POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4240, 11 October 1892, Page 3

POLITICAL.

[By Telegraph.—Press Association,]

In the House of Representatives yesterday, tlio Wangaiiui Harbour Board Endowment Bill was committed and read a third timo by 88 to 15 and passed. The Hon R. Seddon moved to re-commitclaS3 2. ol tlio Supplementary Estimates. Several members objected to tbo rc-eomniittal on tlio ground tliat tlio particular vote to which tlio Opposition was to bo 'shown, was £BOOO compassionate allowance for tbo widow of tlio late Sir Harry Atkinson. Mr Eves said as Chairman of Committees he had waited for some little time before put-, ting this voto, on tbo grounds firstly that he was awaro that some members wished to speak on it, and also because he thought in case of a vote recognising the services of it distinguished statesman," it should not bo allowed to pass without some few words from the Acting Premier and leader of the Opposition. Mr Eolltrston said he hoped tlio voto would be carried unanimously. He had tlio assurance' of the Premier that, ill as lie was, ho would bo prepared to como to tho House to defend tlio vote if necessary. It was almost needless for him to say t-b at he cordially approved of the vote and he saw no reason to re-commit under the circumstances. Hon, R. Seddon said that this voto had been carried in the Cabinet after careful consideration, and after ascertaining that the vote met with tho approval of botli sides of tho House. At tlio same time it was only fair to those members who were absent from the House on Saturday night, that they should have an opportunity of discussing tho vote under debate. The motion for re-committal of the vote was then carried and the Houso rose at 1 o'clock.

the electoral bill. In tbe Legislative Council lliis morning, the Hon. Mr Oliver brought up the report of the managers who had attended the conference on the Electoral Bill. A short discussion ensued, Sir Patrick Buckley observed that he, personally, was opposed to tho woman's franchise, though the Government, as a Government, were much in earnest about it. He had, however, warned the Council that its amendments would be fatal to the Bill. The Hon. Downie Stewart stated tint tho new managers appointed by tho House had no fresh proposals, but simply adhered to tbe demands of their predecessors. He feared, too, that unless tho Council were willing to abandon its amendments, nothing could be done. Perhaps, however, they might suggest to the House tho question of another conference. The Hon Mr Reynolds moved—Tbat tho Council Bhould requost another conference, and that the Hon Messrs Johnston, Stewart, White, and the moverbe the Council's managers. The Speaker ruled that the Bill was not before the Council, and that he could, therefore, take no proposal on the subject. The Hon Mr McLean thought that no one, either in the House or the Council, wished to see tho woman's franchise in force just yet, and he was pleased that they would all have at least another year to think over the question, Thus closes the strange eventful history of woman's franchise in 1892.

tde woman's franchise. When announcing tlio other evening the result of the conference on the Electoral Bill, the Acting-Premier said tfaat he did so with deep regret. " Ob.yeg," exolaimed an honourable member, "very deep—skin deep!" The disgust at the whole episode of the Electoral Bill continues to spread and deepen, and if it goes on leavening public opinion the result must prove disastrous to the Ministry, on the part of whom it has been a clear case of working the oracle for the sole purpose of killing the woman's franchise, notwithstanding all the buttery boah which Ministers have spoken about it.-Evening Press. ROADS. In the House of Representatives, yesterday, Mr Buchanan spoke at some length on the Bubject of roads required to open up the country, dealing principally with the Weraite road, in theWairarapa, ivhich,he contended, affected the whole country side, and not only bis (Mr Buchanan's) property, as had been alleged by tho Minister for Lands, Mr Hog" said this road was a purely personal requiroment on the part of Mcsbtb Buchanan and Beethatn, and added that the ratepayers in the neighbourhood had petitioned against it,—The Minister for Lands snid his whole object bad been to keep out of this dispute, and that the action he had taken was simply in accordance with the advice of the law officer of the Crown. THE LATE SIR HARRY ATKINSON. Yesterday, in the House, Mr Tanner moved that the item of j£B,ooo,|put on the Estimates as a gratuity to the widow of Sir Harry Atkinson, be struck out. The feeling of members was, however, strongly against any ourtailment of the grant whatever; while one member said that his constituents would rather have seen it made £IO,OOO than £3,000. The only support Mr Tanner could get was that of Messrs T. Thompson, Lawry and Jackson Palmer, and so his amendment was rejected, and the voto passed by 40 to 4.