EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15034, 31 July 1914, Page 9

EVENING SITTING.

Tho House resumed at 7.30 p.m. FINAL STAGES. The Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Act Amendment Bill was put through its final stages without debate. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION BILL.

Mr VEITCH moyed the second reading of the Proportional Representation and Effeetivo Voting' Bill, which he explained was to provide for tho election of 80 members for the Dominion upon a proporUoiial vote. The result of the adoption of the Bili would bo to do away with the country qu6ta, but 'tho compensation would be adequate. He .vas of opinion that separate roprcseinatiou for the Maoris was a mistake because they stood alooe in the -House. UisTlill would do away with party "boss politics," and give fair representation to all sections of tho community. It Aould restore tho faith of the workers in Parliament and do away with a great deal of industrial strife. Sir JOSEPH WARD said the Bill was worthy of consideration. At last elec.bti "they had a system which, though

ot perfect, gave them majority representation. Tlio Government made ; a Ichniit? promise to give them something better. Tho'Government had committed itself to proportional representation for the Legislative Council, and the Minister, had also introduced a Bill to make it applicable to locaJ bodies.- There was a clear promise by the Prime Minr istci' to provide a substitute.for the second ballot but it had not been kept, and the people were misled. Thfty hud a right to an explanation of the übarteq in the Government programme. Why should the Government go back uppn its pledge unhiss jt was afraid to.'trusto people? He quoted authorities to show that the system of "first past the pi?si" was condemned in England and would be condemned here. He would support the second reading of the BUI t he'did not support tho abolition of the country quota. Dr. NEWMAN said ho did not think that the country was ripe for the change at present. • Mr WEBB supported the Bill, and *aid it would be as fair to Labour as to the wealthy classes. The present system was quite unsatisfactory. Tile single constituency led to corrupt practices in many ways. r " " Mr" ELL said he would support the Bill while reserving to hiiuself s the- right to disagree with some of tho details'. Te thought the electorates "were too largo and tha man' of small means would hnd it too difficult to fight his »vay into the House. Mr' McCOMBS supported tho measure, believing that proportional representation met tho requirements of all political parties. Th 9 declaration by the Leader of the Opposition in favour of tho Bill, he said, was one of tho most important pronouncements made this session; and would tend materially to consolidate tho progressive forces. Mr DAVEY said that there was no chance of passing gropprtional representation until they had an elective executive.

The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER said tho Government had introduced proportiohal representation into the Legisla--the Council, and had given local bodies tbe option of electing members upon proportional voting. In view of these facts he held it'was unfair to accuse the Goverpmeiit. of having fa"#ed to promote tho reform. It was not po»> siblis to give a system of proportional -representation without doing ' away with the"country quota, unless an tinmethod of grouping the towlis was adopted. He challenged any member to bring down a working system of proportional voting without doing'away with "thei country quota, and tbo country members would not vote for the change unless th© quota was retained. Ho -would bo glad to see the Government bring about'tho reform, if it were possible to do so. They had done thoir best to give tho country something they h.id never had fc«?ore. Mr -G. W. RUSSELL said that the Government had promised to bring dowfc electoral reform, but Mr Fisher liad confessed that it was his own plan, and his party would not let him carry it'out. "Ther-s wa» no obstacle of tbe coimtry quota regarding th* Upper House. He was ouito certain that the representation Commissioners could Batinfantorily group the districts. The Opposition totally disputed from tho present electoral law of "first past tho pewt,' and they would vote *i'or the Bill'to show their di*sapprovaL There iras hideous hypocrisy and insincerity behind the Government's actions with regard to electoral Terorm. Tito second reading of tho Bill was uefft'tived by 23 votes to 27. The House roeo at 0 SO a.m.