EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4078, 22 August 1878, Page 3

EVENING SITTING.

The (House resumed at 7.30. MIK_3 BKG-XATIO-f BIXL. Mr Wasok moved the second reading of the Mines Regulation Bill, which he explained waa introduced solely on account of the Bill introduced four yearn ago by Mr Richardson, having remained a dead letter. The coal trade was assuming such magnitude that the Act should be brought into operation. Threefourths of the accidents occurring in mines in the colony were what might be called preventable accidents. So important had the question become at Home that the miners themselves weregladtotaieactioninthematter. Too often the mining operations of the colony were carried on withont proper precautions in timbering, and providing good air, and it was necessary that the Legislature should take action as wou'd prevent the working miners of the country being placed at the mercy of any mine manager. The BUI was read a second time. hap__ra swahp mix. Mr Sctton moved the second reading of the Napier Swamp Nuisance Act Amendment Bill. The object of the Bill was to enable the corporation to carry out legally what the other Bill had failed to do. The Bill was read a second time. PABXIAMESTABT BBPBBSSKTATIOK Bill. Mr Joyce commented in strong terms of dis-pproval cf the modification cf Hare's system introduced into the Bill. It was a gift not worth having, any more than an estate that was swallowed up by mortgages. As a matter of fact, Hare's system was not required in the colony, where they already had too many minorities represented, instead of the great body of the people, the artisan, and 1-bourer. Were it not so, they would probably have seen some of the great landed estates of the colony figuring less conspicuously. He proposed that the Bill be read a see->r.d time that day six months. Mr Thompson pointed out that our present p! .Ctorsl system was very imperfect. Under ha majority of the House might not represent a m»jor_ty of tbe people of the c-lodv Though our system of election was the repr. Mntation of majorities, it could not be held thai the minorities should not be represented. I f . was to remedy this unfortunate stale of affairs that the member for Waikato's Bill was introduced. He wanted not only majorities, but the whole people of the colony represented. Still it was only an experiment, aad not sufficiently understood by the people to go on with it now, though the member tor Waikato deserved thanks for facing a question which would soon have to be dealt with. Mr Outer thought the people of the colony only wanted a measure which while extending democratic privileges to the bulk, would prevent any single class obtaining undue representation. When the Premier propounded his system of manhood suffrage, he (Mr Oliver) could not sympathise with him. He believed a majority of the people were averse to it, and it was with a sense of relief that the celoay heird the Treasnrer'a views on the subject. The Government Bill he , ppcridered generally acceptable inasmuch as it was progressive as well a» conservative. -Referring to MrWhit-ker's Bill, he considered Hare's system aa calculated to confer great benefits, and he only regretted the hon. member had not adherei to the lines laid down by Hare, whose system had certainly ' "not been improved by the alterations. It had heen argued that abolition had been achieved hy aa absolute minority of the colony. Though that was possible nnder the present _-BT!*«n>» it would be perfectly impossible tinder Hare's system. A. good deal had been •at (especially by the Attorney-General) that Hare', system tended to return representatives of cliques, who could only represpecial views. But take the AttorneyGeneral himself, and the member for Wangnnoi, who were representatives of * »p*c_u views, wwh as local option. Could it W **$ tbat eiiier of tho»e eantlemes was

unable to ta.e a broad and comprehensiv ri. won general question* of policy ? Inde.c erithu.iicts were not obj^cti>na&le, for fe> t great things were done without the aid c , enthusiasts. > Mr Rk£3 supported the amendment, am __ quoted from Professor Hearr. to show th undesirable results which TOust necessaril. - arise from the adoption of Hare's system One evil especially was that it would thro. the whole of the electors of the colony int< the hands of a few who were anxious fo i political power, and who chose to employ i electioneering agents. Mr Moss said there were so many defect in the Bill of the member for Waikato notably one provision, which threw a dan gerous amount of power into tl c hands o: Government, that he could not «upport the Bill. All the country required was containec in the Government Bill. He argued at som_ length to show there was a good deal of difficulty in working Hare's system. He ther proceeded to comment on the possible effect of the Government Bill and their other great measures. He could cot say what results were looming in the distance. One thing was certain, they had thrown down one constitution, and were engaged building up another, and that one had an unmistakeable tendency to centralis.tion. One bad effect of that was the inevitable growth of a tyranny of Under-Secretaries, and the only preventative to that was to go back to decentralisation as quickly as possible. Mr Gisbobxk objected to the Bill of the member 'for Wailato, on account of its not recognising the rights of representation of property. Before making such an' organic change, good reasons ought to be urged, but none had been given. He objected to Hare's system, because it destroyed all electoral enthusiasm, which was the life and soul of our elec-tiong. It destroyed the popular voice, and placed elections in the hands of a few skilful manipulators. He thought the Government, however, might with advantage adopt the system of registration in Mr Whitaker . Bill. He would vote for rejection of the Bill. Mr Tolb thought that certain of the provisions of Mr Whitaker's Bill might well be incorporated in the Government measure. As a whole, however, he must oppose the Bill under discussion. He could not approve of the system of nomination, the closing of public houses, and the female vote in the Attorney- General's Bill. The ratepayers' qualification for Maoris, though perhaps was not defensible in theory, ought for the present to be retained. Otherwise the Bill met all the requirements of the country. The debate is continuing.