PARLIAMENT.

Patea Mail, 18 August 1881, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. MONDAY NIGHT. House met at 7.30 p.m. Mr Dick moved that the House insist on its amendments in the Gaming and Lotteries Bill, and Messrs Montgomery, Bowen, and Dick were appointed managers to draw up reasons. Mr Gibbs resumed the debate on the Representation Bill, and supported Mr Gisborne’s amendment. He considered the Bill was one to throw the government of the colony into the hands of the Provincial District of Canterbury. Canterbury and Otago* were to have 45 members, and all the rest of the colony only 46. He suggested that the boundaries of his district should be extended, not that it should be wiped out altogether. Mr George opposed the Bill. It was not one to give representation on the basis of population, or else the Maoris would have been taken into account. They were British subjects, and entitled by law to be on the electoral roll. He objected to towns being cut up into single electorates, as encouraging plural voting. Dr Wallis expressed qualified disapproval of the Bill, and unqualified disapproval of the amendment. He advocated a complete system of equal electoral districts, and strongly supported the system of single electorates. The Bill proposed a most?Minfair preponderance of members to the South. If this Bill was passed the North would demand separation. Mr Sutton supported the Bill generally, although he wished it had not proposed to increase the number of members. At present the South was entitled to a preponderance of political power, but in due time no doubt the turn of the North would come. He approved of single electorates. Mr Shepherd was of opinion that Ministers had got the model of this Bill in the same place as they got the model of the beer tax—in America. They could not have gone to a worse school for an English colony. Community of interest was of far more importance than equality of members. He agreed that the time would come when the North Island would support a larger population than the South, but if the latter was once trusted with political power the North would never recover it. Mr Pyke objected to population as the basis of representation. They should not have departed from the principle laid down in the Constitution Act, which was the number not of people but of electors. That was really adult mobs under one electoral law. He did not approve of any increase of numbers in that House. Mr Weston opposed the Bill as unfair to all portions of the colony except Otago and Canterbury, Mr Pitt said no doubt Government had a majority to force the Bill, and therefore he did not think it worth arguing about. He very strongly objected to the bill. It gave undue preponderance of power to the towns at the expense of the country, and to Otago and Canterbury at the expense of the rest of the colony. The principle of representation should be electors and their interests. The Government should be satisfied with the second reading, and that the bill, like the Crown and the Native Land Rating Bill, should stand over for a new Parliament. Mr Dick pointed out how very mixed parties were over the Bill. Government regretted the unhappy lot of Nelson, but could do nothing to relieve it. The House need not be afraid of Canterbury and Otago. As a rule they did not work well together ; there was always more affinity between Otago and Auckland. But whatever political power was given to Otago and Canterbury he was . sure they would use wisely, and not for their own benefit, but for the good of the colony at large. Until the Natives obeyed our law and held their land by Crown grant, 1 they had no claim to representation, Mr Murray expressed disapproval of single electorates. Mr Harris said if they gave all the voting power to the South the money would certainly go there also.

Mr Wood intimated that on the motion for going into Committee ho would in-ivo an amendment that the special Maori, representation should bo abolished, and the representation determined on a population basis, including both Maoris and! Europeans. He strongly urged the claimsof the Natives to be considered on tho population basis. Messrs London and Colbeclc also strongly advocated the right of the Native population to be considered in determining the representation on a population basis* House rose at 1. 5 a.m TUESDAY Mr Levestain resumed the debate on the' Representation Bill, which he condemned, and intimated his intention of voting against it. Mr Hutchinson had a number of objec-: tions to the BilJ, but he would support it to a second reading. In Committee he would take steps to have his objections amended. Mr Russpll strongly objected to the proposal to exclude Maoris from the population basis, but thought their special representation should be done away with. Ho said Hawke’s Bay and Westland represented one-fifteenth of the exports of the colony, while the}' had not onefifteenth of the representation. He objected to giving towns anything like proportionate representation to the country districts. Mr Bunny objected to the threats aud bribes offered to the Wellington members. Neither the threat of losing the seat of Government, nor the bribe of getting a direct steam service, would affect their votes. There was no reason to, fear any combination of Otago and Canterbury. He would rather mist to the sympathy of Canterbury than to the tender mercies of Auckland. To take the Natives into account of population would be to give Auckland another five members, and in time to shut Maoris out of the House altogether. Mr Tawhai, while claiming the rights of British subjects for the natives, under the Treaty of Waitangi, would not consent to forego the special Native representation in Parliament. Mr. Ballance said the Natives could not bo included in the population compilation unless they consented to give up their special representation. He contended that population was the only true basis of representation. Ho thought the proposals of the Bill in this respect fair as a whole towards the various Provincial Districts, and he was not at all afraid of the preponderance proposed to be given to the South. He did not agree with the difference of quota between town and country districts. He defended Sir George Grey from the attack made by Sir William Fox. As the bill would tend to build up the colony into a united whole he would support it. Mr Tomoana believed the Bill would have an evil effect on Native interests, and he suggested it should be left over until they could consult their constituents. Mr Seddon denounced the Bill as a most vicious one. Population alone was not a sound basis for representation, and this Bill was most unjust to the Goldfields. PENSIONS. The report of the Public Accounts Committee was brought up on the pensions of Dr Pollen, and Messrs Gisborne? Domett, and Fitzherbert, when Mr Hall said that in all probability Government would decide upon taking some action in the matter, in which case the whole subject would be brought before the House for discussion. LOCAL INDUSTRIES. The report, of the Local Industries Committee relating to the cultivation of olives, was referred back for further evidence. Government considered the maintenance of botanical gardens devolved upon local bodies, so far as they were recreation grounds only, but were- of opinion that they might be utilised for the production of olives and other plants required for promoting Local Industries, and a vote would be proposed for the encouragement of that object. Bonus for the production of iron is to be again offered. Since the bonus of IB7A had been offered to encourage the development of the crude oil products of the: colony, kerosene had been discovered, and a company to work it was in course of. formation ; consequently Government did not propose re-offering the bonus. Government are to consider the propriety of providing for the issue of licenses for the sale of tobacco and snuffs, so as to increase the revenue and prevent smuggling. A Bill to amend the Neglected and Criminal Children’s Act, 1867, was introduced and read a first time.