THE REPRESENTATION BILL. PASSING OF THE MEASURE.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 57, 6 September 1881, Page 2

THE REPRESENTATION BILL. PASSING OF THE MEASURE.

The debate upon tho third reading of the Representation Bill was carried on tamely during yesterday afternoon, tho speakers for the most part merely keeping np the discussion till the adjournment, so that Sir George Grey might speak in the evening, as had been announced the provious day. Messrs. Gisborno, Harris, Seddon and Taiaroa, were the speakers, and thoy of course opposed tho bill as they hud done before. It was generally expected that thero would be again an unparalleled scene— that Sir George Grey, in defence of tho liberties of the people and privileges of Parliament, would offer himself up as a sacrifice, and fall into the clutches of the amiable Sorgeant-at-Arms upon a charge of political misdemeanor. Such at least was the rumour that had gainel currenoy during the day, and the result was that tho galleries were crushed te an extent never before witnessed. Tho Strangers' Gallery was jammed almost to Buffosation: tho Speaker's Gallery was packed, and the Ladies' Gallery waß bo. crowded that ladies who got fairly in, and wore unable to get a Beat (and some sat on the floor) were equally nnable to get out again. About 100 ladies found it impossible to got in at all, and stood paoked like Bardines in the lobbies surrounding the Chamber. The only gallery not filled was that devoted to tho " Lords." 1 his is the most commodious one in the House, but it was only occupied by about a dosen hon. and gallant Legislative Councillors. After many ladies had oeen standing about for an hour in the passages, a few wero permittod to enter the saored apartment of these gallant gentlemen, and were — permitted to stand np behind tho Lords of creation, notwithstanding there were many vao&nt front eeata." The proceedings which everyone looked , forward to so eagerly wore, however, tame * and disappointing to the spectators. Nothing out of the usual ocourrod. Taiaroa having finished his haranguo, and Mr. Reeves having fired off a farewell shot at the bill,' Sir George Grey spoke against the bill. Ho said he oared not if ho stood alone, to hia last breath he would do his best to prevent an injury being done to tho oountry. What had ooourred in this oountry was worse than had taken plaoe in any other oountry. New Zealand was w.orso than in Troland with rogard to its land. He cared nothing for publio opinion, nothing for desertions fiom his ranks, so long as ho did his duty Ho had, before tho groat coup d' itat took plaoe, made, in conjunction with Mr. Maoandrew, efforts for a compromise, but when h« found the Premier was bent, not npon justioa, but upon force, ho determined to hold no parley or make any compromiso with him. Tho Maoris in the North, ho thought, should bo taken into aooount ia tho Representation Bill, but ho would not evon insist on this if equal voting pow«r was scoured to every elector in tho colony. Ho spoke at length on the acquisition of large landed estates in tho oolony, and said ho would suffer any disgrace and reprobation—would walk through the country hooted by every man ho passed, rather' than suffer tho wrong ho pointed out to exist, without making a last effort to protest against it. Condemning the alleged action of tho Governmout iv giving into the hands of a few persons great blooks of land, ho asked, " Will you trust yourselves in tho hands of such men as those gentlemen (tho members of the Ministry) P" Reverting to the bill, he said a very small number had protested against it, bnt the Premier dreaded discussion. Ho wonld no doubt try to shut his (Sir George's) mouth if he could. The Premier had also bribed members of the House by an offer of increased votei. If an appeal was made to tho country a majority would, he felt sure, be sent btck to Parliament to make a good bill for the representation of the people. He asked, "Are woßerfs, or are we not?" and went on to argue that wo were treated as such. Wai it possible, he asked, to see the masses sunk in misery and wretchedness and not determine not to let this bill become law P If it did pass, then let them unite as ono man, and pull down for ever the power that had forced it on. Poverty had been created by plundering civil Borvanta and stopping necessary publio workß. He argued that thcra would have been no distress in Wellington if the West Coast railway had been proceeded with. It wonld * have to be -dono and it was as well to do it now as later on. He would resist every motion to advance tho bill, and would struggle against it, even if single-handed, as lon*,' as ever he could stand. Sir Georgo sat down amid applause at 9 30 p.m., and immediately left the chamber. Ho returned no more that sitting. Mr. Saundors followed, protesting against the useless declamation which tho Mouse has had to listen to for so long. He pointed out that years ago, when he and others stood np to protest against largolanded estates, they had every reason to believe that Sir George Grey Vraa leagued with the landed olass There was how no danger of the tyranny of property, but there was danger in tho other direotion. Ho referred to the backwardness of Ireland, and attributed it to the fact that Ireland always had agitators ; and that was tbe ease to a certain extent with New Zealand, He held that no man in this colony ought to call himself one of the unemployed. This assertion brought upon the hon. member a showor of hoots, and howls of derision from tho crowded strangers' gallery. The Speaker here interrupted, and paid if tho slightest noise was again made he would have the gallery cleared. Mr. Hntohison held that there was' a large number of industrious working men who were left unemployed through the ootion of the Government. With regard to the bill he would support the third reading, but it was a very halfhearted one from beginning to end. It gar.o too many members, and out up electorates into parishes, thus giving an undue preponderance to property. The bill did not meet the case bo far as population wa<j concerned, but he would support it because it was a step in the right direotion. He thought, however, they were getting the bill at a very humiliating sacrifice. While it was right that a majority should rule a minority, it should do bo with generosity and justice. It should seek by argument to convince tho minority, and not to force it. He endeavoured to ahow that the presont majority was obtained from members of the Liberal Bide, and said that when tho bill was passed thero would probably be a minority on the Government side, in which caso there would bo less said about the will of the majority. At the present moment the House stood beyond tha pale of our Standing Orders. (A voice: "Be careful!") Thoy were abolished— crumpled np— by a coup d'Stat. The House had been placed in a very humiliating position. The Government had objected to any alteration in the schedule of the bill, the Colonial Treasurer saying they would consider any suggestions made on the subject. Some members had been allowed to apeak on a variety of subjects, and others were not allowed to spaak at all. (Cries of " Question, question.") He instanced the) case i of Mr. Sheehan and Mr. Moss the former having been permitted to ramblo on on various topics, and the latter being compelled to sit down. The Premier said there was a good deal of difference between the character of the two speeches. Mr. Hutchison held that the bill was proceeded with in a very humiliating manner, and he was not quite sure the game was worth the candle. Mr. Hurst, who followed, believed the result of tho bill would be that a large proport.on of tho members returned for the North would be returned pledged to separation. The same would be the case to, a certain extent in the South. Mr. Lnndon having addressed the House in otiposit onto the bill, «, division was called for at 11.40 on the question that the bill ba now read a third time. Ayes, 43: Allwright Hall Seymour Andrews Hirst, H. Shanks Atkinson Hutchison Shrimski Bain Johnston Stevens Barron Jones Stewart Beetham Kenny Studholme Bowen Levin Sutton Brandon Macandrew Swanson Brown M'Caughan Thomson Bunny M'Donald Trimble Dick Mont/ornery Tnrnbnll Driver Murray Wakofiold Fisher, J. B. Oliver Wallis Fisher, J. T. Pyke Whitaker Fox Rolleaton Whjto Fulton Saundera Wright Nobs 19: Ballance Hursthouse Sheehan Collins Levestam Shephard Georgo Lundon Speight Gibbs P.tt To!e Giaborne Reid Weston Harris Russell Hurst, W. J. Seddon

Paibs.— For : De Luutour, Finn, M'Lean Richardson. Against : Ortnond, Reeves, Moss, Grey. On the question that the > ill b» now passed, Mr. Seddon moved, as an addition — "Conditionally that it shall have no forte or effect till after the next general elejirn." This was ruled out of order. Mr. Seddon then proceeded at considerable length to enter a final protest against the pas«ago of the bill. Mr. Sheehan also had a final "say," in which he prophesied the separation of the colony if the bill passed. Messrs. Harris, Levestam, Hurat, Pitt, Gisborne, Montgomery, Swanson, and Moss havingspoken, the Premier briefly replied, going over ground which has been frequently gone over before. In speaking of tho single electorates and the splitting up of cities, ho said it was easily understood that Sir George Grey would not agree to that, for if it would do one thing, it would prevent a fluent, unscrupulous demagogue blinding the people and carrying others in with him in his tail. He (the Premier) thought the bill an essential and democratic measure, and ho had no fear that it would result in the removal of the faeat of Government. As a parting word to the North Island electors, he would say that any apparent diminution of power which this bill might inflict would be amply compensated by their electing men for their own qualifications — men oi independent character, men of high ability who nave done service to the colony, and men whom they could trust with their own private affaire. He believed the country would heave a sigh of relief when it was known that this bill had become law, and he further believed it would have a good effect upon tho political progress and material welfare of this impottant colony. The bill was then passed, the title read and agreed to on a division, and the House rose at 4.15 a.m. till 7.30 this evening.