There shall be appointed at the commonoe tntnt of every session a Grand Committee on Local Bills, consisting of not less than fifteen members, to which all Looal Bills shall stand referred after they have been read a first time. If the Standing Orders on Looal Bills have been complied with, the Committee shall report to the House on the merits of the Bill, and if in their opinion the Bill should be allowed to proceed, may make such amend merits (if necessary) as they may think desirable. Every member in charge of a Local Bill shall, ipso facto, be a membsr of the Committee while his Bill is under con- Bi deration, whether he be nominated for the Committee or not. The procedure in such Committee shall be the same as in a Select Committee, unless the House shall other wise order ; provided that strangers shall i>JB ; admitted except when the Committee shall order them to withdraw, and the said Committee shall not sit while the House is Bitting without the order of the House ; provided also that any notice of amendment to any clause in a Bill which <may be oommittedto the said Commfttee, given by any member in the House, shall stand referred to such Committee. The Grand Committee on local Bills shall have power to confer or sit as a Joint Com mittee witb any similar Committee appoin-. ted by the Legislative Council. J All Bills whibh have been committed to the Grand Committee on Local Bills, when rejjorted to the House, shall, if the Committee report that the Bill should be allowed to proceed, 1 be set down for second reading on a

- * Note.— Questions put to Ministers, and the replies thereto, will be inserted in Hansard,

future day. Looal Bills that have been read a second time shall be set down for third reading' on & future day, or the House may, if it sees fit, order the Bill to be committed to a committee of the whole House. 