§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)I beg to move the following New Clause, which is merely a qualification of the present Act:—
Sub-sections (5) and (6), of section thirty, of the principal Act, are hereby repealed, and the following sub-sections substituted:—(5) No clerk nor collector shall be present at, or vote, or take any part in the proceedings of any meeting of the same;(6) At least one general meeting of the Society shall be held in every year to consider the annual return or balance sheet; any report of the Committee of management or managers; any amendment of the rules of the society, of which due notice has been given: to elect the office bearers; and transact such business as the rules may require or permit; such meeting shall be open to any adult member of the society, except those disqualified by sub-section (5), or where the rules determine that the members shall be represented by delegates.In sub-section (7) of section of the principal Act, at end, after the words 'carried on,' insert the words 'where the day, hour, or place of an annual or other periodical meeting is fixed by the rules, notice of the objects of the meeting, and of any proposed amendments to the rules, shall be published in any newspaper in general circulation in every county where the society carries on business, or delivered to the members by the collectors, at least fourteen days before the day appointed for such meeting. Where the members are represented by delegates at the annual or other periodical meetings, the notice shall be given at least one week before the meeting to elect delegates. Any adult member may give notice of motion or proposed amendment of the rules in writing, not less than fourteen days before the period fixed for giving notice of the meeting or its business.'Sub-section (8) of the same section, the words 'or annual return in the form prescribed by section 14,' shall be inserted after the words 'balance sheet,' and at end of sub-section, the words 'or the society may supply gratuitously every member or person interested with a balance sheet duly audited containing the same particulars and in the same form as to the receipts and expenditure funds and effects 204 of the society as arc contained in the annual return,' shall be inserted after the words ' on demand.'New Clause (Repeal of Sub-sections (5) and (6),—(Dr. Clark,) —brought up, read a first and second time, and added to the Bill.
§ Bill reported; as amended, to be considered To-morrow.