PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 729, 10 August 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington", August 9. In the Legislative Gotincil to-day the Trades Cnions Bill was read a second time and referred to a Select Committee, and the Reprinting Statutes Bill was read a first time. "v .. ;Iu the House of Representatives to-day, Mr. Reeves in asking if the 'Government intended to appoint an Inspector of Mines for the Is el.son South-west Goldfield, said no fewer than 75 accidents had happened in one year, some with fatal consequences, while many of the victims were maimed for life. It was therefore urgent that an Inspector of Mines should be appointed without delay, in order to lessen such sad occurrencFS. Mr. Stout said it opened up a very large question. If an inspector were appointed for one place they would be wanted at all others, and the matter would require very serious consideration. Mr. Reeves asked if the Government intended to introduce a Bill this session to restrict the immigration of Chinese. Mr. Stout said that at present the Government had not the power, without applying to the Home Government, to restrict Chinese immigration. So far the subject had not attained the magnitude it had done in California, and when the qiU'Siion really became of importance it would bo tune to deal with it.

Mr. Russell i.sked whether any steps had been taken to introduce the parcel-post system between this Colony and England, such as existed between India and the Home Country.

Mr. Fisher said the subject had not. been lost sight of, and that such a service would be established in the course of a few da vs.

In Committee on the Fraudulent Debtors liill. Mr. Maefarlanc tried to introduce a clause authorising 12 months' irnl.'i'isoiinieiir for any trader who had not kept liis book.-; properly. This led to considerable discussion. Mr. .Stout introduced an amended clause, providing that the Court might suspend a bankrupt's certificate on finding that he had not kepi his books and accounts in a proper manner. This was agreed to and the clause added to the 13ill, after which progress was reported, August JO. At last i veiling's sitting in committee ~,, *]w. < ir - Service Act Amendment Bill, ■ • \Y. Jjit/. lerfoi-rfc made a strong appeal ;..i_ Coiiii. .'.ttee on behalf of the Provincial Government officers taken over by the General Government, upon the changes rendered necessary by .abolition. Mr. Stout said the Government were not prepared to deal with that question at present, but a future opportunity would be tillered for discussing the whole matter.

Progress was then reported in order to enable certain amendments to be introduced when the Bill again came up in committee.

Mr. Stout moved the second reading of the Electoral Bill. The lion, gentleman proceeded to explain the provisions of the Act in detail. At present there was only one ml! made np in i'lie year, and they intended to improve the present law by causing two mils to be made up. I lie I .'resent svst-.m of ballot was preserved, but an important altera'ion was made in regard to the mode of nomination, it was also proposed io proiubii the use of carriage- and cabs, and close to the publichouses. because it was but proper that on ~n eh etion day, alu.vo all others, men should not lave their brains muddled with drink. As to the redistribution of seais. the Government were of opinion if th y brought in a measure dealing with i liit question at once.it must lead to a dissolution, and the elections would have to be conducted by means of the present svnt •!!!. He did not think it would be wise io deal hurriedly with so important a question. h-rom inrormath.n obtained from the P.eg; slrar-Ge;ieral. he felt certain that two-third,-: »i the people of ili,e colony were not on ilie present roll, and it was time. that legislation siMiu'ie r be Witrociuoeu lo prevent tl iiiiuorriy' oj' people 0i the colony legislating tor the whole oi' the colon v. He failed altogether to understand' the force of the expression !i a stake in the colony,"' used by those in favor of restricting the irancliise. If aman earned only his living i.u the colony, though he was without iaao qi' h.-uqehoii] property. he had a stake 'in the colony, because :r-; presperitv would be Ins prosperity. Whf had they electors at all. if it. was not

ti. t'-st public opinion '■ But that coulu in;' fairly or •,»,.< ijv.'S'iy i«t> doiie wi t iie j.hei'e v.-.-ik such a lai a • ]>ro|.->i h<»n ot l:he pof.ili::ti'>n without 'in- htutc'iis". The present t'i'i wouid the eib.-ct of polities I!v educating -h- ;-e.T>le. and without

: hat was do)e> it won! ■! be impossible to :iehi"'.e any «mit p -iiiical r-funn. No j doubt the 'work education would he slow, lint, hj" ilver.il -1 these clean sweeping r. forms. They wer-> rarely lasting. It would be unreasonable to expect chat thev cm Id .pimp at once to perfection in the wav of i'li eternal reform, and it-would he a bad day for the Caonvif they deferred dealing with the ipiesrioii till such time !>s they thou-iht they could deal with the .jiievi.-.n iji ft f- I ' l ' nKV»ne:\ Jfe S;!W in) eaiise for alarm iw HiO ij,ii.sed extension of the frariehirso. lon-- as a lar_re section of the people were unrepresented there would lie nnihci'ings of discontent and demands for reform. Some people said the Bill d d not u<> far enough, and that, it did not, grant, manhood je>re ;.'pd simple, bet he would ask them what class or iiien were unable to obtain the franchise i one except the newly-arrived immigrant. He believed that no measure emanating from any cjeij.lt with the franchise, in so wide a manner, whether as rogards men or women. All the latter who were ratepayers would have a vote in the same way as they had ; under the i/iunicipal laws. If the Bill became law. i.e believed it would be found to work well and give satisfaction. The allowing of ladies to vote, he believed, would have a great infusenpe jn gaiisjn.se glegtion gatherings to be more orderly than at present. An to Maori representation, he believed it would be wise to retain, lor the present, the special Maori vote. Probably, they •night increase the number of Maori representatives. Mr. Whitaker would not oppose the second reading of the Bill, but he considered it open to a number of very serious objections. He objected, first of all, that wha it did do it did not do thoroughly. The machinery too was unnecessarily complex. The system of ipi-ilifications was altogether too complicated. He thought the franchise should be reduced to a simple residential

one. The Eill, it appeared to him, ought to have provided for 2salive elections. They gave the Natives an advantage over Europeans by allowing them two;srotes, while Europeans had but one. It also appeared to him that an essential principle of a democratic constitution was the representation of minorities. .. He hoped the.; : House would ' remit the AttorneyGeneral's ' Bill and his (Mr. Whitaker's) Eill to a Select Committee. They had an excellent opportunity of dealing wit.lv the whole question in a final manner, and withoht-any part}' 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 the Bill at all. Why did the Government not bring down manhood suffrage at ouce I In a colony like this manhood suffrage need cause no alarm. Mr. DeLautour strongly supported the Bill. ISTo doubt it was not perfect, bur such a thing as a perfect Bill had never been known. He argued against Han- s Bill as being less likely to benefit public than the Bill in question. Hare's system had the fatal objection that under it young men of the colony would never be afforded an opportunity of being brought before the public. Under it they could never expect to see such young Ministers in office as now graced the Government, benches, and he and many others were proud to see them there. fie taunted the late Government with having neglected their opportunity when in office to bring down a measure; of electoral reform, and tiiev should not now oppose the present Government because it had the honest)' and manliness to grapple with the question. If the proposals embodied in the Bill of the member for Waikato were adopted, the effect would be that only men who had made their mark, such as the member for Waikato and the member for Xew Plymouth, would be elected ; but it was necessary that the young should have a chance, because the}' could not expect to have the aged always with them, and more especially now that, they no longer have the political murseries of provincial institutions.

Mr. Wiison supported the enfranchi.seiii n- of women as a Government feature o! Bill, but he objected to the further enfranchisement of Maories, as being unfair to their European fellow subjects. Both races should be placed upon an equal footing. He entirely concurred in the abolition of the miners' rights vote._ Mr. Wakelleld took strong exception to the Bill, as it was not what the Colony had been led to expect from the stump speeches of the Premier. He was never tired of telling them that they should get manhood suffrage, and that no one man should have more than one vote, and yet this Bill perpetuated the very worst feature of the present system by allowing plurality of voting. He knew of several districts in the Colony the elections of which could lie carried by absentee voters who had only to put in an appearance by train. In one place, of not more than 700 inhabitants there were nearly double that number of voters. This failing to keep promises induced a feeling of distrust in ail Government measures.

Mr. Moss said that if the Bill did not quite meet ihe views of the House, why not amend it in Committee and draw a red herring across the scent, which lie considered was what the Bill of the member for Waikato would do. He was opposed to Hare's syst.-m, as destructive of ail political life, and only calculated t > create a Parliament composed of whimsicalities ; still he thought Hare's system could bo applied to munici pal government beneficially, as only questions relating to property were discussed in those places. Sir Cjeorge (-Jrey moved an adjournment till Tuesday next, and the House rose at 11.40.