27 vo, Molin that the Bill be read a #s7d time. Motion that it be passed. Passing of a Bill and sending of it to House of Lords. When the House of Lords has considered the Bill, if it makes no changes in it, nothing remains to be done but to obtain the Royal Assent, that is, the assent of the Queen. This is now-a-days never refused, and is, in fact, a purely formal proceeding. If the House of Lords makes any changes in the Bill, it must go down to the House of Commons again, and the House of Commons must either accept the Lords’ amendments or reject them. If it accept them, the Bill is ready for the Royal Assent. If it reject them, the Bill is lost unless the House of Lords can be induced to give up their amendments. In order to bring this about, two practices are resorted to—one, that of sending the Bill back to the Lords with the reasons for not accepting the amendments, This is the customary mode. The other practice (which is rare) is that of requesting a conference between the two Houses, that is, a meeting of certain members of both Houses for the purpose of ascertaining the points of difference between the Houses, and of thereby bringing the Houses into harmony. It is to be noticed that the House cannot begin business unless forty members are present. It proceeds whatever number of members are Present, unless a member « takes notice” that forty mem.