PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 344, 4 November 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

On Friday afternoon, in anuwor to, questions, it was stated that telegrams \veio sent by the late Government "on 'electioneering subjects a3 public telegrams, ami if, on examination, Government , consideied it would not be prejudicial 'to the public service, copies thereof wotald be produced. Government concurred in.tho opinion oi' the late Government that'it wan inexpedient for the Agont-Gcneral to be a candidate for a seat in the British* Parliament. The .Agent-General ha& Jueen iequesfced to rctiie fioin the Directorship of the New Zealand Agiienltural Comp'anj', and he would be expected' to Comply with the request within a reasonable time. The amount of loss to the revenue during the last nine months on tea was £24,000, and on sugar, £GI,OQO. , -, , , Bills and , read, a first time ,' to • .recfpß-e the price charged for miuets , liih'ts iin'd Lin l eV claims'ai'bitration. The 'lion J. IlalT'tifoved'tlv> ccj'i-1 reading of the oi tin mi, 8.11.

■■ <*°id tlic I3i!J ~<■ i > t < 'cated and tna ]ant,ux.t,o cf ij-'ctt"!.' 1 t most obscure It proposed to iiwi l,, 1 powers of propei ty. The piopeitj n ' i.stl-

fication was such as to enable one man toexercise twenty votes provided he was tho owner of property valued at £25 in twenty different districts. It deprived Maoris of "their electoral rights; whereas by the Constitution Act it waa provided that Maoris and Europeans should be placed on an equal footing in that respect.. He would insist upon the manhood suffrage franchise. The Bill was not what the country expected, and he would do his best to amend it in committee.

Colonel Trimble pointed out that in the Representation Bill before the House the Returning Officer could prevent anyone recording more than one vote at a general election.

Mr Wakefield charged Sir G. Grey with having last session defeated an effort made to sscure manhood suffrage, and insisted that, ~§h.cmUi Jbaye. b i,ts. fair,representation. He denounced Sir G. Grey as practising cairt and humbug in the demand he now made to sweep away the property qualification. The lion [""VST.* Gjisbo rife denounced the proposals to take away the Maori franchise until they were in possession of full informfcficwi.'ae' to whtitwiys"jo tafce: its place. ire*Vobld not bfjp'ose , th- second reading-, but hoped to • ccb } We 'Bill considerably modified in Committee.

'Mr Reader jWobd advocated the principle of manhood suffrage. 'It was people and not property -they were returned by, consequently people should have a voice in their -The -residential clause was also reprobated. It ipade.-no provision for men who were compelled to reside away from home foi a few months, consequently these men were liable! to' lose their electoral He. would do away with the property qualification altogether, and the residential claim should be inodiGed. At the evening sitting, the • debate on the Bill was resumed. . Mr Tawhai warned the House of the tremble that 'would' probably arise if the Natives "were deprived of existing , electohd rights. ' <_ The Hon J. Hall, by way •of. explanation, stated that Government did not intend'to prevent persons having votes in more than one district if possessing qualification. The clause in the Regulation of Elections Bill apparently preventing the exercise of more than one vote was a mistafeV: ,-Tl - V ', \\ '. Messrs Dick, Saunders, 'Speight, Pitt, and Hutchison supported the principle of the Bill, but expressed an .intention of amending it in Committee. Mr Murray supported a female franchise- ; After a brief reply from thfe Hon John Hall the Qualification of Electors Bill was read a second time on the voices. The, Registration of Electors, Regulation of Elections, Corrupt Practices Prevention, Election Petitions, and Triennial Parliaments Bills" were also read a second. } time) with yei-y littlo discn&bion. Tber House rqse at 2.30.