Evening Sitting.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3395, 8 November 1879, Page 2

Evening Sitting.

The House resumed at 7.30. QUALIFICATION OF ELECTORS IHLL,

Immediately on resuming, the motion for reporting progress on the Qualification of Elections Bill was put und carried. ELECTIONS VALIDATION BILL. Mr Hall moved tbe second reading of the Elections Validation Bill. He explained that doubts had arisen as to whether Messrs Colbeck and Taiwhi were duly elected members of the House afc last general election, and the Bill aimed at declaring the said elections valid.

Mr Montgomery suggested that the Bill be remitted to a committee to bring up a report on the whole circumstances of tho case. [ Mr Tole suggested as action had been ' taken against one of the gentlemen mentioned in the schedule, a claim should be inserted enabling them to plead a general issue. Mr Kelly proposed that Ihe Disqualifications Act should bo amended so as to prevent the necessity of bills of this kind being brought down periodically. The motion was put and carried, and tho House went into Committee on tho measure. Mr Andrews complained that a similar action was not taken in the case of Sir G. Grey in unseating him. A large number of electors had been practically disfranchised. The secret was that Mr Colbeck was a supporter of tho Government and Sir G. Grey was not. Sir George Grey charged the Premier with having made it a party question ogainst him. If the Bill now before the House was carried, ho would bring forward a resolution to the effect that the report re the Christchurch election be expunged.

Mr Hall denied that Government had made the Christchurch election apai'ty quegton. It had been snid n largo body

of Chrislchurch electors had been disfranchised. Hio fact was Sir George Grey, (ho unsealed member, had only headed* the poll S>y HO votes. The numbers were 1300 against 1220, so it was nonssnso to say a body of electors had been dis ratichiscd.

Sir George Grey adhered to Ins previous statement, and said lie would alao nJliere to ft is determination to get the report of the Committee expunged. Mr Hutchinson supported Sir George Grey's Statement and charged the Government with making everything down to the most trifling matter a party question.

Mr Kelly said he had been looking over the Disqualification Act, and he was perfectly sure all sitting members who were members of Waste Land Boards were disqualified under the Act. Mr Hall promised if they would pass the Bill, he would not ask thai it bo read a third time till Tuesday, so as to give ample lime to consider the points raised.

Mr Montgomery moved that progress bfi reported and leave asked to sit again. The motion was put, and lost on the voices.

On the next clause being pat, Mr Seddon moved that progress be reported. He said it was monstrous that they should sit there and profess to be lawmakers when in reislity they were attempting to validate the acts of law breakers. If such conduct was continued, the effect would be that Government would fill the House with civil servants and that would suit purposes, and then bring down a Validation Act.

Col. Trimble said that one of the gentlemen named in the Bill voted with the Opposition, and the other with the Government, so that it could not be called a party question. The member who was voting with the Government only recently went over from the Opposition. While he voted with the Opposition no notice was taken of this alleged disqualification, bat no soouer does he go over to the Government than the disqualification question is immediately raised. These circumstances he thought were discreditable to the Opposition. Mr Turnbull said all that was asked was that a committee should be appointed so as to get at all the facts of the case. That did not imply .they had an intention of opposing the measure. Mr Macaudrew supported this view, adding while he would vote for progress being reported, it was simply with a view of getting the true facts of the case inquired into by a committee, and not with the view of opposing the Bill. _ Sir G. Grey said he was quite satisfied there was no disqualification on the part of Capt. Colbeek. He had looked into the affairs, and had given it as his opinion there was no disqualification. The action had been taken against Capt. Colbeek by the Opposition, but the fact was it was done in a friendly spirit with a view of setting the question finally at rest. He reiterated that the Government had made this a party question. Mr Hall referred to Mr Gisborne, who had passed on the occasion of a vote taken on the question. He (Mr Hall) had then informed Mr Gisborne, in answer to a question, it was not a party question. Mr Gisborne replied the statement of the Premier was substanstially correct.

The motion for reporting progress was put, and on a division the ayes were 11, and noes 41.

The schedule of the Bill was amended by the addition of Major Te Wheoro's name. The Bill as amended was reported. Mr Hall moved the 3rd reading, and explained that it had just come to his knowledge that legal proceedings had been taken against one of the members, which rendered it necessary that the Bill should be brought into law at once. The motion was carried.

QUALIFICATION OF EI/ECTOKS. The Bill was further considered in Committee. The House divided on Mr Montgomery's amendment in the second clause with the following result: —Ayes 25, Noes 30. Division Liat.—Ayes, 25: Bailanee, Barron, DeLautour (teller), Dick, J. T. Fisher (Heathcote), Grey, Harris, Hutchison, Lundon, Macandrew, McDonald, Montgomery (teller), Moss, Reid, Seddon,Shanks, Sheehan, Shepherd, Speight, Tainui, Tawhai, Te Wheoro, Trimble, Turn bull. Noes, 30: Adams, Atkinson, Bain, Brandon, Bryce, Colbeck, Driver, Gibbs, Hall, Hamliu.Hursthou-e (teller), Johnston, Kelly, Levin, McLean, Murray, Oliver, Ormond, Pitt, Itolleston, Saunders, Stevens (teller), Sutton, Swans^n, Tomoana, Wailis, Wbyte, Willis, Wright, and Kichardsou. - Mr Ballance moved that the word " man" be struck out of the second clause, and in lieu thereof the word person be inserted. He explained that what was aimed at was to extend the franchise to females.

Mr Hall bad no objection to women takiug a part In the legislation of the country. Mr Speight could not see why married women should not be allowed to vote as well as spinsters, nor did he see why they should not hare a seat in the House. Mr Fisher opposed the amendment.

Dr Wallis spoke at great length in support of the amendment. The question was theu put that the word proposed to bo struck out stand part of the question. Ayes 29, noes 32. Division list— Ayes 29: Aliwright, Andrews, Barron, Brandon, Colbeck, Dick, Driver, Fisher, J. T. (teller), Gibbs, Gisborne, Hamlin, Kelly, Levin, McDonald, Mac Lean, Moorhouse, Ormond, Pyke, Kolleston, Seddon (teller), Shanks, Shechan, Shepherd, Stevens, Sutton, Tole, Wbyte, Wood, and .Richardson. Noes 34: Adams, Atkinson, Bain, Ballance (teller), Brown, DeLautour, Finn, George, Hall, Harris, Hursthouse, Ireland, Johnston, Lundon, Macandrew, Montgomery, Moss, Murray, Oliver, Pitt, Iteeves, Reid, launders, Speight (teller), Swanson, Tainui, Taiwhi, To Whforo, Tomoana, Trimble, Tuvnbuil, Wallia, Willis, Wright. The amendment was put and carried.

Mr Moss moved as a farther amendment that sub-sectioii 2 bo made to read " Every man being a British subject not less than 21 years of age, who shall have resided in New Zealand for 1 year, and in the electoral district for which he claims to rote less than one month, immediately preceding the registration of hi» rote is entitled to be registered as an elector of sucu district, and to vote at the election for such district of members of the House of .Representatives. Mr Pylre said he was opposed to the amendment, but after the last vote, he had ehauged his mind. He saw the Premier aud two of his colleagues go into the lobbies in support of the female vote. That convinced him that there was no chivalry towards women in the vote. It was » coTort attempt to giro an additional

power and influ nee to women. To counter* act that influence as much as possible, he would vote for the amendment so that every woman of the age of 21 years be she what she might, rich or poor, good or bad, will have a right to exercise the franchise.

On the motion of Mr Macandrew, progress was reported and the House adjourned at 12.