of disqualification and excuse, already mentioned, and also of the time and place, when and where the general committee will meet on the following day: the notice of the time and place of such meeting is also published with the Votes. (Sect. 65).

Excuse on part of Member chosen.] The general committee meet at the time and place appointed, and if any member so chosen, shall prove to the satisfaction of at least four members of the general committee, then present that for any of the reasons before mentioned, he is disqualified, or excused from serving, or if he can shew any special circumstances affecting, not his own convenience, but the impartial character of the tribunal, then the committee proceed to choose a new committee to try the petition, in like manner as if that member had been objected to by one of the parties (a). If within a quarter of an hour after the time mentioned in the notice, no member shall so appear or if appearing he fail in proving his disqualification, or excuse, the select committee shall be taken to be appointed. (Sect. 66).

Names reported to the House.] At the meeting of the House for the dispatch of business, next after any such select committee shall have been appointed, the general committee report to the House, the names of

(a) There is no provision in the act directing the attendance of parties when a member claims exemption from serving before the general committee. If the general committee, therefore, proceed at once to nominate a fresh committee, it would appear that this might be done in the absence of the parties, and though the same members were nominated, with the exception of the one claiming disqualification, the member substituted in his place might be liable to objection.

the select committee appointed, and annex to such report all petitions referred to them by the House, which relate to the return or election, to try the merits of which, such select committee has been appointed, and also all lists of voters (a) which have been delivered to them by either party; such report is to be published with the Votes.

Committee sworn.] At, or before four o'clock, of the day on which the House meets for business, next after such report from the general committee, the five members chosen are to attend in their places, and are sworn before departing the House by the clerk at the table.

"Well and truly to try the matter of the petitions referred to them, and a true judgment to give according to the evidence."

They are then to be taken to be a select committee, legally appointed, to try and determine the merits of the return, or election so referred to them, and the legality of such appointment is not to be called in question on any ground whatever (b). The members so chosen, must not depart the House until the time for the meeting of such committee has been fixed by the House. (Sect. 68).

Members not attending to be Sworn.] If any mem ber shall not attend in his place, within one hour after four o'clock on the day appointed for swearing the committee, or if after attending, he departs the House before the committee is sworn; unless the committee

(a) As to the delivery of lists of voters, see (b)" Practice," post.

"Practice."

be discharged, or the swearing of the committee be adjourned as after mentioned, he is to be ordered to be taken into the custody of the Serjeant-at-Arms, for such neglect of duty, to be otherwise punished or censured at the discretion of the House; unless it shall appear to the House, by facts specially stated and verified upon oath, that such member was prevented from attending by sudden accident or necessity. (Sect. 69.)

If any such absent member shall not be brought into the House, within three hours after four o'clock, on the day first appointed for swearing the committee, (if the House sit so long, or if not, within the like time on the following day), and if no sufficient cause is shewn to the House before its rising, whereon the House shall dispense with the attendance of such absent member, the swearing of the committee is to be adjourned to the next meeting of the House, and all the members of the committee are bound to attend in their places, for the purpose of being sworn at the next meeting of the House, in like manner as on the day first appointed for that purpose. (Sect. 70.)

But if on the day to which the swearing of the committee shall be adjourned, all the members of the committee shall not attend and be sworn within one hour after four o'clock; or if on the day first appointed for swearing the committee, sufficient cause be shewn to the House before its rising, why the attendance of any member should be dispensed with, the committee is to be taken to be discharged; and the general committee shall meet on the following day, or if the House be adjourned to a later period, then on the day to which the House shall stand adjourned, and shall proceed to

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choose a new committee, from the panel on service for the time being. Notice of such meeting of the general committee is to be published with the Votes. (Sect. 71).

Meeting of Select Committee.] When the select committee has been sworn, all petitions and lists annexed to the report of the general committee are referred by the House to them; and the House fixes a time for their meeting, which must be within twenty-four hours of their being sworn unless Sunday, Christmas Day, or Good Friday intervenes. (Sect. 72).

At the time appointed, the select committee must meet, to try the merits of the petition referred to them, and must sit from day to day (Sunday, Christmas Day, and Good Friday only excepted). (Sect. 73).

No member of the select committee may absent himself without the previous leave of the House, or an excuse allowed by the House, at its next sitting, for the cause of sickness verified by the oath of his medical attendant, or for other special cause shewn and verified upon oath. When a member has been thus excused he is discharged from further attending, and cannot afterwards sit or vote on that committee. (Sect. 75).

All the Members must be present.] The committee is never to sit until all the members (not being excused) are present. In case all the members do not meet within one hour after the time appointed for the first meeting of the committee, or within one hour after the time to which the committee is adjourned, a further adjournment is to be made and the chairman is to report the circumstances to the House. (Sect. 75).

The member so reported absent will be directed to attend the House at its next meeting, and will then be ordered into the custody of the Serjeant-at-Arms,

to be punished, or censured in the discretion of the House; unless it shall appear to the House, by facts, specially stated and verified upon oath, that such member was prevented from attending the select committee by a sudden accident or necessity. (Sect. 76).

Adjournment of Committee.] The committee must meet daily, and cannot adjourn for a longer time than twenty-four hours without leave first obtained (a) from the House, upon motion with special cause assigned; if Sunday, Christmas Day, or Good Friday intervene the committee may adjourn over those days in addition to the twenty-four hours (b).

(a) When a committee adjourns to a period within the twenty-four hours, and then obtains leave of the House to adjourn for a longer period, when that leave has been granted they must meet at the time to which they originally adjourned, in order then to adjourn for the time allowed by the House. In a recent case, the committee, on a Monday, informed the parties that they should apply to the House for leave to adjourn until eleven o'clock on the following Thursday. They then adjourned until the next day (Tuesday), at eleven o'clock, in case the House did not give them power to adjourn till Thursday. The House gave the committee power to adjourn, and the committee omitted to meet on the Tuesday in order formally to adjourn, thinking that the leave given by the House operated as an adjournment. The following entry was made in the Minutes:"The House having given the committee power to adjourn, the committee stands adjourned until Thursday." The irregularity was not known to the parties at the time. Some days afterwards the counsel for the sitting member were about to object to any further proceedings on the part of the committee, on account of the flaw in the proceedings, but the point was not discussed, for upon the application of the counsel for the petitioners for further time to procure the attendance of witnesses, the committee refused to grant it, and reported the sitting member duly elected. St. Alban's Printed Minutes, 10th April, 1851.

(b) For cases when adjournments are usually allowed. See "Practice."

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