LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 75, 28 November 1913, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

[Per Press Association.]

Wellington, November 27. The Council, met at 2.30 p.m. THE LEGISLATURE ACT. The Hon. F. H.,8e1l moved that the ouncil consider in committee the mendments made by the House in the legislature, Act. The Hon. W. C. F. Carncross plotted against the method of introducig the matter contained in the amendlents. It should have gone through il stages. - If the Prime Minister was ?ing to introduce another elective ensure next year, he should have lited and *hiade a full and complete 11. He would like to hear the sysm of preferential vote fully discuss1. He would vote against the amend-, units. The Hon. John Rigg said that the loceedings with regal'd to the repeal t the second ballot were unusual and ?ro liable to great abuse. The Comment had found the repeal of the cond Ballot Bill obstructed, and had lien back on party tactics. His main jection to the repeal of the second allot was that nothing had been proded in its place. ' He moved as an nendment that, the Council, disagree ith the amendments made by the ouse and appoint a committee to .aw up reasons., The lion. Geo. Jones did not think .at anything Objectional had hap- ’ cond ‘ballot. The interests of the aintry demanded that the electoral stem be rectified at the earliest posble moment.. There should not be ecemeal legislation. Sir M. O’Rorke declared that the ethqd of introduction was quite imoper. If the Bill got into commite ho would propose that the Chairman leave the chair, and then the mncil would hear no more about it. The Hon. W. Beehan stated that the cond ballot had not achieved its iject, but simultaneously .with its real some form of ballot>,which would, larantee majority representation ould have been introduced. The Hon. W. W. McCardle favored e immediate abolition of the second. Allot. ’ ; ' ’ ! ’Sir W. Hall-Jones stated that, when e s^cqp4i ballot .was introduced i id* not .t junk .there would be more than j day oF two between taking - the-first ! id ; second 1 baUbf. The ■ long waitc-i ■ inch 'had' been • practised TiU‘d: ,led , |to ,j jr ; , /I.J ifi • .ipUZ. > T -j- , > I . matutal excitem9n,t ;l . ■ TepeaL . i hi ,{i \ u j Tho‘ Hflh ’P, 1 K. 801 l >;M; replyhsfh;1 1 'th'at jl I \Vas K quitfe ' ab&uVd* tb' sijy^ If ■ A, ! of| . uneiiniig' .itl/e, *dd system could iidtVet nil of it Rvitboiit subituling something else. Preferen,d voting had been suggested, but > him that would be detestable be-

in so it would, lead to much bargainig and corruption. Members had said iafc the Government was wrong do lace such in^fi icli a Bill. ,:M*e ruling of the Speattefc ‘‘Grtiieri* -jmendments could he aid Bh'llot I&p|al c p|ll .tructed so that®the Government,, lecidcd'to taifc advantage of'the Spme*' t 3 %as v rfghfc l bf Jrong. .. H<f ;ugstipn npw before, the Council should ©■ whether or not the Scfeond Ballot hould he repealed. Mr Bell's motion to go into commit--3e was carried lay 22 votes bio three. ~ -In ■committee Mr Bell moved that be Council agree to the new clause tree.. v ; The Hon. J. lligg moved a proiso that paragraph B of section 1,45 i th% Legislature Act, 1908, shall, wn-. 'ss previously repealed, bd’ deemed to e repealed on October 1, 1914. The aragraph in question provides that be Returifing Officer shall declare be candidate receiving the highest umber of votes to be elected. ■This was lost by 18 votes to six. Sir M. O’Korke moved , that the hainnan loax r e the chair. Defeated by 15 yot.es to 8. Mr Jenkinson moved that section tree come into operation only on Sep■niber 1, 1914. Defeated by 17 votes to 6. The new clause xvas carried and the mimittee reported that it had agreed 0 the amendment. When Mr Bell moved that the Couri--1 concur with reilution, the Hon. ,1. Rigg opposed'the •otion, wliicli was carried by 16 votes o 6. The Council adjourned at 6 o’clock.