116 THE DOMINION PARLIAMENT. 
Senators. The mace is placed on the table and prayers are 
read. New members present their certificates of appoint- 
ment and take the oath of allegiance’. The House then 
adjourns until the hour when the Governor-General is to be 
present. 
At the appointed time the Governor-General takes his 
seat and the Speaker directs the Usher of the Black Rod to 
summon the Commons. The Commons attend with their 
Speaker and the Governor-General reads the Speech. 
COBRA After the Commons have returned to their chamber and 
Speech. the Governor-General has retired, a bill is introduced pro 
forma® and the Speaker reports the speech, which is then 
usually ordered to be taken into account on the following 
lay. All the members present are then appointed a com- 
mittee to consider the orders and customs of the House and 
privileges of Parliament. To this committee is referred every 
matter affecting the privileges of the House or of its members. 
The procedure followed on the consideration of the address 
was up to 1870 similar to that adopted in the Commons, 
but in that year the custom of moving the address directly 
without any previous resolution was introduced and has 
since been followed. The address being agreed to is ordered 
to be presented by those Senators who are Privy Councillors. 
4. QUORUM. 
By Sections 35 and 48 of the British North America 
Act, 1867, it is provided that at least 15 Senators and 
50 Members of the House of Commons, including the 
Speaker, are necessary to constitute a meeting of the 
Senate and of the House of Commons respectively. In the 
Senate if, 30 minutes after the Speaker takes the chair, 
there is not a quorum, he adjourns the House until the 
1 3. N. A. A. 1867, s. 128.