A NEW PROPOSAL. GALLERIES OPEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 391, 7 August 1889, Page 4

A NEW PROPOSAL. GALLERIES OPEN.

Wellington, August 1. After a stonewall lasting over eight days the Representation Bill has been committed. The country party held a meeting at two o'ciock yesterday, and after it had risen the Chairman, Mr Seymour, sent on a letter to the town party, which was considered at a meeting held at once. The letter was to the effect that the country party would not object to sending a deputation to meet delegates of the town party. They would be prepared to discuss the question of making an addition to the country population, instead of a deduction from those of the four chief centres, and also the areas to which the addition was to apply. This letter was favourably received by the town party, and on the motion of Dr. Newman, Messrs Moss, Barron, Allen, Ficchett, Perceval and Dr. Newman were appointed delegates to meet the country representatives. Negotiations were also .entered into by which arrangements were

made that as soon as Mr Menteath, who held the floor of the House, was finished, the Bill should be allowed to go into committee, and au adjournment would be made until 7.30 p.m.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END. Mrlzard, >vhowa3speakingwhenthelunch adjournment was taken, continued for a while after 2.30, and was followed by Mr Downie Stewart, who read a document drawn tip on behalf of the town party in answer to the manifestoof thecountryparty. M^r Menteath then caught the Speaker's eye, but' cut his remarks short and satdown. The question of the adjournment of the House was then pub and lo&t by 57 to 26. The previous question was carried by a like division, and the committal of the Bill agreed to. Mr Hamlin then took the chair. The Colonial Secretary, who was in charge of the Bill, said it was generally understood and desired that an adjournment would be made until 7.30. So he would move that Mr Hamlin leave the chair. Sir Geo. Grey then got up and gave notice of his Limitation of Votes and Suspension of Representation Ace Bill, of which I warned you yesterday. Mr Seddon followed him, and said he hoped that the Chairman's leaving the chair, or the Speaker's doing the same as had been done during the past week, and was proposed then, wa& not to be made a precedent, for it was a bad one. Sir H. Atkinson explained that in the ordinary course of party business it was certainly wrong, but it was the usual course to pursue when stonewall tactics were resorted to. Mr Fisher next took the floor of the House, and said he wished to enter a vigorous protest against the indefinable principle of excluding the press lepresentatives from the House during the past week. This was received with dead silence, and Mr Hamlin then left the chair, and the House separated.

OPENING THE GALLERIES. No sooner had the Bill been committed than a messenger was despatched to open the door of the press gallery, which had been locked since Wednesday last. The nine special correspondents who represent the profession of journalism in the House were waiting outside, and no sooner was the door opened than in they trooped in Indian file. As one by one they took their seats, a broad bmile passed over the faces of hon. members, who looked up. at the unusual noise. "They look particularly fit on it," audibly muttered one, and then the whole 84 members present with one accord burst into a prolonged greeting that surprised three ladies who sat in the gallery opposite, and was particularly pleasing to the pressmen, one of whom calmly rose- and bowed his acknowledgments.

THE CONFERENCE. The conference was held at 4.30 p.m., and was attended by the following delegates : — Messrs Moss, Barron, Filchetr, Dr. Newman and Perceval, representing the town party ; and Messrs Seymour, Lance, Steward, Seddon, Macarthur, 'Wilson, Russell, and Fulton, representing the country. It was decided in the first instance to consider the method of the computation of the percentage, whether by deduction or addition, and the conference decided unanimously by tacit understanding that an addition to the country districts was a fairer basis for calculating than a deduction from the town ; and it was agreed to recommend this to the contending fac tions provided some agreement could be arrived at on the other points. The next question raised was, who were to receive the additional percentage ? and after considerable discussion it was decided to return to the Act of 1887 a3 being the proper one for a basis of settling the allowance as regards the various districts and boroughs.

BROKEN UP. Then came the main issue — what percentage was to be granted ? and this was the rock on which the contending factions split. The country party expressed I their determination not to listen to anything less than 33^ per cent, and the town delegates that they could not recommend to their party anything more than 25. This practically broke up the conference, though some of the more moderate country men in conversation subsequently suggested that possibly a good many of their party would listen to 28 per cent. During the discussion, some of the country members expressed the opinion that boroughs under 2,000 in close proximity to cities ought not to eret the percentage allowance and also that country boroughs ought to get the allowance although their population did exceed 2,000 t even up to 4,000.

THE COUNTRY MANIFESTO. The " Post J< last evening had a leader on the country party's manifesto. It says the manifesto of the country party is an exceedingly weak production.* If they have no more to say in defence of their demands than it contains they would have acted more wisely in letting judgment go by default than in setting up such a weak plea in defence. The document is a very disingenuous one, and abounds both in the suppressio veri et suggestio falsi. In the course of its leader the "Post" says :—": — " With triennial elections and large electoral districts no poor man can afford to enter Parliament. The representation of the people must fall entirely into the hands of the wealthy and the landowners. They can afford to spend money in the acquisition of political power, because they can use thatpower to direct legislation so that it shall repay them tenfold in an indirect manner, but none the less at the cost of the people. It is in town& that the force of the democracies rest 3. The country settlers naturally incline somewhat to Conservatism. The very reasons which the country paity in the manifesto before us, in the sth and 7th clauses especially, advance on behalf of the contention that man for man the country should be given more representation than the towns, shows clearly that the democracy flourishes in the centres of population where men think of politics have opportunities for acquiring knowledge, and enjoy the advantages of fcequent interchange ot thought. The proposal of the country party, therefore,id, to deprive the most intelligent, active, and democratic portion of the community of a certian portion of power in order to transfer it" to the less informed and more inactive Conservative section of the people. If the centres of population can be disfranchised and an absolute preponderance of political power placed in the hands of the country, the copestone will be placed in the Tory edifice. " The " Press " says it is a misfortune for the country members that they should have been so ill-advised as to have published a statement of their grievances, and proceeds to demolish all their contentions. I

SIR GEORGE GREY'S PROPOSAL On tbe Committee resuming at 7.30 p.m. Sir George Grey moved the amendment of the short title of the Bill, of which he had already given notice. This would, he thought, be a perfect solution of the present difficulty. He was anxious to avoid apy party struggle, and had given the matter his most earnest consideration The great) object of the Government Bill was to pro-

mote differences between town and country, but he sought to put all men on an equality, on the principle of one man one vote. Property-owners had undue influence under the existing system, and it was this difficulty that he sought to remedy. He considered th 6 present Parliament too large, and argued for a reduction of the number of Ministers to four, and of the Civil Service to four departments, as being conducive to economy. He quite admitted that there was room for difference of opinion as to the reduction of members, and would like to see the question submitted to the country for decision. (Cheers. ) For his own part he could not consider the reduction to 60 went far enough ; therefore ho proposed to suspend the reduction for two years. The abolition of plural voting would do away with part of the claims of the countiy to additional representation, the immoderation of which he condemned. The reason why he moved in the latter was that he had drawn up the constitution of this colony, which everybody would admit bo be a libei'al one, and he believed that the amendment he proposed would confer lasting benefit upon the colony.

ATTACK ON THE PREMIER. Mi* Fish warmly complained of the unfair treatment which he and the city members had received from the Premier and the country party, by whom, he said, they had been absolutely and intentionally fooled. He accused Mr Seddon of having misled him as to the proposals that would be considered by the conference, and told the Premier that whilst gaining no support from the country he had alienated firm friends representing the cities, who had hitherto stood by him. The Premier's tergiversation in reference to the Bill was discreditable to him and his party, while Sir J. Hall was the real power behind the throne. The city members had been compelled to defend themselves as be&t they could, on account of want of faith in the Premier. While professing that he would not proceed with the Bill it moie than 25 per cent, were inserted, he had given no pledge. > The Premier : " I told your own deputation so. You know it well." lie was glad to get this assurance from the Premier, but the question was whether he would' be able to drop the Bill. From the erratic course pursued by the Premier in fcho past he could not make sure that he would not sell the country party. Sir Geo. Gxcy had struck the true democratic principle in his proposal that each man should have only one vote. There could also be no doubt that the reduction ot members should be suspended. Its adoption had been the result of panic legislation, and of candidates bidding against each other as to the extent of the economies they would advocate. The Colonial Secretary deprecated the tone of Mr Fish's speech as tending to laise bad feeling between town and country. As to the reduction of members, the question was put distinctly and clearly before the constituencies in the last election ("No"), who declared knowingly in favour of a reduction. This being the case, the Government would take up a strong position and declino to revert to the old number. (Cheers.) Mr Seddon said that when the last election took place the country was in a state of depression, and it was only from motives of economy that the reduction of members was agreed to, without regard to consequences. Another factor in coming to this decision was the understanding that the question of quota should stand over. Had the recent state of atlairs been foreseen, the reduction would never have taken place. Replying at length to Mr Fish's strictures, he charged the cicy party with being the cau&e of the failure of the conference, and said that some of them had gone about the lobby mocking the country members offenshely, and telling them that they had "at last been brought to their bearings. 1 ' Though the city members had refused to make any advance towards a settlement, the country managers had offered to recommend their party to split the difference between 25 and 33£ per cent., and decide the matter by an allowance of about 29 per cent. In conclusion he announced his intention to support Sir Geo. Grey's amendment. During the progress of his speech, Mr Seddon was bitterly personal, attacking Mr Fish in a very fierce manner, and had to be called to order several times. Mr Moss, speaking in reference to the conference, said that the country members had certainly offered to make an alteration in the method of computing the allowance, but had insisted upon getting their full 35J per cent., relaxing their determination in no way. Nothing whatever was said about 28 per cent., but he believed Mr Seddon did say something about it privately after the conference had broken up. As the Government had altered the conditions of representation, he hoped that the < constituencies would be asked to decide the matter. For his part he would support Sir George Grey's amendment.

ADJOURNMENT. At 10.20 p.m., the Colonial Secretai'y suggested that the Chairman should leave the chair till 10.30 a.m. to-day. Dr. Fitchefcb protested against the proposal as being trifling with the affairs of the country. The Hon. Mr Ballance thought it would be better to adjourn until 2.30 in the afternoon. The Premier said that if an adjournment were made to 10.30, he would be prepared to give further time till the afternoon if it were desiied, for he was confident that a large section of the House was desirous of arriving at a reasonable compromise, towards which some progress had already been made. On a division the adjournment was carried by 58 to 27 when, the Chairman left the chair for the night With reference to the division on the committal of the Bill Messrs Ormond and Taipua were the only two who were unaccounted for, both being down town taking their afternoon constitutional. j