GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1400, 10 August 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[PEE PEEBB AGENCY.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, August 9. The Trades Union Bill was read a second time, and referred to a Select Committee. The Reprinting Statutes Bill, dealt with first in the Lower House, was read a first time. _ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, August 9. The House met at 2 30. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. Mr Woodcock gave notice to move that Government should introduce a Bill, dealing with payment of members. PENSIONS BILL. Sir G. Grey gave notice that on Tuesday night the House would resolve itself into a Committee of the whole to consider the Pensions Bill. HONORARIUM. Mr Sheehan laid on the table a return relating to members who had not drawn the full honorarium. INSPECTION OP MINES. Mr Reeves asked if the Government intended to appoint an Inspector of Mines for Nelson south-west gold fields. No fewer than seventy-five accidents happened in one year, some of them fatal, and many of the victims were maimed for life. It was urgent, therefore, that an inspector of mines should be appointed without delay in order to lessen such sad occurrences as he referred to. Mr Sioux said it opened up a very large

question. If an inspector were'appointed for one place they would bo wanted all over, and tho matter would require serious consideration. CHINESE IMMIGRATION. Mr Reeves asked if the Government intended to introduce a Bill this session to restrict immigration of Chinese. Mr Stout said that at present the Government had not the power without applying to the Homo Government, to restrict Chinese immigration. So far, however, tho subject had not attained tho magnitude it had done in California. When the question really became of importance it would be time to deal with it. INTERRUPTION OF PRISON LABOUR. Mr Bowen asked why prison work in the gaols at Lyttelton and Addington had been repeatedly stopped for want of material during the past year, and whether the delays would be prevented. Mr Sheehan said they intended to place the authorities in a position to prosecute the work in a satisfactory way. HOKITIKA ELECTORAL ROLL. Mr George asked if the Government would place on the supplementary estimates a sum for payment to R. C. Reid and Riley, of Hokitika, for printing the electoral rolls for 1875 and 1876. Mr Ballancb said tho Government intended to do so. PARCEL POST. Mr Russell asked whether any steps had been taken to introduce a system of parcel post between this colony and England, such as existed between India and England. Mr Fisher said the matter had not been lost sight of, and such a service would be established in a few days. JACKSON’S BAT SETTLEMENT, In reply to Mr Barlf, the Government promised a return showing in detail how the funds expended in connection with Jackson’s Bay Settlement had been spent, with the names of those who received the money. KAHAMEA SETTLEMENT. In reply to Mr Barff, Mr Stout said that, instead of Government owing any money to T. J. Jones of Karamea, it was he who was indebted to the Government. Mr Barff announced that he would take such steps as would ensure tho matter being debated. fraudulent debtors’ bill. While the House was in committee on the Fraudulent Debtors’ Bill several members complained that it was perfectly impossible to know what to do when not more than onethird of the members in the House could hear what was said at tire table. Mr Macfarlanb tried to introduce a clause authorising twelve months’ imprisonment for any trader who had not kept his books properly. This led to considerable discussion. Mr Stout introduced an amended danse, which provided that the Court might suspend a bankrupt’s certificate on finding that he had not kept his books and accounts in a proper manner. This being accepted by Mr Macfarlane, was agreed to by the House, and added to the Bill, after which progress was reported. BILLS ADVANCED. The Civil Service Act Amendment Bill was committed, but the proceedings were interrupted by 5.30. The following Bills were read a second time: —lnterpretation Bill, Cruelty to Animals Bill. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7 30. CIVIL SERVICE BILL. In committee on the Civil Service Act Amendment Bill, Sir W. Fitzherbeet made a strong appeal to the committee on behalf of the provincial officers taken over by the General Government upon tho changes rendered necessary by abolition. Ministers had promised upon the floor of the House in unmistakeable terms that these officers would bo dealt with in a liberal and generous manner, and that the promise ought to be fulfilled. They should be placed on the same footing as those who had been in the service of the General Government only. Mr Stout said the Government were not prepared to deal with that question at present, but a future opportunity would be offered of discussing the whole matter. Progress was reported, in order to enable certain amendments to be introduced, when the Bill was again committed. ELECTORAL BILL, Mr Stout moved the second reading of the Electoral Bill. He said it was necessarily a consolidatory measure, and brought into a focus tho electoral legislation of the colony by repealing a number of Acts dealing with the various descriptions of franchise. He proceeded to explain the provisions of the Bill in detail. At present there was only one roll made up in the year, and they intended to improve the present law by causing two rolls to bo made up. Tho present system of ballot was preserved, but an important alteration was made in regard to the mode of nomination, lb was also proposed to prohibit the use of carriages and cabs, and close the public houses, because it was but proper that on an election day, above all others, men should not have their brains muddled with drink. The question of bribery he would not refer to then. It would be time enough to speak of that when tho Bribery Bill came on. As to redistribution of scats,' the Government were of opinion if they brought in a measure dealing with that question at once, it must load to a dissolution, and the elections would have to be conducted by means of the present system. Ho did not think it would be wise to deal hurriedly with so important a question. From information obtained from the Registrar-General, ho felt certain that two-thirds of tho people of the colony were not on tho present roll, but could be placed upon the roll, which was part of tho present Bill. It was time that legislation should bo introduced to prevent a minority of the people of the colony legislating for the whole of the colony. He found that there were numbers of people who ought to have a vote, who were without any, and were practically an outcast class in the colony. Ho failed altogether to understand tho force of the expression, “ a stake in the colony,” used by those in favor of restricting the franchise. If a man earned only his living in the colony, though he was without land or household property, he had a stake in the colony, because its prosperity would be his prosperity. Why should olerks, assistants in shops, settlers’ sons, and other unrepresented classes be unrepresented ? Had they not as much intelligence as those who were allowed votes ? Why had they elections at all if it was not to test public opinion ? But that could not fairly or properly be done while there was such a large proportion of the population excluded from the franchise. They often heard a great deal about Hare’s system. But he contended that it did not ascertain public opinion, Tho only effect Hare’s system could produce would be the election of what had been well called a Parliamentary museum, or a body of men who represented divers views without any sentiment in common, and who could not work in political harmony. Such a system destroyed all political forces. Without force and union no political reform could ever be carried out. He might instance the growth of the temperance question in England. Hardly anyone heard of the temperance advocates until such time as the different teetotal societies in the towns and hamlets of England combined and formed an alliance. Then it was felt that a new power had arisen. Without co-Operation and combination, tho latent forces of the people were of no avail. Their whole parliamentcry system was based on tho power of majorities. Tho philosophy of their system was to obtain political aggregates, whereas if they worked on Hare’s system, they would fill Parliament with the representatives of a lot of cliques. He contended for the present Bill that it would have the effect of politically educating people, and unless that was done it would be impossible to achieve any great political reform. No doubt tho work of education would be slow, but ho dreaded those clean sweep reforms. They were rarely lasting. It would be unreasonable to expect that they could jump at once to perfection in the way of electoral reform, and it would be a

bad day for the colony if they deferred dealing with tho question till such times as they thought they could deal with it in a full manner. Ho saw no cause for alarm in the proposed extension of the franchise. The thing was inevitable, and must arrive shortly, no matter what party was in power. So long as a large section of the people wore unrepresented, there would be mutterings of discontent and demands for reform. Some people said the Bill did not go far enough, that it did not grant manhood suffrage, pure and simple. But ho would ask them what class of man was unable to obtain the franchise ? None, except the newly arrived immigrant. Ho believed that no measure emanating from any Parliament dealt with the franchise in so wide a manner, whether as regarded men or women. All the latter who were ratepayers would have a vote in the same way as they had under the Municipal laws. Ho objected to Dr. Wallis’ views on the subject, as going too far. If tho Bill became law, ho believed it would be found to work well and give satisfaction, at any rate until such time as tho question of the franchise to women became a burning question. Tho fact of allowing ladies to vote, he believed, would have a great influence in causing election gatherings to be more orderly than at present. As to Maori representation, he believed it would bo wise to retain for the present the special Maori votes. Probably they might increase the number of Maori representatives. Mr Whitaker would not oppose the second reading, but he considered the Bill open to a number of very serious objections. He objected first of all to what it did and what it did not do. What it did it did not do thoroughly. It seemed to bo the work of many minds, and altogether was a timid production. The machinery too was unnecessarily complex. The system of qualification was altogether too complicated. He thought tho franchise should be reduced to a simple residential one. He would not go fully into the question then, as he intended to reserve himself till he introduced his own Bill on the same subject, and he ventured to say members would find that his Bill dealt with the question more simply, more effectively, and more inexpensively. This Bill, it appeared to him, ought to have provided for native elections. They gave natives an advantage over Europeans by allowing them two votes, while Europeans had but one, and could not vote at native elections. It also appeared to him that an essential principle of a democratic constitution was tho representation of minorities. Ho hoped the House would permit the Attorney-General’s Bill and his (Mr Whitaker’s) Bill to go to a Select Committee. They had an excellent opportunity of dealing with the whole question in a final manner, and without any party feeling in the matter.

Mr Joyce said that if the expectations of the colony had been realised, a much simpler and shorter Bill with less expensive machinery would have been brought down. There was no principle in tho Bill at all. Ho was sorry it perpetrated the pernicious system of numbering ballot papers. Why did Government not introduce manhood suffrage at once. In a colony like this manhood suffrage need give no cause for alarm. As to the female franchise, he thought it would be time enough to consider that question when they had manhood suffrage, which as yet they do not have. The debate is still going on.