The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1886. Licensing Committees.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1266, 18 June 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1886. Licensing Committees.

The motion for the second reading of the Licensing Committees Flection Bill, introduced by Major Steward, was rejected by a considerable majority in the House of Representatives last evening. The Bill sought (1) to extend the franchise in connection with Licensing elections, to all persons, of either sox, of the full age of twenty-one years, who have resided for a period of not less than six months within a Licensing district, and (2) to enable members of Licensing Committees to hold office for three years. These provisions were approved of and supported by such prominent statesmen as the Premier and Major Atkinson, but the opposition of the smaller Iry, headed by Mr Fergus, the member for Wakatipu, was fatal to the passage of the measure, and the well considered deliberations of intelligent and philanthropic statesmen were again sacrificed to the nescience and prejudice of their pedantic associates. Our licensing laws deal with an essentially social question, and it would be only common fairness to give women an authoritative voice upon a matter in which they are so intimately concerned. Mr Seddon tells us that no good and sensible woman desires to have the franchise. But we are not prepared to I accept Mr Seddon as an infallible authority upon tho desires of good and sensible women, and even if his assertion were correct, we hold that women should be ready to sacrifice their inclination to their duty, and their duty in this case, clearly, is to assist in tho removal of a great social evil. The substitution of triennial for annual elections, would relievo the country of a very considerable expenditure, and would, in addition, ensure a more definitive policy on the part of Licensing Committees. We trust Major Steward will again introduce his Bill at the earliest possible moment, and in the meantime those favorable to its proposals should take steps to impress tho country and their members with a proper sense of its importance.