THE LOBBIES. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1410, 16 July 1881, Page 2

THE LOBBIES. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Corrupt Practices BilL Wellington, Last Night. By the new clauses proposed by Mr Johnston for the prevention of coirupt practices at elections, corrupt practices are defined as meaning, treating, bribery, uudue influence, or personating, and conviction for such offence renders the offender liable to be disqualified for ever for that district, and for 10 years as regards any other district ; to be disfranchised for 10 years ; to be incapable for 10 years of holding any public office j to be fined £500 and to be imprisoned for two years with hard labour. Similar, but slightly mitigated penalties, are pre.sciibfd for "illegal" practices, which are defined as p lying any person to acfc as agent, clerk, or messenger (excepting one '' election agent, " one scrutineer for each ballot box, one c]erk, and one messenger for each polling place, the latter not to be elected, or a comuiittee-man, canvasser, watcher, guard, detective, or torch bearer); making any payment on account of conveyance of electors to or from the poll, whether by carriage, railway, or otherwise, for bands, torches, flags, banners, cockades, ribbons, or other marks of djbtinction, for exhibitions, bills, addresses, or notices, or for the use of any matter not authorised as above or specified in the schedule of " legal expense," viz. : The candidate's perbon.il expenses, printing, advertising, stationery, postage, and telegrams, public meetings, one committee room for each polling place, and miscellaneous expenses not exceeding £10 for each 1000 electors, or £100 in the whole. No candidate may pay money on account of his election excepting through hib "election agent," whose name lie is to bend to the registration officer. The election a«eut is to appoint clerk, scrutineer, mcsbcnger, etc. , and to make all jwyments on behalf of thu candidate, except the Litter's personal expenses, it thet>e do not exceed £20, and to furnish to the returning olliccr, who is to advertise it, a suinmai y of the full and certified accounts ol all election expenses lncmred on behall of Ins piincipal. Until this last is done a member must not sit or vote m P.uliament. Any person inducing an unqualified pcison to vote is guilty of an illegal piacticc, and eveiy person reeen ing any money payment on behalf of a candidate is disqualified from voting at that election. There arc elaborate provisions for carrying into force these stringent eniicbinents.

Local Government. It is understood thdt the Ministerial measures relating to local government reform will be h\e in number. They comprise a Crown and Native Lands Bill, Roads Construction Bill (to be brought down immediately), Counties Act Amendment Bill, Road Boards Amendment Bill, and probably a fifth providing for the delegation of certain pow ers, should these turn out not to be included in other Acts.

Life Assurance. Mr Andrews will bring the following beioie the House : — "That in older that persons insured in the Government Life insurance Depaitment, who abstain from the use ot alcoholic bevoiages may enjoy such advantages from the practice as is behe\ed ib attached to it by way of deceased moitahty, there should be a special section to which only total abstainers are admitted."'

Evidence Bill. The Evidence Bill introduced by Mr Hutchison provides that \ny person charged with any offence shall be competent, but not oompellable, to gi\ c evidence in any cummal proceedings arising therefrom, and whether for or against himself, and the husband of any such person if such person be a woman, and the wife of any such person, if such person be a man, shall also be competent, but not compellablo, to give evidence in such proceedings, and whether for against his wife or her husband, as the case may be, piovidcd that if such person so charged shall have \oluntauly given evidence in initiative proceedings, or have voluntarily submitted himself to cross-examina-tion in such pioceedings, he bhall be not only competent but compilable to give evidence in all fiuther proceedings, and whether for or against himself or heiself, provided that in cases where pei&ons on trial bhall be examined on all questions to be asked in examination, shall lie proposed only tlnough the presiding Judge.

The Estimates. Major Atkinson .imiounced 10-ilay thit the Estimates would not be ready until Tuesday.