General Assembly.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1152, 13 November 1879, Page 3

General Assembly.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday. Tho House mot at 2.30. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Mr Hull announced, iv reply to qusstions said to havo boen put by a number of hon. mombors, that, m the event of tho legislation now before tho House getting through with any degree of despatch, the Financial Statement would bo brought down on Monday. GOVERNMENT ANALYSTS. Replying to Mr Wright, Mr Hall aaid that during the recesß the Government would consider whether tho services of tho public analysts throughout tho colony could not be made more practically useful than at prcsont, and tho stops to be taken thereiu. • FARMS FOR I'OTLIC EMPLOYEES. Replying to s ir George Grey, Mr KoTloston said tho Government would bring down a bill dealing with the establishment of small farm settlements to bo taken up on tho system of doferred payments by men to whom employment will for a time be afforded upon public works ; but tho locality of these would havo to be decided when the fate of tho Land Bill was decided. THE QUALIFICATION OF ELECTORS BILL. Tjus bill was further considered m oommifcftio. An amendment was moved so as to make sab-section 1 of clause 2 read, " Kvory person of 21 years or upwards, being a rfitopayer on any ratepayer's roll j" and on a division the amendment was lost, on the voto, by 26 to 22. Mr Oisborne, as a further amendment, moved, " That tho property qualification m the olauuo sot down at £25 bo made £50." Tho amendment was lost on the voices. Colonel Trimble movod the following as a further addition to clause 2, " Kvery woman of the age of 21 yea*s and upwards, whose name appears on the ratepayers' roll for the time being m force m tho electoral district for which the vote is to be givon." This was put and negatived. A further amendment was moved, with tho view of making sub-section 2 read so {is to confer the franchise on females who havo resided one year m the colony, and who are not registered m respect of freehold qualification. On a division the amendment was lost by 27 to ID. Tho following amendment by Mr °o<ldon was made on section 2 : '* -boriginal natives, inhabitants of *ow Zealand, including half-castes, being males, and of full age of 21 years, who shall be owners of land for which Crown Grunts have issued to the value of £25 and upwards and who are not registered m respect of qualification under the Maori Representation act, or otherwise legally incapacitated." Mr Murray' moved a further amendment : " Every male Maori of the ago of 21 years and upwards, whose namo is enrolled upon a ratepayers' roll m force within tho electoral district m respect of which he claims to vote, is entitled to be registered as an elector, and to vote at elections of members for such districts for the House of hepresentatives, but no such Juaori shall bo entitled to be registered as an elector or to vote at any such election m respect of any qualification under this Act." Mr JVJosB moved a furthor amendment to the following effect: "That aboriginals inoluding half-crsts and male descendants of half-castes, shall not derive any new rights under this ct, nor shall they be deprived of any right they had at the begining of the present session of Parliament." i c paid they had boen told over and over again that it was not intended to deprive the race of any rights they now had, and he thought the amendment now proposed was the shortest way of expressing that purpose. The amendment tabled by Mr Peddon was withdrawn, and the clause, subsection two of clause 2 passed. Subsection 3 was put, and earned witk slight amendments. Sub-section 4 was with- . drawn, and m lieu thereof it was proposed to substitute th*B amendment proposed by Mr Murray. vi r Murray's amendment was earned on a division by 29 to 19 Subdivituon 5 was Ihen put, " No alion, no person attainted or convicted of any treason, felony, or infamous ofl'enoe within any p-rt of her Majosty's dominions, un- 1 less he shall have received a free pai don, shall be registered." An amendment was moved to add the < words after "pardon" "Or shall have undergone seiiteuce fo>- tho same." ( >n a division the amendment was carried. * yes, 26; noes, 22. Clause 3, " Every man registered asfin elector, but no othe person, ia qual ft ;d \ to bo elected a member for an electoral '• district m tho colony,'' was then put. Tho clauso, with some technical amendments, was earned. Tho following was added as an additional clause : — " Tho word ' Maori,' m this Act, means an aboriginal native of i^ew Zealand, includes any half-caste living at» a member of a native tribe according to their customs and usuagos, and any descendant of such half-caste. Nothing m this Set contained shall effect any,jright or privilege conferr d upon or grauted to' Maoris undor tbo Maori Representation ct, 1867, or any ct amending or continuing the same." Progres« was then reportod, and the House adjourned at 12.15 a.m.