EVENING SITTING.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2971, 23 August 1878, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

Thursday.

On the House resuming at 7.30 p.m. to-night,

THE FABNELL EEBEBVE BILL

Was read a second time, Mr Moss explaining that the committee had altered it so that only part of the reserve wai vested in the Mayor and Council for a town hall site, the rest being reserved for public schools.

MILFOBD HA3BOB BOABD BILL.

In committee on the Milford Harbour Board Bill, Mr Whitaker asked that the endowment clause be postponed for a week in order that the Hou3e should decide once and for all what course they should adopt in regard to the principle of endowments. . He accordingly moved that progress be reported. Mr Wakefield defended the bill, and disclaimed any idea of its being a swindle. He protested against its being made the scapegoat en account of this sudden out* burst of principle. The Hon. E. Stout did nol want to see the hon. member in charge of the bill risk it by going on with it. He would suggest that it be postponed for a week, by which time all the other Harbor Bills would have reached their second reading, when probably the Honse would be prepared to deal with the very large-questions open d up by bills of that kind.

Mr Wakefield expressed his willingness to withdraw the bill.

Mr Bees said a single bill could settle the question. It was necessary that the House should affirm the principle on the question by resolution, and in order-»that the whole question might be debated he would take an early opportunity of bringing down a resolution for that purpose. Progress was reported and leave granted to sit again. WELLINGTON COLLEGE ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The second reading of this bill was moved by Mr Gisborne, but jras very strongly objected to by severdrtaembers, on the ground-that its object was to take away for its own endowment land which balongcd to the New Zealand University. The Premier suggested that the best way to settle the difficulty was to provide a separate endowment for it of land set apart for secondary education. The debate was then adjourned till Wednesday, to enable members to. make themselves better acquainted with its contents.catlin's fives oemeteey bill. This bill was passed .through Committee.

WAIMATABIBI HABBOB ENDOWMENT BILL. The bill was read a second time, and referred to the Waste Lands Committee. ' NAPIEB HAEBOB BILL. ' Mr Ormond moved the second reading of the Napier Harbor Bill. Bill rjad a second time, and referred to the Waste Lands Committee. THE ELECTORAL BILL.

The adjourned debate on the Electoral Bill was resumed by Mr Seaton. He said that any man worth his salt, after six months' residence in the . country, could have a vote under the existing law. As to the Government bill, he considered, after bringing such a bill down, they were not deserving of confidence, and he intended before ho had 'done to move that the bill be read that day six months. He believed the effect of the bill'would be to throw the control. of elections into land rings. Supposing one hundred gentlemen chose each to spend one hundred pounds oh land, they could so invest as each to get four votes, and that could be done ad infinitum. Imagine the effects of such a praotioe springing up. ..Government should, have harmonised the Eleotoral Bill with their financial arrange*

ments. In the one, property up to five hundred pounds should be exempt. Let them fix that amount with regard to votes in the Electoral Bill, and that would meet one of the greatest difficulties to be overcome. He would move that the Bill be read that day sis mouths. This day.

The adjourned debate on the Electoral Bill was continued by Mr McLean, who twitted the Government with the way in which their own supporters received their bill. He did not believe it would place any more persons on the roll than were there before. The bill vas, however, acceptable in several respects: the consolidation of electoral law was a good feature. The female suffrage clause he would oppose in every possible way. He thought there could not be a more opportune'time to bring in a [Redistribution o* Seats Bill than in the middle of life of a Parliament —not at the close of its existence, whea every member, as it were, would have to fight for his life. He would' reserve further objections till in committee. Mr Gibbs saw no necessity for the bill, which would not extend the suffrage more than was possible under the present, but supported the second reading on the understanding that in committee he would object to a number of details.

Mr Taiaroa objected to the 18th clause, and to women coming to the House, though he had no wish to prevent them voting. '/ Mr Montgomery considered the residence qualification too long a time. It should be made a year. While believing in a property qualification, he did not think one who had property all over the country should have more votes in each place. No man should have more than one vote, which should be grounded on citizenship rather than property. He wanted the Maoris to have representation in proportion to population, as with Europeans, but they should not be allowed to vote for European members while having a special vote. All representation should be fixed on the basis of population. He considered if this Bill became law a dissolution would soon be necessary. He thought the Premier was correct in his estimate that the Bill would place seventy thousand more, electors on the roll than at present. If it put on only fifty thousand, how could they go on without dissolution ? He also thought a Bill for the redistribution of seats necessary this session, and hoped the Bill would render electoral legislation unnecessary for many years to come. Mr Carrington supported the Bill. Mr Pyke hoped the word " Maori" would be eliminated from the, Act as soon as possible; it would be better for both races. He could not conceive a greater source of dissension in households than the extension of political privileges to women. He was sorry the Government did not go to the heart of the matter and. say they would give every adult male in the colony a vote. Altogether the measure was half-hearted. He' considered basing representation on population an outrageous absurdity. Such a system would give London more voters than all Scotland. It was the democracy of the towns who were most to be feared, and by that system of .representation towm would swamp the country. Mr Stevens considered the Bill as a measure of reform. He held that the dual system of voting was necessary for the maintenance of a feeling of sympathy between town and country because their interests were identical. There was more liberalism in the proposal to extend hours of voting than was contained in the whole of the bill, because working men and others would be able to record their votes without neglecting their work and suffering loss thereby; and he begged to thank the Government for it. He objected to the proposed extension of political privileges to women, which was 1 impracticable, and was surrounded with numerous inconveniences which he would not refer to at that latp hour of the night. He would vote for the second reading and hoped when it came out of committee it would be found such a satisfactory measure as would render further electoral reform unnecessary for many years to come.

The debate and House adjourned at 12.25.