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Digest of Ceetain Clauses of "The Patents Act, 1870:".
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1878. By Authority: George Didsbury, Government Printer., Wellington
Rules of the Port Nicholson Club.
I.
The Club shall be called The Port Nicholson Club.
II.
The Club shall be a Proprietary Club, and shall consist of the present members, together with all those who may be hereafter elected within the limit of two hundred members.
III.
The entrance fee shall be three pounds (£3), payable on election. The annual subscription shall be five pounds--payable three pounds on the 1st October in each year or day of election, and the balance of two pounds on the 1st April in each year. Any member joining between the 1st April and the 1st October shall pay the entrance fee, and only half the annual subscription. The total number of members shall not exceed two hundred, and after that number shall have been elected, candidates' names shall be submitted to the ballot, upon vacancies occurring, in the order of date of their having been proposed for election.
IV.
Members shall be elected by a general ballot. Each candidate for admission must be proposed by one member and seconded by another, in their own hand-writing, in a book kept for that purpose, and the names, occupation, or profession, and address of each candidate, with the names of the proposer and seconder, must be posted in one of the public rooms of the Club 14 days preceding the day of ballot, and be dated and signed by the Secretary.
V.
The ballot shall take place between 5 and 6 p.m., on any Monday, during which time the ballot shall be kept open in the presence of two members of Committee. No ballot shall be valid unless fifteen members actually vote. One black ball in five shall exclude. Proxies not allowed. No rejected candidate shall be re-proposed for election within the space of six months after rejection. No member whose subscription is in arrear for one month shall be entitled to vote.
VI.
On the election of each member, the Secretary shall notify the same to him, furnishing him at the same time with a copy of the Rules, and shall request him to remit the amount of his entrance fee and subscription; on payment of which he shall be enrolled in the books of the Club, and be entitled to its privileges, and
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also subject to its Rules. No newly-elected member shall be allowed to make use of the Club House until he has paid his entrance fee and subscription.
VII.
The Club shall be under the management of a Committee of nine, who shall have full power to direct and manage the affairs of the Club. All resolutions passed at Meetings of the Committee shall be conclusive and binding on all the members of the Club. The present members of Committee shall continue in office until the election by ballot of their successors. Special Meetings may be called on urgent occasions by the Secretary on the written requisition of three Members; twenty-four hours notice to be given to each Member. The Committee are to meet as often as they may think proper for the transaction of business; three to be a quorum. And in order to facilitate the working of the Committee, a record of attendance at the meetings, shall be kept by the Secretary, and such record shall be placed before the Club at the annual General Meeting. Any member of Committee absenting himself more than three consecutive times from the meetings, without permission from the Committee, shall cease to be a member of the same, and the Committee may elect a substitute for his unexpired term of office.
VIII.
There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Club on the first Monday in October, for the purpose
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of transacting the general business of the Club, electing office-bearers for the succeeding year, and receiving from the Committee a Report and abstract of the accounts of the Club for the past year.
IX.
The Committee may at any time call a Special General Meeting of the Club, on giving 14 days' notice, such notice specifying the object of the meeting, shall be posted in the Club-rooms, and sent to each member. At such Special Meeting no business shall be transacted other than that mentioned in the notice. The Committee shall also in like manner call a Special General Meeting, upon receiving the written requisition of not less than ten members of the Club.
X.
If any member fail to pay the annual subscription on the 1st October and 1st April in each year within one month thereafter, the Secretary shall report accordingly to the Committee, who shall cause the name of such defaulter to he erased from the List of Members. But the Committee shall have power to restore any member whose name shall have been so erased, if he can justify the delay to their satisfaction.
XI.
Any member intending to withdraw from the Club, shall signify his intention so to do to the
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Secretary, on or before the 1st October in each year, otherwise he shall be liable for the succeeding year's subscription.
XII.
Any member giving notice to the Committee of his intended absence from the Provincial District for the whole of a financial year, may have his name place on the Supernumerary List, paying one pound in lieu of subscription, and shall during his absence be exempt from the annual subscription. Any member returning to the Provincial District whilst his name is on the Supernumerary List shall be liable for the annual subscription, but should he return during the last half of the year, he shall pay one half of the subscription only.
XIII.
The Governor and staff, Officers of Her Majesty's Army and Navy and Colonial Forces on actual service may, during their stay in Wellington be admitted as honorary members, at the discretion of the Committee. Gentlemen newly arrived, or being visitors to Wellington or gentlemen residing beyond the provincial district of Wellington may be admitted by any two members of the Club, one being a member of Committee, as honorary members (the proposer to be responsible for visitor's conduct in the Club) for any period not exceeding one month, during which time they shall not be called upon for
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any subscription. And it shall be in the power of the Committee to permit such gentlemen to remain honorary members upon the payment of one pound subscription per month in advance.
XIV.
All complaints must be written in a book kept for that purpose, signed by the member complaining, which shall be laid before the Committee, and their decision shall be final.
XV.
Each member shall pay any expenses he may incur in the Club House at such time and in such manner as may be from time to time decided upon by the Committee, and in case of any default for the period of one month, the Committee shall have power to erase the name of such defaulter from the List of Members.
XVI.
All servants of the Club shall be under the control of the Committee. No member of the Club shall give any money or gratuity to any of the servants. All complaints against them must be made in writing to the Committee.
XVII.
Gambling shall not on any account be allowed in the Club. Any complaints thereof to be decided by
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the Committee, and no game which may he deemed by the Committee a gambling game shall be allowed in the Club.
XVIII.
Dogs shall not be allowed in the Club House.
XIX.
Any member breaking or injuring any article belonging to or in the use of the Club, shall pay the necessary cost of replacing such article.
XX.
No expelled or retiring member shall have any claim upon the Committee or the Club.
XXI.
No member shall, upon any pretense whatever, take or allow to he taken away from the Club, any book, newspaper, or other article, the property of, or in the use of the Club.
XXII.
No provisions, wines, or liquors shall be sent out of the Club House for the use of any member or any other person.
XXIII.
If any member shall become bankrupt or insolvent, or make any assignment for the benefit of, or composition with, his creditors, he shall ipso facto
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cease to be a member of the Club, and shall not be again admissible as a member until he has obtained his certificate or a release from his creditors, after which he may be re-elected in the ordinary manner; and, upon being so re-elected, shall be exempt from the payment of any entrance fee.
XXIV.
A copy of the Rules and Bye-Laws shall always be open to the inspection of members and honorary members.
XXV.
Any member or honorary member guilty of wilfully infringing the Rules or Bye-Laws, or of conducting himself in or out of the Club House in an improper manner, shall be liable to expulsion. The charge against the accused member must, in the first instance be submitted in writing to the Committee by a member, and a copy of such charge shall be forthwith transmitted to the member accused; and if upon due investigation they shall be of opinion that the circumstances require the notice of the Club, a Special General Meeting shall be convened by the Committee, and the member accused shall be informed of it. The opinion of such meeting, at which not less than twenty members must be present, shall be obtained by ballot, when, if two-thirds of the members voting at the meeting shall decide that the accused member has merited expulsion, he shall cease to be a member of the Club, and such resolution shall be notified to him forthwith by the Secretary.
XXVI.
At all General Meetings or Special General Meetings ten members shall form a quorum, but should there not be a quorum, the members present may at the expiration of one half hour from the time appointed for assembling adjourn the meeting.
XXVII.
All resolutions passed by a majority of those present at any meeting of the Club shall be conclusive and binding on all members of the Club, whether present at such meeting or not, provided that such meetings are held in conformity with the Rules.
XXVIII.
These Rules may be added to or amended at any General Meeting, if fourteen days' notice by circular to each member has previously been sent of the proposed addition or amendment.
XXIX.
The Committee shall have power to make Bye-Laws, which Bye-Laws shall have the same effect as the Rules relating to the management of the Club (provided they are not inconsistent therewith).
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Lyon and Blair,
Steam Printers,
Lambton Quay, Wellington,
N.Z.