HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3028, 29 October 1878, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WELLINGTON.

Monday. A CONFEBENCE OF THE DUAL MOABI VOTE— THE LORDS OBDUBATE. A conference of the two Houses met to-day. Eight present:—On behalf of the House of Representatives: The Premier, Messrs Stout, Sheehan, Fyke. For the Council: The Hons. Waterhouse, Holmes, Hall, Buckley (Canterbury). The four points in dispute submitted :— (1). Limitations of miners' rights suffrages. (2). Addition of leasehold qualification. (3). Restricting Maori vote to one where plurality of candidates. (4). Moari franchise. The Legislative Council agreed to waive the first three points as not being of material importance, but in the dual Maori vote the managers of the Council refused to make any concession whatsoever. On behalf of the Lower House the Attorney-General offered that, in lieu of section 17, as amended, a new clause be inserted to the following effect:—" Every male Maori of the full age of 21 years shall have th« same rights and privileges, and be entitled to be registered under the same qualification as he had before the passing of this Act." Or (2) "in addition to the franchise made to Maoris under section 17 every adult Maori, whether solely or jointly seized or entitled to any land of the value of twenty pounds under a grant from the Crown, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter under this Act." The managers for the Council could not agree to this new clause. DBAINAGE BILL. In reply to Mr Murray, Sir Geo. Grey said the Government had already a Drainage Bill printed, and would distribute it among the Agricultural Associations and local bodies during the recess. DISQUALIFICATION BILL. The Hon. R. Stout presented the report of the conference on the Disqualification Bill, which was agreed to.

ELECTOBAL BILL. With respect to the Electoral Bill, Mr Stout simply announced that the managers had not agreed. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. The supplementary estimates were to-night brought down by message. A NEW JUDGE'S CIBCUIT. Mr Hislop asked the Government whether they will take into consideration the advisability of appointing another judge of the Supreme Court so that quarterly sittings of the Court'may be held at Ashburton, Timuaru, Oamaru, Invercargill, Laurence, and other places where the business may warrant it, and of thus obviating, the necessity of having sittings of the District Court at those places. The Hon. J. Sheehan replied in the affirmative, saying that, at the same time, the Government intended to take into consideration the whole question of a reorganisation of the Bench of Judges.