the Houses Royal Asof the Parliament is presented to the Gov- Bills, &c. ernor General for the Queen's Assent, he shall declare, according to his Discretion, but subject to the Provisions of this Act and to Her Majesty's Instructions, either that he assents thereto in the Queen's Name, or that he withholds the Queen's Assent, or that he reserves the Bill for the Signification of the Queen's Pleasure. Order in 56. Where the Governor General assents Disallowto a Bill in the Queen's Name, he shall by anee by the first convenient Opportunity send an Council of authentic Copy of the Act to One of Her Act assentMajesty's Principal Secretaries of State, and ed to by if the Queen in Council within Two Years General. after receipt thereof by the Secretary of State Governor Signification of Queen's pleasure served. State thinks fit to disallow the Act, such Disallowance (with a certificate of the Secretary of State of the Day on which the Act was received by him) being signified by the Governor General, by Speech or Message to each of the Houses of the Parliament or by Proclamation, shall annul the Act from and after the Day of such Signification. 57. A Bill reserved for the Signification of the Queen's Pleasure shall not have any Force unless and until within Two Years on Bill re- from the day on which it was presented to the Governor General for the Queen's Assent, the Governor General signifies, by Speech or Message to each of the Houses of the Parliament or by Proclamation, that it has received the Assent of the Queen in Council. Appointment of Lieut. An Entry of every such Speech, Message, or Proclamation shall be made in the Journal of each House, and a Duplicate thereof duly attested shall be delivered to the proper Officer to be kept among the Records of Canada. V. PROVINCIAL CONSTITUTIONS. Executive Power. 58. For each Province there shall be an Officer, styled the Lieutenant Governor, apGovernors pointed by the Governor General in Council of Pro- by Instrument under the Great Seal of vinces, Canada. |
