POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES. *

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 16, 19 July 1898, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES. *

MUNICIPAL FRANCHISE REFORM. A deputation from the Municipal Conference waited on the Premier this morning in reference to the views of the Conference concerning the Municipal Franchise Reform Bill. The deputation explained that the Conference approved of the vote being given to a residential occupant, but thought the lirnitshould be six months. To this the Premier replied that if the £10 limit was done away with he did not object to the residence limit being made six months. He warned the deputation that if the Bill again got back into Committee the £10 limit would go out, as £5 was only defeated by a majority of three on Friday night. In that case he himself would support six months'occupancy being inserted in place of three months. If they were going to make it a2s per week tenancy they might as well have no limit. In answer to questions the Premier made it clear that only the tenant-in-chief would be entitled to vote. According to the Law Officers and Mr. G. Hutchison, the word "sub-tenant" was mere surplusage. The Mayor of Christchurch suggested the introduction of the words " legal or" before " beneficial" in clause 4, so as to provide for trustees having a vote, and the Premier promised to take the advice of the Law Officers on the point. He, however, maintained an unbending attitude on the proposal that voters might exercise a vote in more than one ward in case of ward elections. He pointed out that the object of the Bill was to abolish plurality voting, and so far as he individually was concerned, he did not recognise property as having the right to vote at all. He wished that to bo made very clear. He did not see how the deputation was going to discriminate between the man who had a haystack and a householder. Interrogated as to whether a person who was on more than one roll could exercise a vote for each ward in case of loan proposals, the Premier said it was not intended to restrict votes in regard to loans, but merely to amend the law. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL. An important announcement was made by the Premier this morning to the deputation from the Municipal Conference. Mr. Seddon stated in an emphatic manner, and with the appearance of sincerity, that he intended this session to pass the Local Government Bill. The reforms proposed by this Bill, he said, were matters of paramount necessity. If the Premier adheres to this intention, and also similar declarations regarding other measures now before the House, the session may be expected to be an unusually long one. The Local Government Bill itself con tains almost enough work to ocenpy the attention of members for an ordinarj session's legislation. It is quite a Statute book in itself.