POLITICAL POINTS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9299, 29 July 1901, Page 6

POLITICAL POINTS.

Mr Seddoa—The Prohibitioniste invariably put up a candidate and they say, "There are two things to be camed —io is heads we gain, tails you lose. _. There are the two objects to b« gained. If we do not get in a Prohibitionist you will stop the Government candidate from being elected."

Mr T. Mackenzie—Regarding the alleged interference with the purity of elections I will say tfiis : " When you have hired men like Edwards travelling round the country and interfering with the electors, promising them votes and promising them conveniences, that should be stopped, although I think that Edwarda's.presence at an election usually secures the election ,oi. an Opposition candidate. I would ask for no better assistance in my district than a hired agitator who has no interest in the district impertinently interfering with electors' privileges."

Mr Seddon—l say that the Opposition were in favor of electoral rights the last time it came before this House. And where are the Opposition now? In the words of the old Scotch song, "Oh where, tell me where, are the Opposition gone !" An hon. member—They are coming to life, and will soon be here. Mr Seddon—And so will Christmas.

Mr Pirani—l know how much the Premier likea to study my convenience.

Mr A. L. D. Fraser—This Mr Edwards sent to our district some of his papers, but they were all placed in that receptacle where I think documents of that kind should be deposited—that is, the waste-paper basket. Itisthe apotheosis of colossal impertinence for Mr Edwards, a man who is unknown in the district, oi for any other man,to goto my electorate, or to any other member's electorate, and try to influence an election, and, if it cannot be stopped in any other way, we should bring down legislation to stop it.

Hon. G. McLean—We will have no end of discreet women getting billets under this (Young Persons Protection) Act.

Mr Hogg —I do not see why people who enjoy the franchise should not, instead of being brought to the poll in vehicles, and waited on at their doors, and dragged reluctantly to exercise their votes, be made to realise that it is their duty to record their votes. If they do not record their votes, and unless they can show good reason for failing to do so, they should be held responsible for their want of interest or negligence.

An Hon. Member—Would you punish them?

Mr Hogg—We punish people for far less offences than that. It they do not send their children to school they are liable to be brought before the Magistrate and fined, aud if they do not exercise a privilege which they ought to value very highly, I do not see why they should not be made amenable for that. It is a serious neglect of the duties of good citizenship.

Mr Lang—lt has been stated that Mr Edwards has nothing to do with the Government. I may point out that Mr Edwards was formerly a school teacher at Huntly, and he sent in his resignation to the Board of Education at Auckland, stating that his reason for resigning was that he had .been appointed Liberal organiser by the Premier, Mr Seddon.

Mr Seddon —I can assure members of the House that if a ballot of members were taken there would a majority against members of the House beiDg on Land Boards.

Captain Russell—The Premier may shake his head, but, of course, we all understand he says all the time thnt he is exercising the most pure and very best discretion in this matter, that he serves no personal interest, but purely seekh the country's good ; still we know at th" same time his own success and his country's good are so inextricably woven together that you have "R J.S. J, always on top and the country's good a tnfi ■ lower down. '

Mr Witheford—lf we could only get the Government to keep away from this cloud of Imperialism in which, I am afraid, their intelligence has been too much absorbed of late, and in which they are lost to a certain exteut to the necessities ot the colony and colonial life, and if they will set their intelligence to finding work for these men who are back from the war, i am quite satisfied that this country would be the most fascinating and productive on. the earth for the British race to come to.

Mr Barclay—l venture to say it will not be long before there is an Opposition. The tendency of the Anglo Saxon is to fight, and you will find it is impossible alter a little while to carry on government without a fight and ttrwggle of some kind.

Mr Hogg — The man who declares, himself in favor ot freehold is the enemy of the working man.

Mr T. Mackenzie—The hon. gentleman knows nothing about the subject. The freehold has made.New Zealand,

Mr Graham—Out of the five and a quarter hours the House has been sitting the Premier has spoken % two hours and a quarter. It is not fair to the House for the Premier to be so loquacious.

Captain Russell—lf a man is of the ''right color" there is precious little chan-ee of hie land being compulsnily taken.

Mr Witheford—This (Land for Settlen c.its Bill) being a policy measure, i<accordance with the consistent policy I have pursued since I have been in this House, I give my support to the Government. . . . Although I am a consistent Government supporter, I do not approve of the Government policy.

Captain Rufsell—l see no reason myself why a single man should not cjo away into the back blocks and carve out of the wilderness a home for himself and his future wifo, while everything is .done to facilitate the opportunities of the married men. The single man may go out into the back blocks and put up with a little roughness. He may do without th c theatres and amusements of towns, and the comforts and conveniences of life in a large city. It would bo far better for his future success, and. far better for the country if he went " up couutry." Mr. Hogg—The future wife may not go out there. Captain Rusaoll—l am quite convinced that if my honorable friend, the member for Mastertqn, were to go to | the most remote part of New Zealand, and wonted a wife, he would get one to accompany him there. Mr Massey—Each settler under the Lnnd for Settlements policy costs neatly £1000 a head. . '

•Mr A, L. D. Fraser—With reference to what the member for Franklin said— that Mr Edwards has been promising billets and paying for liquid refreshment all over the country for every one who goes near a hotel—Mr Edwards must have had the money to do it, and the inference suggested was that that money had come from the Government. I say that that money has not, come from the Government. It is collected, probably, and I regret to say it, from » few vhildiah, indiscreet people on the Liberal side, who will put their hands in their pockets for any loud-mouthed advocate who goes to them.