EVENING SITTING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5527, 1 November 1879, Page 3

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30. THE ELECTORAL BILL. The debate on the Qualification of Electors Bill was resumed. Mr Saunders regretted that the whole of the measures on the subject were not before the House together. He agreed with a good deal that had been said by Sir George Grey. So far as he (Mr Saunders) understood the bill it gave a right to property for the exercise of any number of votes, provided the vote was not recorded at one election. Ho would vote for the bill, but would reserve bis right to suggest amendments in committee. Mr AndreAVs blamed the Government for not having brought down all the series of bills on election matters at the

one time. If the bill before the House passed and some of the others did not the situation would be rendered most embarrasing. He would support the second reading, reserving his right to make alterations in committee. Mr Dick objected to the £25 property qualification. There should be but one vote in elections to the House. They should have only one qualification — manhood suffrage. With such a low property qualification as was proposed ia the bill non-residents would be able to qualify themselves in a number of adjoining districts, with the result that those nonresidents would awarap the votes of the residents. He also objected to the exemption made againßt the natives. They should be encouraged to qualify themselves so. as to be placed on the same footing as Europeans. Education should also be encouraged amongst the natives, so that the native members in the House might be able to understand the debates, instead of trusting to the dastorted versions given them by interpreters and others with a political bias. In com-

mittee, however, he thought the bill was quite capable of being remodelled into a good, useful measure. Mr Pitt said that in a House so strongly imbued with Liberalism, he was astonished that nothing had been said about extending the franchis to women. They had been told that they represented the people. He denied that such was or could be the case so long as they excluded the female franchise. Women were amenable to all political obligations, and he could see no reason why they should not be allowed to participate in the political privileges. He was not, however, prepared to go the length -of saying that they should have seats in the House. He believed a reform of that kind would come sooner or later, and he saw no reason why they should not <face the question at once. Mr Hutchison said the bill did aim at givine: a plurality of votes to property, but in a way that was an injustice to property. The men with small scraps of property here and there got the plurality, and the man with all hia property in one block, no matter how large, had only one vote. They stood there to represent men, not property. Ho thought they should give the Maori the right of voting along with themselves. He contended that tho exemption made in the case of persons convicted of crime was injudicious. They might as individuals take what view they liked of such persons, but as a body politic it would never do to adopt the stringent measure . proposed in in the bill. Mr Hall, in replying, said that the

recprds of the House showed that the late Government intended, ill the Electoral Bill tliey proposed to bring dowhj to provide for the representation of property as ftell as for a residential (Qualification. The .GoVkrnmeiifc would giVe die natives equal rights with the Europeans,, but would strenuously oppose giving them greater privileges. . With respect to the property dualiiieation, though it might or might not be tile popular opinion .that property should be represented, he thought that those who were liable to extra sacrifices should have a voice in making the iaws. It was said that under that qualification men would' g"o here and there to make votes, biit he had never heard of that being done. He was glad, tile matter had been deftlt with apart frb'm party' spirit, and he believed that in committee arrangements would be made that would meet the views of all parties. The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed next Tuesday. UMISfKAI'ION OF JSLEdTOftS Jill*: Mr Hall moved the second reading of the Registration of Electors Bill; He said that the bill proposed to alter the mode df making up the rolls. They wOiiid hot be required . td be mads tip at any pafticular period as ai present. Prbvision was made for seeing that qualified persons were enrolled, for the inspection of the rolls, and f° r pointing tlleni from tithe to time: , The bill was r&aa a second time and ordered to be committed next week. REGULATION OP ELECTIONS BILL. Mr Hall moved the second reading of the Regulation of Elections Bill. He stated that amongst other provisions it changed the hour 3of polling to from 9 o'clock in the morning to 6 o'clock. As a guarantee of good faith £10 had to be deposited which, in the event of a candidate polling 50 votes, would be returned ; if not the money would be forfeited. Mr Saunders protested against the provision made in the bill for private nominations. Mr Speight concurred in the objection of the previous speaker. The motion was then put a crrried. CORRUPT PRACTICES PREVENTION BILL. Mr Hall moved tho second reading of the Corrupt Practices Prevention Bill. The motion was put and carried without comment. ELECTION PETITIONS BILL. Mr Hall moved the second reading of the Election Petitions Bill. He said that the alteration proposed by. the bill was that election petitions should be dealt with by the Supreme Court Judges. The motion was put and carried. ELECTORAL ACTS REPEAL BILL. On the motion of Mr Hall the Electoral Acts Repeal Bill was read a second time. TBIEKNIAL PARLIAMENTS BILL. On the motion of Mr Hall the Triennial Parliaments Bill was read a second time. At 32.30 a.m. the House adjourned.