EVENING SITTING.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2964, 15 August 1878, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

This day. Mr Whitakcr's Representatioa ■'■-■■-'■■■■■ Bin. -.-: .

In the House last night, after the conclusion of Mr Whi taker's speech-

Mr Stout followed, only noticing such points of the-Bill as he would not be called upon to deal with when replying to the argument urged against his own Bill. While giving credit to Mr Whitaker for the pains he had taken in working out his Bill, he might hold that it was quite inapplicable to tbe Colony, and was unworkable as a system. It placed tpo large powers in the hand of Government, and it could not possibly effect whatit proposed to effect, namely, the representation of minorities. In fact, he held, that no system of representation that could be devised would do it. Besides, minority representation could not benefit the Colony. The only result would be the formation of a number of cliques, a thing which the House should carefully guard ! again.st. Mr Earlon followed in 'a speech of about two hours, in hostile criticism of the Bill and most of its details. He saw nothing in it but an insidious measure by which id alienate support from the present Government, with the view of driving them off the Government benches, so that a Government might occupy them who did not represent a majority of the people. It was nothing but an attempt lo wheedle the Mouse into passing' a law which was made to favor the rich as against the poor. Two most dangerous classes in the colony were the high class, which was constantly looking-after its. own interests, and the low class, which did not know how to look after then 1 rwn interest. He protested against lowering the franchise, on the ground that it would produce the same pernicious effecis as bad resulted fiorn the plebiscites in France, and in occurrences that agitated ancient Kome; He strongly objected lo the large discretionary powers placed in the hands of judges and relurn-' ing officers, and other servants of the public, who thus became ii responsible, and viriually exorcised control over the House itself. The hon. gentlemen became very pointed in his references to the irresponsible power of judges and returning officers. All through the Bill he saw the dangerous bias of that parly so anxious to get into power, and whose p Ltical piinciples were so antagonistic j to the welfare of the people. Mr Wrkefield said he had listened to. the speech of the hon. member for three- , quarters of an hour, and had not heard ' anything but a most shadowy kind of, objection to the Bill brought down. The hon. member with a very bad grace made a series of imputations against judges and registration officers, imputations that ought never to have been made, and which the Government ouo;ht not to have listened to. He did not think it was a speech which reflected- credit either on the House or on the hon. member for Wellington. They did not wish to have election fights brought up in that House, when those referred to wer- not in a position lo defend themselves, and when the minds of members were engaged with other subjects. Let those matters be brought forward at the proper time and in the proper place. He would vote for the Government measure when the proper time arrived, in the hope that when in com re 1 ii tee such amendments > would be made as would result in a satisf factory measure becoming the law of the ■ country. ■:.-.' I

On the motion of Mr Joyce the debate was adjourned till Wednesday next^^The House rose i*t 12.25. •'. ■'.- \ f