PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, sth September.

Evening Post, Volume XV, Issue 209, 6 September 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, sth September.

After we went to press yesterday, the Hon. the Premier, replying to Mr. Wake'field, stated that it was not the intention of. the Government to introduce a Dog- Registration Bill this session. — A question by Mr. Wakefield, asking whether the manuscript of George Jones' defence when called to the bar of the House had been refused to him, when he asked for its return, was ruled by the, Speaker to be inadvisable.—The Hon. "Mr. Whitaker said he would see whether or -not the" Crown Prosecutor required the manuscript ; and upon this Mr. Wakefield withdrew his' question, giving notice of motion for to-day. — Mr. Rees called the-attention of the House to an article in the I New" Zealand Times, which, while professing to comment upon the conduct of the Justices concerned in' the petition of Hondria M'Manus, was really an attack upon himself. The petitioner had made some serious charges against him as a professional man ; if true, the House should know how he had acted ; if false, the House and the public should know it. He would not hnve moved in the matter had it not been for the article in the Times. — Mr. Kelly, as Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee, said that when the charges were made against Mr. Rees by Mrs. M'Manus, he was invited to explain the circumstances. This he had done to ' the r entire satisfaction of the committee. The evidence of the petitioner had been printed on a motion made by some hon. member, md not by order of the committee. Had they known it would have been printed, and so made public, some expression of opinion, or a resolution of the committee clearing Mr. Rees from the imputations cast upon him, would have been appended to the report. — Mr. Rees expressed himself satisfied with this explanation. — Mr. Woolcock moved, " That, in the opinion of this House, the present state of the franchise and electoral law of this colony is exceedingly unsatisfactory ; and that the Attorney-General be requested to redeem his promise to this House, by bringing in a bill dealing with the whole question, with as little delay as practicable, so as to secure its passing both Houses of Parliament during the present session."— The Hon. Mr. Whitaker said he agreed that the present electoral law was so bad that nothing could well be worse. There were So acts in existence upon this subject, and hon. members would see that the task of reducing, consolidating, and amending such a cumbrous electoral system would be a work of time. He had prepared a bill, incorporating all the 35 act'sj in a -brief and' comprehensive form, and he thought the house would see that it had been carefully prepared, and would meet the requirements of the colony. It embodied | an entirely ne\y system of registration, so that every man entitled to a vote would have his name on the electoral roll ; the trial of election petitions was taken out of the hands of the House, and relegated to the Supreme Court, in conformity with the Briglish law; and there were provisions in the bill which would give the natives representation in the same proportion as Europeans. But as the basis of any re-distribution of representation must be the census, which would be taken during the recess, he did not propose to introduce the bill this year, but it would be laid upon the table at the meeting- of Parliament next session. — Sir George Grey said a similar promise had been made by the "Government last session. He had no faith in the promise now given, and he should bring forward a111a 1 motion on the subject. — Mr. Hodgkinson, referring to an observation made by Mr. Woolcock, urged the necessity of passing the bill this session, as there was some reason to believe that there would be a dissolution of Parliament at no distant dade. — The Hon. Mr. Reynolds thought it would be desirable to place the bill in the hands of members this session. — Mr. Woolcock then withdrew his motion. — Upon the motion of Sir R. Douglas, the debate on the second reading of the Native Land Courts Bill was ordered to be printed in Maori, and circulated among the natives. — Mr. Thomson moved — "That, in the opinion of this House, the fines on Crown grants should be remitted." He pointed out that in some instances the fines amounted to the full value of the land. — The Hon. Mr. Reid opposed the motion, but he thought that some alteration should be made in the law, by which the fines should not be allowed to exceed a certain percentage upon the value of the land.— Mr. Hodgkinson said that in many instances the applicants had applied for their grants time after time, until they became weary. — Mr. Swanson spoke to the same effect; and Mr. Carrington instanced his own case as a proof of the assertion made by Mr. Hodgkinson. He became tired of applying, and at last waited for several years. He then accidentally heard that the grants were ready for him, hut they had been waiting for some months, and he had to pay £13 in fines/ If notice were given to the grantee, the fines would be fair. — Mr. Kelly took the same view of the matter, and .moved, as an amendment, 'that where notice had boen given, the fines should be enforced, but not in other cases. — Mr. Reid opposed the amendment also, suggesting that it should be altered so as to make an advertisement in the Gazette su.fi ficient notice r— The dlsaussion was prolonged by the Hon. Mr. Fox, Mr. Gisborne, Mr. W. Woods, Mr. Macandrew, and Mr. J. C. Brown. — Mr. Thomson moved that the motion be. considered in^coramittee, of .the whole House, and this was carried.— After a lengthy .discussion, both motjon and amendment were rejected.^— The Hon.' Mr. Fox moved "_for the production of all instructions issued to the police during the past year having for their object the suppression of gambling, sweeps,, lotteries, and raffles; also, a return of . the i number of prosecutions and convictions" for gambling or illegal, games in puhlichouses, or other public plaoesj also, the production of any instructions issued to the police to enforce the law against the sale of spirituous liquor to persons or the native race; atad & Jfceturn of all prosecutions and convictions for offences against the laws in their behalf." He gave instances of the imperfect way in which the law was understood by the police, and expressed 1 a hope that some definite instructions might ,' be issued to remedy, the. evils .he, complained ¦ of.— Mr: Carringtira/anir Mr. Howe spoke 'irf 1 the same strain, the latter expressing astonish- ' raent at the extent to which open violation of the law was carried-ih Wellington. — The Hon. Mr. Bowen acknowledged that breaches of the law were very common in many parts of the colony, and seated, that the Government would issue instructions to the police, providing for the better administration of the law.-— Several local bills passed their second reading, and the House then' went; into 1 Committee on the Local Option Bill. Clause 2 (giving 50 persons the power of setting the "act in operation) was struck out, as well as clauses 6, 7, 8. Clause 4 was amended so as to read, ". Every man and woman of the age of twenty-one years and udiySrdsj' jvljp shqll bayßTOnd.ed. farce- months within any distriat, shall be an adult and voter for the purposes of thisj^ct, and the occupier of any dwelling-house, sEop, or business store shall be considered as a resident for the purposes of this Act.— Progress was reported," and then the House went into committee to consider an address to Jiis Excellency the Governor, prgyjngfQiaf steps should be taken, to carry- out the recommendation pi* the Gold Fields Committee, as to' continuing rewards to prbspectont, ihe-Jxmte be, the ponalation an»A%]'HH? hOelwe , ; mfinths.-~ After , Mr^,Gisb#rdi6 hMjl spoken^ progress was rep'orted.^-^Sey^ral local bmsjiweTe.&aU with, aqd.,the Liw.'Sotfetjfa Amendment BUI and the 'Wdhiyjtoji: pom Consolidation BiH were : further; considered fn committee, several amendments in detail being made in the i Uitter.r-T»»e,St.. Andrew's Church (WtfJHngton);. Trustees Incorporation Bill was

read a second time ; aud the Fine Arts Copyright Bill (Mr. Travers) was read a second time, it being understood that certain amendments would be proposed in committee. The most important one was by Mr. Stout, giving authors of books a copyright of their productions when registered!— The Wellington Reserves Act Amendment BUI was read a second time, and the Ho"use adjourned at 12.20 a.m.

THISJ)AY, Mr. Ballance gave notice that he should move in committee on the Local Option Bill, a clause providing for compensation to publicans who were deprived of their licenses by the operation of the bill.