3448

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 115

39. At the first meeting of the Council, or so soon thereafter as may be, and thereafter from year to year, the Council shall elect two of the members of the Institute, being Fellows and residing in Wellington, and not being members of the Council, to be respectively the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, who shall be ex-officio members of the Council in addition to the number elected under Section 13 of the Act.

40. The Honorary Secretary shall be consulted by the Secretary on all matters concerning the management of the affairs of the Institute other than those of ordinary routine.

41. The Honorary Treasurer shall be consulted by the Secretary on all matters concerning the management of the financial affairs of the Institute other than those of ordinary routine.

42. The election of the Council shall be held annually in the month of November in each year.

43. The Council shall appoint a day for receiving nominations of candidates for the Council and a subsequent day for the holding of the said election. The day appointed for holding the election shall be not less than twenty days after the day appointed for receiving nominations. The Council shall, not less than ten days before the day appointed for receiving such nominations, cause to be posted to every member of the Institute at his registered postal address a list of all members of the Institute and of their registered postal addresses, together with a notice of the day appointed for receiving nominations for the said election.

44. Every such nomination shall be made in writing in the form prescribed in appendix “H” and shall be signed by the person nominated and by two other members of the Institute registered as resident in the district for which the nomination is made, and shall be delivered at the office of the Institute on or before the day so appointed.

45. After the day so appointed for the receipt of nominations and not less than ten days before the day appointed for the election, the Council shall post to each member of the Institute at his registered postal address a list of all persons so nominated to represent the district in which that member resides, together with a voting-paper, a statement as to the number of persons to be elected for the district, a notice stating the day appointed for the said election, and an envelope addressed to the Scrutineers; every voting-paper must be returned to and received at the office of the Institute enclosed in the said envelope on or before the last mentioned day.

46. Every member of the Institute shall be entitled to vote for the number of members to be elected to represent the district in which he resides, or for any less number.

47. Canvassing for election to any office either personally or by any other means shall not be allowed. The election of any member canvassing for election shall, upon due proof thereof to the satisfaction of the Council, be avoided by the Council and a casual vacancy shall be deemed to have occurred.

48. The announcement of the result of the election as reported to Council by the scrutineers shall be made known by the President (Chairman) of the Council at the conclusion of its annual meeting and shall take effect as from that time.

49. Such announcement by the President (Chairman) as recorded in the minutes of the meeting shall be conclusive proof that the election has been in all respects validly conducted, and that the persons so declared to be elected are the members of the Council.

50. If in respect of any district in which the number of persons nominated for election does not exceed the number to be elected, it shall not be necessary to send or return any voting-papers in respect of that district; and the Chairman shall announce at the meeting hereinbefore referred to, in the manner and with the effect aforesaid, that the persons so nominated for that district have been duly elected.

51. In any case in which two or more candidates receive the same number of votes, the Council shall determine by lot, in such manner as it thinks fit, which of those candidates is to be elected.

52. In the event of insufficient nominations for any district being made, the Council shall have power to fill vacancies thus occurring.

53. For the purpose of voting the procedure shall be as follows:—

(a) The Council shall from among members of the Institute, other than the candidates, appoint not exceeding four scrutineers, of whom not more than one shall be a member of the Council.

(b) Two scrutineers shall form a quorum, and the death of one or more of the scrutineers shall not affect the election.

(c) If by death or refusal or incapacity to act the number of the scrutineers be reduced below two, a member to supply such vacancy shall be forthwith appointed by the Council.

54. Each member who votes shall strike out from the voting-paper the name of any candidate against whom he desires to vote; shall leave uncancelled the name of the candidate for whom he desires to vote; and shall sign his name within the envelope, but not upon the voting-paper, and shall then return the voting-paper, sealed up and enclosed in the addressed envelope, and posted at least five days before the date fixed for the annual meeting, such voting-papers on receipt at the office of the Institute to be forthwith placed in a sealed ballot box, which shall be opened by the scrutineers alone.

55. Should any member leave uncancelled upon his voting-paper in respect of any office the names of more persons than there are vacancies to be filled, then his vote in respect of the election for such office shall be invalid.

56. As soon as the voting papers have been examined and the result of the election ascertained by the scrutineers, the voting papers shall be closed up under the seals of the scrutineers, and shall be retained by them for one month after the election, when they shall be destroyed by the scrutineers.

57. The scrutineers shall make and sign a report in which they will state the total number of voting-papers received, the number rejected and the grounds for rejection, the total number of votes in favour of each candidate and the names of those who are duly elected, and shall hand such report duly sealed to the Secretary not later than the day next before the date of the Annual Meeting of the Council, and they shall keep secret and inviolate all information relating to the ballot except as disclosed in such report.

58. The scrutineers’ report shall be conclusive as to the fact of the election notwithstanding any irregularity or nonconformity.

59. All officers and members of the Council appointed as hereinbefore provided shall remain in office from the date of their appointment until the close of the annual meeting following their election, or until such time as their successors have been elected.

60. At every meeting of the Council seven shall form a quorum, and no business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present.

61. If within half an hour after the time appointed for any meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place, and if at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present, then, notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this section, the members who are present shall be a quorum and may transact the business for which the meeting was called.

62. Subject to the provisions of the Act and of these regulations, the Council shall have the sole and entire management of the Institute and of the income and property thereof and may exercise on behalf of the Institute all the powers and functions thereof not required by the Act or these regulations to be exercised only by resolution of a general meeting.

63. The Council shall regulate its own proceedings by standing order or otherwise, as it may see fit, and any act or proceeding of the Council shall not be invalidated by any vacancy in the Council, provided always that the number of members of Council be not reduced below two-thirds of the full number herein provided.

64. The Council shall have power, by a vote of a majority of three-fourths of the members present at a meeting called to consider a motion to that effect, to call upon the subscribing members, pari passu, to contribute funds for the general purposes of the Institute, or any special object within the objects of the Institute, and each member shall pay every call so made to the persons and at the times and places appointed by the Council, but no member shall be called upon to pay more than five guineas over and above his annual subscription in any one year. A call shall be deemed to be made at the time when the resolution of the Council making the same was passed. Fourteen days’ notice shall be given to all members of each call so made.

65. If any member shall neglect for one month to pay any money other than his annual subscription that may in any manner be due from him to the Institute, the Council shall, by notice in writing, request him to make such payment. The notice shall appoint a place and day for payment, and a copy of this clause shall be subjoined thereto. If the requisition of such notice is not complied with for a period of two months after such notice, the Council may recover the same by process of law.

66. The Council shall have full power to purchase or rent and furnish suitable premises for the use of the Institute or any Branch.