WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 11

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

BILL PASSES UPPEg HOUSE

"IDLE THREATS"

A SUGGESTION- REPUDIATED

Tho third reading of the Womeu's. Parliamentary 'Rights Bill was moved > by Sir Francis Bell in tho Legislative Council yesterday, and was carried. Sir Francis Bell observed that since the Bill had been amended so as to conifer upon women the.right to sit in the -House, of Representatives only, there was no interference with the privileges of the Council. "For tho reasons that I submitted when moving the committal!," he continued, "I venture to urge upon honourable gentlemen that the question is one which'is so .largely and essentially a .matter for another place that this Council should concur in the' Bill, as it now stands, whatever may bo the private opinion of mcin'bers on the question of the sitting of women in Parliament. But, Sir, I did not deny, and I do not deny now, the absolute right of the Council to intervene and refuse any legislation submitted to it. It has been said, Sir (and I nm not referring to speeches m another place) that this Council, if it •does not do what it is told,would need to have some regard .to its own existence. -We might just as well say that fo.tho House of Representatives. There is no 'power under the Constitution Act to amend the special clauso which consti-. tutes tho Parliament of New Zealand as consisting of His Excellency, the Legislative Council, and the House of' Representatives. That is the one clause which is excepted from the ,power of amendment by the Constitution Act itself, and it u idle for anyone to ■offer-to this Council a threat or intimidation of any kind. We are in an absolutely impregnable position unless the Imperial Parlia- , ment chooses to amend the Constitution Act. Let that bo very clearly under-. Uood, Sir, and do not let it be thought for a moment that there is a member of the Council who would aKow kis.yoto on a question.of this kind to be infill--enced by any such nonsense. . . . I shall never offer to the Council the insult of such- a suggestion. . . , We do not presumo to dictate to tho other place, nor shall the other place ever presume to dictate to us." „. .

The Hon. J..T. Paul: This country, Sir, is very much mora interested in the legislation which emanates from the Parliamentary machine -than it is in any abet ract question of privilege as it affects cither or both Houses of Parliament.-. . . The present difficulty might possibly have been obviated if the previous decisions of this Council had been taken into consideration by the Council on this question of the right of women to sit,in this Council. 'Wo have.said, Sir, as. definitely as a lw!t can say, that so soon as the -House of Representatives admits women by right of election, so soon shall this Council admit womon by right of election or by nomination as members of this Council. In the Legislative Council Act, 1014, section 18 (sub-cJause .2* provides: "When and so soon as women are eligible'for election as members of tho House., they shall also be eligible for nomination and election as-members of the Council, and also to ba chosen as members under section 20 hereof." Leaving aside for the moment any question ,of "privilege, might the other place not have thought there could be no harm in putting the decision of the Council definitely in a Bill and sending the Bill on to tho Council? That is exactly what has been done. The Council has created a position which might wreck this Bill though 'apparently both Houses are very ' anxious'- twit women should have the right to sit in both Houses. ... I think the Government .must immediately introduce a' Bill into this Council for the purpose of giving the absolute right to women to sit in the Council. ..... ■ The Hon. W. Earnshaw contended that there was no general demand from the electors for the Bill, and in his opinion there was no need for the Bill. He. intended to cast his ,vote against it. The Hon. To Hcu . Hen. Tiikino said that the' Native,race ...would hot agree, to-n-'wbma.n-of.it.tfepresentinguifc.in'Par-liament ; 'That-.was'against .the' customs, of the Maori people. He.asked, whether the Native-women could not be! excluded from the scope of tho Bill. , . Sir Francis Bell, in replying, made some observations upon Mr. Paul's references to the Legislative Council Act, 1014. It had been provided thnt that Act should come into force "by Proclamation, but still not "commence" its operation until not less, than one year: after tho date of the Proclamation. Though the Act was on the Statute Book, it was not law until its commencement. It provided that members of the Council should after its commencement be elected and not appointed. Mr. Paul had mistaken the effect of the word "nomination" in the section he (Mr. Paul) had quoted; he had taken the word to be the equivalent of "appointment." . It was clear, however, that when the Act commenced there would no longer be appointment but election of members, and that after the ordinary process of uomination (as candidates). .. Mr. Tukino's suggestion that the ■women of his race should be excluded from tho right it was proposed to confer upon the white women, concluded Sir Francis Belli, could not be agreed to. He had not tame even to consider the proposed amendment. • The Division. ' Tho third reading was carried by 19 votes to 3. Ayes—Bell, Buchanan, Hardy, -Paul, Jones, Fleming, Pntuki, Alison, Geddis, Hawke, HalMones, Gar:Jnnd, Fishei, Stewart, I.ouisson. MacGregor. Simpson. Sinclair, Samuel. Noes—Earnshaw, MacGibbou, Tukino. The Bill was passed.