REFERENDUM BILL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29192, 30 April 1960, Page 3

REFERENDUM BILL

Opposition Move Fails > z (N.Z. Press Association —Copyrmnt) CAFE TOWN, April 28. The Government last night rejected a motion which would have stopped a referendum on the republic issue being held while a state of existed in South Africa. The Leader of the Opposition,!* Sir de Villiers Graaf, put the> proposal as an amendment to one"’* clause in the bill providing for the referendum. The amendment also proposed that the proclamation appointing the date for the referendum be rendered null and void should a state of emergency be declared later in any part of the country. Sir de Villiers said it was unthinkable that the referendum should be held while the Emergency Regulations were in force. People would not feel free to express their opinions on the referendum, he said. The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr P. Bott, said such an amendipent would serve as an invitation to irresponsible elements to cause a state of emergency in an effort to stop the referendum. The House rejected the amend- ’ ment and adopted by 59 votes to j 43 the clause empowering the • Governor-General to fix the referendum date by proclamation • in the Government Gazette.