PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 53, 31 August 1893, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

WOMEN'S FRANCHISE CARRIED.

Legislative Council.

(per press association). Wklmngton, August 30. The House met at 7.30. The Electoral Bill was further considered in Committee. \ The Hon. Colonel Whitmore proposed ! an amendment with the object of providinpj that women shall not be allowed to exercise the franchise. The amendment was discussed for upwards of an hour, arguments being for the most part the same as those used by the various speakers during the debate on the second reading on the Bill. On a division, tbe amendment was rejected by 20 to 18, and the paragraph conferring the franchise on women was retained in the clause. The division list is as follows:— For Whittnore's amendment (18): — L. Walker, Richardson, Bonar, Kelly, Whitmore, Swainsan, Shrituski, Stevens, Kerr, Rigg, Wahawaha, W. C. Walker, Feldwick, Bowen, Grace, McLean, Mantell, Peacock. Against Whitmore's amendment (20): — Reynolds, Stewart, Barnicoat, McCollogh, Pharazyn, Williams, Bolt, Jennings, Jenkinson, Duignan, White, Oliver, Aclund, Oiuiond, Johnston, Pollen, Hurt, Holmes, Montgomery and Buckley. In Clause 0, " qualifications male or female." Mr McLean proposed an amendment by which leaseholders' qualification should be added. This was negatived by 17 to 14, and the clause was adopted. Progress was then reported and the Council rose at 9 25.

THE LICENSING BILL CARRIED. !

House of Bepuksent.vtives. The House met at 2.80. Replying to Mr \V. Hutchison, Mr Reeves said a Bill was being considered by the Cabinet to deal with the question of baby farming in the Colony, and if the llouso thought it a matter of urgency the measure might be passed this session. On the motion of the third reading of the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Bill, Mr Holies ton said the Bill had been carried through the House too hastily, and the new departure it made was a wrong road. He could not support the Bill, and instead of satisfying all parties as Government desired, it did not satisfy anybody. This Bill and the Female Franchise question had not had fair treatment from Parliament, and he would not be a party to bringing women into conflict with the united action which these two Bills would bring about. His vote would go in the direction of avoiding extremes on all occasions and he should vote against this Bill because it was crude and imperfect and would not settle the great question with which it proposed to deal. Sir Robert Stout said the temperance party did not ask Parliament for prohibition, they merely asked that this question should be sent to the people for their decision, and if the peoplp decided that licenses should continue, they must obey the voice of the people. The present Bill ment that a minority was to control the I liquor traffic and not a majority, and he submitted, therefore, it struck at the root of popular Government. He moved as an amendment that the Bill be read the third timo that da}' six months. Mr Geo. Hutchsson thought they would all agree that this Bill did not settle the temperance question. The greatest defect of all in the Bill was that it dealt only with the retail of spirituous liquors, and would not effect the rich men at all, as tney could order their two gallons at one time if they wished it. The Bill was only the partial treatment of the question and he would vote against the third reading. Mr Fergus would support Sir Robert Stout's amendment. Mr Fish would support the Bill as a reasonable compromise Mr Duthie did not consider prohibition possible in the present generation. He wus not at all satisfied with the Bill, but he would vote for the third reading as it contained the principle of local option, and it appeared to him that the cause of temperauce would, to a certain extent, be benetitted by the Bill. Mr Tanner complained of the faulty manner in which the present Act was administered. Mr E. M. Smith supported the Bill. He strongly condemned the action of prohibitionists, and said that if the government of the country fell into the hands of these men, much as he loved this colony, he would pack up his traps and leave it. Mr Willis thought it must be acknowledged that the Premier had accomplished a most difficult task in preparing such an acceptable measure as they now bad Deforo mew. Mr Bruce regarded the Bill as a moderate measure. Mr Saunders said the Bill violated some of the greatest principles ol self-govern-ment. Mr Reovea severely criticised the attitude of the opponents of the Blil. Mr Earnshaw regretted that this question would cause a division in the labor party for the first time in. the history of this Parliament. Mr O'Connor supported the third reading of the Bill, which he thought was a distinct advance on the present law. Mr Allen would vote against the third reading. Mr McLean warmly supported the Bill. Mr Harkness entered his protest against the third reading of the Bill. Sir Robert Stout's amendment was rejected by 85 to 13, and the third reading agreed to on the voices. The following is the division list : — * Ayes — Earnshaw, Hall-Jones, Joyce, Harkness, W. Hutchinaon, Lake, T. Mac kenzie, Meredith, Pinkerton, Rolleston, Saunders, Stout, and Wright. Noes— Blake, Bruce, Buckland, Cadman, Cairncross, Carroll, Dawson, Fish, Fraser, Guinness, Hogg, Houston, J. Kelly, W. Kelly, Lawry, Mackintosh, McGowan, McGuire, McLean, C. H. Mills, Mitchell, Palmer, Parata. Reeves, Sandford, Seddon, E. M. Smith, W. C. Smith, Swan, Tanner, Taylor. It. Thompson, T. Thompson, Valentine, Willis. Pairs for— Wilson, Rhodes, Newman, Buick, Moore, G. Hut'jheson, Fergusson, Ball. Against amendment — O'Connor, T. McKeuzie, J. McKenzie, Richardson, Duncan, Russell, Ward, Duthie, and Buchanan. On the motion that the Bill do pass, Sir Robert Stout replied to Mr Reeves' speech made earlier in the evening. He warned the Government that bv forcing their supporters to vote for this Bill they were probably endangering their seats, as they were turning the Temperance vote against them. Mr Rollestou also spoke, aud Mr Reeves replied to Sir Robert Stout. The Premier condemned Sir Robert Stout's attitude towards the Bill. It was provided in the Bill to provent & handful of electors in a district upsotting tho h'nancos of tho Local Bodies and disorganising tho revonue of the colony. Ho strongly justified tho club clause, and mud tho police hud recommended tho charters of some of these clubs being taken away, owing to tho loose way in which thoy are conducted. Tho Bill was then passed, aud the Ilouae rose at y a.m.