ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 10, 11 July 1885, Page 2

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

A return asked for by Mr. Chamberiin on the snbjeqt of the property tar vu rofused on a division of 27 to 10. Colonel Brett, at the request of the Colonial Secretary, withdrew a motion for oertain returns connected with the Sheep Department at Kaikoura. Mr. G. E. Johnson obtained on order for ft return relative to native landi in Poverty Bay. Several BilU wart read m flnt tima. and the Administration Act Amendment Bill aaeoondtime. The Wellington Pnblio Street Closing Bill was read a third time, and passed. The Council rose at 3.^0 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Yesterday afternoon waa devoted to private members' bufiinota in the House, and the Sohool Committees Election Bill and the Alienation of Land BUI were road a second time. The former measure, whioh provides for the holding of olootions on the fourth Monday of April instead of in January aa is now the oase, and for the abolition of onmnlative voting, met with the opposition of the Premier, because he believed the onmnlative voting By stem worked very well; that it was the only way of giving minorities a voice in the eleotion of oommittees. A night had beon wasted on the Bill introduoed last year, and he did not wish any more time thrown away upon it. After some little disonuion the seoond reading was carried on a division of 31 to 24. Tho second reading of the Alienation of Land Bill, whioh provided for the abolition of entail, was oarried on the voioes. In tho evening Mr. Bradshaw's Employment of Females and Others Aot, 1881, Amendment Bill was committed, and brought abont a good deal of disoussion. There were numerous amendments proposed in the sub-section providing that no joung porson Bhall be employed for moro than eight hours in any one day. Mr. Forgus, who studied the effoot it would have on iron factories, wishod to make the hours of labour at least nine, but a division showed the committee to bo against him by 51 to 7. Then he divided the Heuso on an amendment to make the honrs B}, bocause tho men in iron foundries, <to., oonld not work without the assistance of the boys, and at present the former had to work Bfr hours on five days of tho week in order to have a half-holiday on Saturday, and they would, therefore, have to lose their halfday's pay, the boys being prohibited from working on Saturday afternoons. His amendment was, however, lost by 43 to 10. The olause was amended so as to make it apply to any factories, but by another amendment (moved by Mr. Bradshaw) a pro* vision was inserted sanctioning the omployment of young persons up to the hour of 4.30 on Saturdays. In addition to being tho champion of the iron founders, Mr. Fergus came out as tho ohampion of domestic slaveys (perhaps ironically— at any rate, tho Premier hinted that Mr. Fergus, having lost his previous amendment, wanted to spoil ths Bill), for he moved as a farther amendmont to give domestio servants one clear holiday a week. The House laughed at this, and one hon. member suggested that the holiday should be devoted to musio lessons. The proposed amendment was withdrawn. Mr. Holmes moved a new eubseotion, giving tho Connofl of any borough or Town Board power to fix any other day than Saturday for a half-holiday upon petition from the majority of employe's* engaged in any faotorr in suoh borough or town district. This was amended by the substitution of " two-thirds" for the word " majority," and the now snbsection was agreed to, and the rest of the Bill as printed was passed without opposition. Mr. Stout then moved his new clause prohibiting the employment of females in bars after the hour of 6 p.m. or before the hour of 8 a.m. There was a laugh when the Premier said there was not likely to be any objection to tho new provision. He pointed out that this session there had been potitions signed by 21,953 inhabitants, asking the house to go further than he proposed to go— namely, to prohibit the employment of barmaids altogether. Mr. W. F. Buokland asserted that the clause, if oarried, would lead both the women and young men into temptation if the girls were let out at 6 p.m. Mr. Dargaville said the effeot would be to immediately throw out of employment upwards of 1000 young women. He would not give it his support unless it was understood that it would not come into force for at least six months in order that these young women might be absorbed in the labour market in some other way. Mr. Stout agreed to accept that suggestion. Mr. boobie Maokenzio would not agree to the proposition under any circumstances. He wonld not be a party to olosing an avenue to any person earning an honest living. Mr. Stout held that the number of women who fell in this employment was larger than in any other employment. He hoped the time would oome when tbere would be no barmaids. Mr. Hurathouee said by far the largest number of the petitioners referred to were those of jealous wires and children nnder eight years of age. He held that the presence of womon in bars had a greater effect in keeping peace than was the case where men were employed. Mr. Pyke oonsidered that the arguments used were another illustration of man's meanness and cowardice when he said, " The woman oarae to me, and I did eat." We were now re« peating that record of early meanness in man —"Woman came to me, and I did drink." Barmaids were a3 moral as faotory girls, and if barmaids were to be thrown out of employment, what was t> be done with. themP Throw them on to the streets. He stigmatised it i is a cruel thing to endeavour to deprive tl>e«e girls of their bread. Ths result would be not that there would be leu drinking, but that the hotels would not be so well conducted. He would oppose the proposition in every stage, and prevent thia respectable, persecuted olass from being driven from their employment. Sir Oeorg* Grey said the subject had cost him a. good deal of thought. The young men who ran after barmaids ought to be laughed down, but he did believe that the proposal of the Premier was a "monstroua injustice" to all New Zealand. The barmaids were particularly helpless, and why oast a brand of this kind—* vote of censure as it were— on this olass. The Premior professed, as a frienc,, to restrict the honrs of barmaids— he really meant that they should, as a class, be abolished altogether. He (Sir George) intended to do what he believed to bo hia duty, and ask the Hove not to embark in an oppressive course of legislation and interfere with any particular mode of earning a livelihood. Public opinion wonld be the best check in a matter of this kind. Mr. Joyce said that there was a saying that the road to a certain place was paved with good intentions. If the Premier carried his motion, he would add considerably to the "pavement." If they were going to prohibit tb« employment of barmaids, why should they, as proposed, give a monopoly of the demoralisation of the young men of this country to the wives and daughters of publicans? (Laughter.) For th« most part barmaids were good and honest women, and to deprive them of their employment wonld be a grievous wrong. Mr. Hatch, as a Good Templar, would still go further than the Premier and give the barmaids two years' time to consider what employment they would adopt, and it would be the duty of the Good Templars in the meantime to try and find them husbands. (Laughter.) Mr. Bevan did not know where this form of legislation — interfering with the liberty of the subject — was going to end. He | spoke ex cathedra when he said barmaids had an elevating tendency, and he would not i object to see a oouple of barmaids in Bellamys. The barmaids did not complain. Should we sacrifice our comforts because of the conduct of a few " mashers t" These would seek woman's society elsewher* if not in bars. His experience with barmaids for five and twenty years had been very satisfactory. (Laughter.) He wanted to know if the Premier's connection with the bar had led him into contact with barmaids. If not, where did he get his information from in regard to that class of the community ? Mr. Stout said he did not think that the adoption of the clause would entail loss of employment on the part ot barmaids. He was willing to extend the notice till the lit July, 1886* On a division, the clause waa strode out by 40 to 24. Following is the division list:— Ayes, 24— Barron, Bradehaigh-Bradshaw, J. C. Buckland, Conolly, Cowan, Fulton, Hakuene, Harper, Hislop, Hobbs, Lake, M'Millan, Mitchelson, Moat, Montgomery, O'Conor, Peacock, Beese, Bolleston, Boss, Stont, Tole, Turnbull, and W. White. Nois, 40— Allwright, Bevan, Buohanan, Brown, Bryce, W. F. Buokland, Cadman Duncan, Fergus, Fitzherbert, Fraser, Gore, Grey, Guinness, Hatch, H. Hirst, Holmes,

Hursthouse, Johnston, .Joyoe, Lanoo, Locke, Larnaeh, LevesUm, M. J. 8. Mackenzie, J. WKeuzie, Newman, O'Callaghan, Ormond, Pyke, U. P. Richardson, ..Samuel, W. J. Steward, Butter, T. Thompson, J. W. Thomson, Trimble, Walker, Wilson, and Pratt. Pairs— For? J, B. Whyte, W. D. Btewart, Bruoe, Hurst. Against : Mosa, Kerr, Pearson, Enssell. A new clanse, to the effect that nothing in the Act shall apply to any dairy factory, was agreed to. The Bill was then reported with amendments, the amendments to be considered on Wednesday next. The Adoption of Cbildron Aofc was read a third time and passed, after which, the House adjourned at a few minutes to midnight.