THE ELECTORAL BILL.

Evening Star, Issue 8611, 3 September 1891, Page 4

THE ELECTORAL BILL.

FREEHOLD QUALIFICATION ABOLISHED.

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter. J WELLINGTON, September 2. The House was occupied yesterday afternoon and evening with the consideration of the Electoral Bill in committee, and, as a result of a triangular conflict between the Government, Opposition, and Radicals, the freehold qualification was excised. The interpretation clause was postponed till it was seen what is to be the fate of the Female Suffrage Bill, and whether the word “persona ” is to include females. PERSONAL REGISTRATION, lu clause 4, dealing with the appointment of registrars, the Hon. E. Mitchelson moved to compel applicants for registration to attend personally before the registrar for bis district. In order to obviate any inconvenience, ho would have every country postmaster made a deputy registrar. The result would bo to ensure purity of the rolls. The Premier opposed the amendment, on the ground that it would cause unnecessary trouble to the electors, whereas the spirit of the Act was to give every facility for registration.

The amendment was lost on the voices. THE QUALIFICATION OF ELECTORS

was the subject of a long discussion. Mr Rees moved to strike oat altogether the subsection providing for freehold qualification, so as to establish manhood suffrage, irrespective altogether of party. To this it was answered from the Opposition benches that a man’s residence might be removed from the centre in which his principal interest lay, and ho ought to be allowed to vote in the district in which he was chiefly concerned. Manhood suffrage, it was argued, would not be affected, because a subsequent part of the Bill prevented any person from registering in more than one district. The Premier was quite indifferent on tho subject and left it entirely to the House, and in the long run Mr Rees’s amendment (which was supported by Sir George Grey) was negatived by 30 to 23. Tnen Mr O’Conor moved to excise the words “freehold estate,” and substitute a “property estate,” stating that bis object was to prevent the subdivision of property and consequent swamping of a by-election by people owning a particular class of property. This amendment was opposed by the Premier, and lost by 40 to 20. Mr Rees urged that as the principle of the property qualification was retained, leaseholders ought to be admitted to it as well as freeholders. He accordingly moved an amendment to that effect.

The Premier opposed the amendment oh the ground that it would lead to confusion. The Minister of Works pointed out that it would be unfair to give voting power in respect to small leases. Mr Lawry suggested that this difficulty could be met by only giving the franchise in respect to leases held for twenty-five years and upwards, with improvements on them of a taxable value of not less than LIOO.

The amendment was carried by 33 to 29. Immediately the result of tho division was announced,

The Premier intimated that after such au alteration he must propose to strike out the whole of tho subsection. —(Cheers from the Ministerial supporters ) Mr Rees said he would be glad to support this motion, us it would make residence the only qualification recognised in tho colony. The subsection was struck out by 42 to 20, showing that a large majority of the House are in favor of doing away with the property qualification, although in regard to the residential qualification Sir John Hall pointed out that the period of residence within an electorate was reduced by the Bill from six months to one mouth. The effect of this would be that a number of men could bo sent into an electorate to live there for a month or six weeks, and in this way the permanent residents would bo out-voted. Tha Premier, however, held that every person should be entitled to vote so long as he had been a year in the colony, by which provision the right was governed. AMALGAMATED CITY ELECTORATES, la subsection 3, providing that no person should be registered in respect to one district, Mr Palmer moved to add the words “or vote for more than one candidate at each election.” Hij object was to prevent each city elector exercising three votes, as at present. The Premier pointed out that the hon, gentleman could only do away with amalgamated city electorates by an amendment of the Representation Act. So long as an amalgamated electorate existed it would not do to reduce the townspeople to only onethird of the voting power of the residents in the country. MrT. Thomson called to hon. members’ recollection the prediction he bad made as to the undesirability of amalgamating the city electorates, and suggested that an amendment should be made next year to again divide the city electorates. The amendment was negatived by 37 to 21. MAORI REPRESENTATION. Mr Carroll brought under the notice of members that while the Maori population of the North Island was 39,000, they were represented by only three Native members, or oa!y one member for every 13,000 Native?. He contended that the Maoris in the North Island were insufficiently represented, and that they were entitled to at least another member on the basis of population. He hoped that the time would also speedily corns when they would do away with the special representation of the Native population, and that tho Maoris would be placed on exactly the same footing and on the same roll as Europeans, The Premier remarked that the Southern member had stated that his constituents desired to vote only for Native members. Captain Russell pointed out that if representation were granted to Maoris on a population basis, the Maoris of the South Island, who numbered 2,000 only, would lose their member, Mr Rees said that if the Natives were put on the same footing as Europeans, they would be represented by some fifteen European members, representing various mixed electorates, and that the result would be to cause members generally to take greater interest than at present in matters affecting the Native race.

The Premier was of opinion that the change proposed was too revolutionary to effect at once, and, moreover, ho was convinced that the Natives were not desirous or prepared to do away with their special representation. The clause which provides that Maoris and half-castes shall not be registered on European rolls met with a good deal of opposition, and its consideration was deferred. DISQUALIFYING OFFENDERS FROM ENROLMENT. Serious exception to clause 8 (providing that aliens, public offenders, and defaulters shall be disqualified) was taken by Sir 6, Grey, who contended that it would be a cruel thing to lay this infliction on persons who have been convicted as criminals in addition to the punishment inflicted on them. He moved to strike ont the latter part of the clause, which was agreed to. The clause as amended provides that no aliens nor persons convicted of being idle or disorderly rogues or vagabonds, or any more serious offence, shall be permitted to exercise the vote until such person shall have undergone the punishment inflicted. registration of electors.

Exception was taken by Mr Dockland :o the clause requiring a deposit of LI by any person other than the registrar in respect to each objection made to names on the electoral roll.

The Premier pointed out that it was the duty of the registrar to see that the rolls were correct, and that this provision was necessary in order to prevent trivial objections being made. The clause was retained as printed, and prevision made empowering resident magistrates to allow costs to be paid by the objector to the person resisting the objection,

Mr Kelly (Invercargill) urged that where the registrar of any district certified that any name had been omitted by error, the person whose name bad been so omitted should be permitted to exeroise his vote, Sir John Hall stated that prior to tho late General Election his own name was

atrnok off the roll by the registrar in error, and that, bad it not been for his discovery, by the merest accident, of the omission, he could not h&vo been a candidate for parliamentary honors; while fourteen others, the oldest inhabitants of his district, had been similarly disfranchised. Mr Rees, speaking on the same subject, complained that in Auckland there were hundreds of names of citizens, who had voted for the previous ten years, which were omitted from the electoral rolls. Men oame to the polling booths in dozens, and found that their names had been struck off without any explanation. Mr R. Thompson said that men were sent round the country on payment at a rate of so much per hundred to put names on the roll, and that these names were sent to the registrar in largo batches a few days before the writs were iasaed, and when there was no time to allow objections to be lodged. The registrar, although aware that these names were bogus, could not refuse to receive them. The Premier promised to look into this matter, with a view to obviating blunders of this description being made in future, and the matter was allowed to drop, THE ELECTORAL BIGHT SYSTEM. Some discussion took place on a proposal to extend the electoral right privilege to commercial travellers, shearers, railway men, etc. All found friends willing to support their claims in the same direction, and the difficulty in the way of the proposal was brought to a climax when Dr Newman suggested that electoral rights should also be issued to bookmakers, horse-trainers, and others similarly employed. It was proposed as an amendment to the clause which provides for the issue o! electoral rights to seamen, the addition of the words “and other persons absent from their electoral districts.”—This was opposed by the Premier, and lost on a division by 29 to 13.

A further amendment, proposed by Mr Fish, to grant electoral rights to commercial travellers, was also lost by 24 to 16. POLLING DAY A PUBLIC HOLIDAY. A long discussion took place on olause 74, sotting forth that polling day at General Election must be observed as a public holiday. The clause was supported by all the labor members except Mr Oarnorcss, who considered that there was rather too much a tendency to kill the working man with kindness. Mr Fish also objected, pointingontthatthe clause really meant that the real workers of the colony, who were paid by the day, would lose a day’s pay ; besides, he thought that in the towns every man had ample opportunity to go to the poll. Sir John Hall did not see that the law ought to go further than to require each employer to do more than give his men a reasonable opportunity of recording their votes. Mr Buchanan thought every man who refused hie men a chance of polling should bo ashamed of himself.—(Laughter, and “ Take down the words.”) Mr Buckland pointed ont that to make the holiday compulsory would deprive of their day’s pay numbers of women and young people who did not want to vote at all. Mr Earksuaw argued that the day was one of national importance, and to make it a holiday would cause more interest to be taken in elections. Mr Duthie protested against the tendency to increase the cumber of holidays, greatly to the disarrangement of business. On a division the clause was retained by 24 to 17. PROCEEDINGS AT NOMINATIONS. On clause 78, candidates to be nominated by separate nomination papers, Mr Saunders moved that the names of nominators of candidates be advertised in the newspapers by the returning officers at the same time as the names of candidates. Lost by 24 to 11. Mr Saunders moved a farther addition that a returning officer shall call a meeting of electors and of candidates who have been nominated, to be held not less than three days before the polling clay, at 7 p.m. ; at such meeting each candidate to address the oleo'o. s for half an hour, and reply to questions put by an elector. Lost on the voices. A SERIOUS INNOVATION. On clause 112 (number of votes to be ascertained on the close of poll) Mr Buxck moved—“ That when the number of votes do not exceed forty, the deputy-returning officer shall seal the ballot box with his own seal and deliver the ballot boxes to the returning officer.” Carried by 16 to 14. Mr Buckland moved to report progress. The amendment would destroy the Auckland electorate. Ho was surprised that the Premier, in order to please one of his supporters, should vote for such a clause as this. Under this proposal in some districts they would have to wait for a fortnight before the result of elections were known; and who was to say that the ballot boxes would not be tampered with if the elections were sup posed ta be going in a particular way ? Colonel Fraser said of all the ridic clous clauses he had ever heard this was the worst. The proposal just carried would shake all confidence in the elections.

Mr Carncross supported the reporting progress, The amendment was a serious flaw in the Bill, and if they went any further some more wonderful surprises might be sprung on them. Sir John Hall pointed out that some of the Government supporters were anxious to report progress. There was another clause, which proposed to close public-houses on polling day, which it was desirable to discuss in a fuller House. The Premier saw no reason to report progress simply because a majority of the Committee had carried a certain clause in the Bill, He knew that there was a strong feeling at some small polling places that the ballot was not secret,

Mr Housion could not agree with the Premier in this matter. The clause just carried had destroyed all the interest he had iu the Bill. It had certainly destroyed all interest iu his electorate.

Mr Buckland appealed to the Premier to re commit and reconsider this clause in a fuller House. If Mr Ballauce gave that promise he should withdraw his motion to report progress, The Premier said he should consider that. The Bill would havo to be recommitted, and it would then be open to Mr Buckland to move that this particular clause be re-committed. Mr Jackson Palmer said this outcome would injure his district (Waitemata) more than any other one, and it might be five days, or, if it were bad weather, five weeks, before the result of the election could be known.

The Premier said he should leave it to the Committee as to whether or not it would be willing to re-commit this clause. Sir J. Hall asked whether the Premier would assist country members in getting this clause re-committed. He thought a promise of that kind might very well bo given by the hon. gentleman, so that the question could receive fair consideration.

The Premier said he should not put any restraint on members. They could vote on the re committal as they pleased. Mr Buckland withdrew his amendment to report progress. The remaining clauses passed'with slight amendments, and the new clauses were postponed. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 1.30.