REPRESENTATION BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 180, 31 July 1889, Page 8

REPRESENTATION BILL.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER,)

PROGRESS OF THE STONEWALL.

THE PROPOSED COMPROMISE

A CONFERENCE SUGGESTED.

Wellington, 2.30 p.m. Messrs Goldie, Hobbs, Barron, Ross and Izard took up the whole of the forenoon's sitting. The speech of tho member for Bay of Islands was a short one in reply bo bhe arguments of the town party. Sir George.Grey has been promised by the Government an early opportunity of bringing forward the amendments set out in the issue of yesterday.

The proposal for the abolition of plural voting will be treated on its merits, but that for the restoration of the number of members and the immediate di?solution of Parliament will be resisted to its utmost, bub thoy are immaterial to Sir George. Rumour baa spoken freely of bility of a compromise between the contending parties under which an allowance of 25 per cont. will be made to the distinctly rural districts on the basis of the Act of 1887, that is to say, a nominal addition to tho country, instead of a deduction from the cities and all boroughs of less than 2,000 inhabitants. Country members state that this would give them even a greater advantage than is proposed by the Bill now before the Houbo, but no definite arrangement has been made. Rather t v ian allow the present deadlock bo continue some members on both sides are favourable to the appointment of a conference comprising half -a - dezen moderate men of either party who may agree upon a basis of compromise. It would not now be at all surprising if this idea were carried out.