TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4465, 8 July 1893, Page 2

TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

The Direct Veto

Deputation to the' Premier.

A deputation of a somewhat formidable character interviewed the Premier a t Parli a 01 (in tH r f Build i rigs on dt 5.30, there being, some sixty persons present, amongst whom were five ladies, whose mission it was to urge upon the Government the necessity of supporting the Direct .Veto Bill, introduced hy Sir Robert Stout, which had passed jits',first' reading. ! Mr J., Joyce, M.B.R; introduced the leading: members of the Convention.. ,r' ■ ,

•Mr Whitby' (Auckland) na Chairman. ol the Alliance, referred to the sorrow, all must feel that their lute .Chairman, Sir ;Wm. Pox, ha'd been removed, from' their midst. The object; tlw deputation, had was to obtain, if; possible, a promise from the Government to lissifet, or.iat any rate, to give every facility for the passing of the Bill. 1 The measure was both democratic and popular, and should, ilierefore,' meet with the sympathy of the present Government. Ho urged the right of the people to vote directly as to .whether licenses should be granted or not.

Mr E. 8. Adams (Dunediti), referred to: the present Licensing Act «s a " blundering instrument," which did not give the Prohibitionist Party the power they at one time' believed they had. He held that it the people had the power they would exercise it wisely, and it was only'reasonable: that the power should be left in their hands, Licensing. Committees were, under present conditions/ harrussed and plunged into litigation. He hoped for a pledge fronr the Premier that .the Government, .would forward tbo progress of tho Bill during the present session.

-The Hon, Mr Seddon,;in reply,! said he was asked to give i\ decided answer, one way or the other. He would tell them that when theaubjeot was before' the electors at the'lab general election. the, Temperance Party got all they asked for; but the decision of Judge Denniston' had shown they must change their course. He had. said years ago that;those who choose to risk their money' in hotels; did so with eyes open. Respecting the request made by the Convention, be would point out that thoy had not laid any details before him, and be would ask them if they proposed to take the vote of the people in the licensing or electoral districts. Mr Walker said they were unanimous that adult residentsshould.havea vote, and thoy expected that before long women would be enrolled as electors. They had therefore chosen the electoral foils. They believed that the- licensing districts would be generally preferred,; but, no resident rolls existed for these distriots, and they did : not know what might be the difficulties of legislation, in this respect. They had therefore been com" pclled to take electoral districts.

The Hon. Mr Seddon said it must he recollected that this was tho last session of the present Parliament, and to spring such a question now, before putting it before the country, would be sure to cause opposition, The Convention was asking for legislation, He would put it to them tliat it would not be right or just to prejudioe tbe position of any one in tbe colony, and spring a surprise on any se o'ion of tbe community, without due notice. Tbe question'would be safe in the hands of the people, and it would be unwise, unstatesmanlibo,. and unjust to take aqtion now, such as was asked for. He was told the couutry was ripe for this measure, and he thoughtso himself. A strong argument in favour of immediate legislation was tbe post tion of the Licensing Committees. If the measure was not dealt with this, session, they would have to be elected under the old conditions; but be did not think Parliament would allow tbe position to be prejudiced, Ho went on tossy that they must come to the practical part of the question as far as immediate legislation was concerned. Mr-Smith hero pointed out that a large number of citizens were disfranchised under the present Act by the ruling of Mr Justice Denniston.

The Hon, Mr Seddon admitted that if a man was elected to a seat on a Licensing Bench after stating he had a specific object in view, his seat became null and void,

The Rev. L. M. Isitt: But judges differ. Chief Justice Prendergast and Judge Williams had ruled that bias did not preclude a man from acting as a licensing commissioner.

The Hon. Mr Seddon said no doubt it was better for a man to come openly and state Iris case, than to go covertly on a committee, All lie could pro - tnise at present was that after he bad consulted his colleagues and the question came before the. House, their decision should be made known to the country.' He thanked the deputation for the temperate manner , in' which they had stated their requirements, i , Mr Smith asked if it was possible to remove the disfranchisement of many electors—providing the Direct Veto Bill was not passed—by extending tlifl term of the present committees for another year until the question had been before the country, ■ The Hon Mr Seddon said the pro. posalshould be laid before his col» leagues. . ' ■ A vote of thanks was accorded; to the Premier on the motion of Mr Whitby, who congratulated him on the position he had attained.—Eveniug Press. : v .V. v: