ELECTORAL BILL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4524, 15 September 1893, Page 3

ELECTORAL BILL.

Necessary Intendments to be

Proposed.

The Government h&vo found that one or two verbal amendments are necessary to tho Electoral Bill, anil theße will probably be sent down today by message from His Excellency the Governor for the consideration of the two Houses of Parliament. It is understood that the amendments are merely technioal, and are to be pro posed with the object of rendering the Bill more workable. One of them, proposed in the Legislative Council bj the Attorney-General and defeated, is that tho words " or leasehold 1 shall be struck out in the following paragraph in the interpretation olause: 11 Non-residentialqualification' mams a freehold or leasehold qualification under tha Act of which restdenco forms no part,' Thia alteration is necessary because there is no provi< sion in the Bill itself for a leasehold qualification, and therefore, the two words in question in the interpretation clause are meaningless, TheOounoil carried the interpretation paragraph as it now stands, but (ho attempt to insert the consequential provision for the loasehold qualification in the Bill proper was lost by 17 votes to 14. Hence the amendment which is now to be proposed. Wbea these amendments aie agreed to there will be no delay in presenting! the Bill for. His Excellency's asaem. Ministers deny tie charge which continues to be made that they liavo no desire to see the Bill become law, As the measure, however, is oneot csneiderable magnitude, affecting the electoral lifflMf the Coloi>y, it is

necessary that the greatest care shutild be exeroised, in order that its terms may bo clear and explicit.—Times.