APPENDIX A~
DIVISIONS: INSTRUCTIONS TO TELLERS~~
Within three minutes from the order "Clear the
Bar", two Tellers for the Contents and two for the Not-contents
must be appointed. Tellers must give their names to the Clerk
at the Table, and state whether they are telling for the Contents
or Not-contents and in return they receive a wand and a counter.
The Tellers take up their posts in the Lobbies and,
once they and two Clerks are in place, may start to count members
through the lobbies. The Tellers count the Lords as they pass
through, the first Lord counted being number 3, so as to include
automatically the two Tellers on each side.
After three minutes the Lord on the Woolsack or in
the Chair repeats the Question and, if one or more voices from
each side shouts "content" and "not content",
says, "The Contents will go to the right by the Throne,
the Not-contents to the left by the Bar".
If the Lord on the Woolsack or in the Chair does
not direct the Contents and Not-contents into the Lobbies, the
Division does not take place, regardless of whether or not the
Tellers have started to count members through the lobbies. The
Tellers should inform Lords waiting in the Lobbies accordingly
and return their wands to the Table.
Eight minutes after the Bar is ordered to be cleared,
the doors leading into the Chamber from outside are locked, and
only those already in the Chamber or in the Lobbies can from that
moment vote.
After eight minutes the Tellers must remain in the
Lobbies until they are satisfied that all Lords who wish to vote
in their Lobby have done so. The Tellers then walk the length
of the Lobbies and return to the Chamber by the door furthest
from their telling position in order to be able to collect last-minute
votes. They inform the Clerk at the Table of the numbers who have
voted in their Lobby. To this figure the Clerk adds any votes
taken in the House.
One of the Tellers for the majority then receives
from the Clerk a paper on which the numbers are recorded. The
teller hands this, with a bow, to the Lord on the Woolsack or
in the Chair, who announces the figures to the House. The Teller
waits by the Woolsack or the Chair until the result is announced.
When the result is announced, the Teller rejoins
the other three Tellers who meanwhile have remained at the Table.
All four then hand back their wands to the Clerk and disperse.
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