THE LICENSING BILL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3725, 3 December 1927, Page 2

THE LICENSING BILL.

PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES. FAR -RE A CHING AMENDMENTS. ITS FATE STILL UNCERTAIN. The Licensing Bill was passed by the House of Representatives shortly before 4 a.m. on Thursday. The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) divested himself of responsibility for the Bill after the completion of the iCommittee stage, and the measure was taken charge of by M. E. P. Lee (Oamaru). The debate on the third reading of the Bill was sustained until 3.40 a.m., when a division resulted in the third reading being carried by 39 votes to 32. The Bill was passed and the House rose at 4 a.m. The division list is as follows: Ayes, 39. Anderson, Bellringer, Bitchener, Burnett, Dickie, Dickson J. McC., Fraser, Hamilton A., Hamilton J. >R., Harris, Holland H., Howard, Hunter, Jones D., Jones W., Jordan, Kyle, Lee E. P., Linklater, McCombs, McKeen, McLennan, McMillan, Martin, Mason H. G. R., Nos wort by, Potter, Ransom, Reed, Rhodes, Rolleston F. J., Stewart, Sullivan, Sykes, Tapley, Waite, Walter, Wright, Young. Noes, 32. ■ Armstrong, Atmore, Bartram, Bell, Buddo, Campbell, Coates, Dickson J. S., Eliott, Field, Forbes, Glenn, Hawken, Henare, Hockly, Holland 11. E., Horn, Lee J; A.. Luke, Lysnar, McLeod, Mason J.,Nash, Parry, Pomare, Rolleston J. C., Savage, Seddon, Veitch, Ward, Wilford, Williams. Pairs were as follows: For the Bill as amended: Ngata, Forsyth, Girling, Sidey. Against: Uru, Hudson, Smith, Samuel. The division list discloses that every member of the House was accounted for, the eightieth member being Mr: Speaker. PASSAGE THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By 21 votes to 13 the Legislative Council yesterday passed the Licensing Bill, with far-reaching amendments, including substitution of a 52£ per cent, majority determination adopted by the House, an extension of time between polls, with a proviso designed to give prohibition a trial of at least six years, prohibition of the payment of goodwill on the transfer of'hotel leases, and the determination of local restoration polls by a three-fifths majority. Conferences will be held between managers of both Houses respecting the amendments, and upon the result of those conferences will depend the life or otherwise of the measure. In the Bill as originally introduced by Mr Coates it was provided that on a two-issue ballot-paper at least a 55 per cent, majority of the votes polled must be cast in favour of Prohibition to carry that issue. The House of Representatives amended this to ensure that a bare majority of votes in its favour would carry Prohibition. The Legislative Council has now further amended the Bill to provide for a 521 per cent, majority—that is to say, it has split the difference between the original proposal and the amendment carried by the House of Representatives. On a division the bare majority provision was deleted by 21 votes to 11, and the amendment providing for the 52 1 per cent, majority >vas carried on a second division by the same number of votes. On a division the amendment providing for the six-year polls was carried by 18 votes to 13.

The Bill as amended was read a third time by 21 votes to 13.