PARLIAMENT.

Mt Benger Mail, Volume 17, Issue 850, 29 August 1896, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

The arrangement under which persons with capital were " assisted " with passage to New Zealand at reduced rates has been renewed by the Agent-General for another twelve months. Within the past three years 1,110 persons have come out under this system, bringing with them £131,089 of declared capital. The figures for the periods are : Passsage Year. Souls. Money. Capital. 1893-94 339 jt'6,633 £39,464 1894-95 462 9,480 47,123 1895-96 (to Feb. 6)... 309 5,483 44,491 The position of Financial Adviser to the Government in London, held by Sir Penrose Julyan, has been dispensed with altogether. Sir Julius Vogel has, however, been appointed trustee of the sinking fund of the loan of 1863, and agent under the Lost Debentures Act, 1886, at £3OO a year. The total cost of running the Patent Office last year was £464 15s 9d, while the income from patents and trade mark fees, etc., was £2,170 9s 6d, leaving a balance to credit of £1,705 133 9d. During the year 388 applications for patents with provisional specifications were made, and 447 with complete specifications, 377 patents being issued. Apparently Mr Siunders doubts the genuineness of the Government in the matter of amending the liquor laws, for he has given notice to ask : If the Premier intends to get the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Amendment Bill passed through the House this session, and sent in reasonable time to the Legislative Council during the present session ?

In the taking of the recent census it transpired that there were 20,214 Maori males and 16,850 females in the colony. The total Maori population compared with 1891 shows a decrease of 2,471. There are twenty Maoris in the Chathams, just half the number that there were five years ago. The latest measure circulated is the Rabbit-proof Wire Netting Fences Bill of the Minister of Lands, and its object is to provide for the abatement of the rabbit nuisance by the formation of districts for the erection of rabbit-proof wire-netting fences and otherwise. On a petition from a majority of the ratepayers the Governor may from time to time declare any part of the colony, comprising not less than 1,000 acres in area, and containing not less than three ratepayers, a " district," and a board of trustees is to be elected for each such district on the valuation roll of the county or rating area until the month of November in the year following, or until the election of their successors. Ratepayers, in voting for the election of members of the board, are to be permitted to exercise the same number of votes as in the case of a county council election. The boards are to take steps for the destruction of rabbits, and may, out of their general revenue, offer bonuses or rewards to that end, and pay for the erection and repairs of rabbit-proof fences. Their officers are to have the right of free ingress on any lands. The boards are to send to the Minister of Agriculture details of any fence they propose to carry out, and the Government are empowered to lend any board up to £3,000 for the purpose. The Bill is the outcome of a deputation of South Canterbury members which interviewed the Hon. John M'Kenzic early in the session. The Scripture Text Books in Public Schools Bill has been introduced by Mr G. J. Smith and read a first time with a view to its circulation during the recess. The second reading of the Preferential Voting and Proportional Representation Bill was moved by Mr O'Regan. This Bill, he said, provided equality of rights and gave minorities an opportunity of representation. At the present time minorities were not in any way represented. He proceeded to describe how the Bill did this.— No one rising to speak, Captain Russell rose to say that he did not think such an important question should be allowed to go to the vote without discussion. He deprecated the way > that k the Government treated private members' Bills. Not only courtesy but custorn demanded that some expression of opinion should come from the Treasury benches when questions of policy were concerned. If the second reading of this Bill were agreed to a vast step in advance would have been taken, and on the eve of a General Election the House would have affirmed the necessity of some radical change in the system of our representation. He held that a Bill of this magnitude should receive very earnest attention from the House. Referring to the changes that had taken place of late years in our system of voting, he said that the one man one vote had not improved the House. If a Bill of this kind were carried members would be elected under it, not so much for their personal popularity as because of their wellknown political proclivities. It would be much better to elect men who were widely known and who represented large areas.— The Minister of Defence said that Captain Russell had once and again lectured the Government. As this Bill dealt with such a large question, he thought it should not be considered before a general election was held. He should hot object to the second reading—no doubt that was all Mr O'Regan wanted—so that the Bill could be circulated throughout thi colony.— Sir R. Stout, while supporting the Bill, held that it might tend to cliques being established at elections. It might also weaken public opinion in the discussing of political questions. His third objection was that the electors would not be able to vote intelligently under it till they were educated up to the system. As the Government were bringing in a Local Government Bill, he suggested that the principle should be first tried in connection with county and municipal elections.— Mr Collins thought that the Bill would prevent any but the wealthy contesting elections.—Mr G. W. Russell did not consider it any improvement on the existing system, and Mr E. M. Smith opposed it as unnecessary, and not wanted by the country.—Mr Earnshaw warmly supported the principle contained in the Bill, but Mr Buddo thought it would lead to log-rolling.—Mr Saunders expressed his regret at the levity, disdain, and almost contempt with which the Bill was being treated by the Government, who ought to have recognised the importance of a measure whieh proposed at any rate to effect an improvement in the system of representation of the country. He expressed'his disappointment with the speech of Sir R. Stout. In place of the system being tried in civic elections, it was admirably adapted for the election of members of the House of Representatives, and could not be so advantageously applied to any other election.— The debate was continued till 1.30 a.m., when the second reading was negatived by 19 to 12, and the Bill thus thrown out.