NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 125, 25 June 1881, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

[Specially Telegraphed to Star.]

[per united press association.]

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thursday, June 23.

The debate on the Licensing Bill was continued in Committee.

! Colonial wine license fee, £1. — Mr. H. Bastings moved that it should be increased |to £10. The original amount was carried by 36 to 17. The packet license fee was altered to £5 for vessels under 56 tons, and £10 above that tonnage. Mr. Andrews moved that the wholesale license fee be raised from £10 to £20.— Agreed to. 1 Mr. Andrews' motion, that the conditional license fee be not exceeding £5 per day, instead of not exceeding £30 for the whole period, was rejected by 26 to 24, and the original proposal was passed. Mr. Tole moved to inserta confectioner's and eating-house license at £10 — to authorise the sale of liquors during certain hours with victuals. The motion was rejected by 27 to 19. Mr. Pitt moved the insertion of an accommodation house lieenae fee not exceeding £20, and dwelt strongly on the necessity for such licenses in remote districts.

Sir Wm. Fox strongly opposed. His experience showed that accommodation houses, when licensed, were usually abominable dens, where poisonous liquor was sold, and shepherds and shearers lambed down. He had seen this even in Nelson.

Messrs. Pitt, Reid, Shepherd, Reeves, Hursthouse, and others, questioned this statement, bearing testimony to the excellent manner accommodation houses in the Nelson district were conducted, and their grert use and benefit to travellers. Mr. Saunders opposed the proposal, holding such houses to be better conducted if not licensed.

The Hons. Messrs. Dick and Hall opposed the proposal as unnecessary, as special licensing districts could be made where required. Mr. Pitt's proposal was then carried by 33 to 11. Clause 108 was then passed, and progress was reported. The House rose at 1.20.

Feiday, June 24.

The House met at 2.30.

Mr. Fulton gave notice to ask if the Government intended to bring down a measure for the more effective suppression of wife desertion, thereby preventing women so deserted frombecoining chargeable on the colony. Sir George Grey gave notice that he would, on the 30th instant, bring down a local self-government measure. Replying to questions, it was stated that the Government had under consideration the propriety of introducing this session an amended Qualification of Electors Act, 1879, in the direction of giving votes to leaseholders and ratepayers. The Act gave full power to open land in Canterbury, now held under pastoral lease in May, 1882, for pastoral aud deferred payment purposes. Plans and reports on these lands were in course of being prepared, and when these were completed fuller explanations as to the intentions of the Government would be given. The Government did not intend to introduce a Native Lands Sale Bill this session. Some such measure would probably be brought in next session. The following Bills were introduced, and read a first time :— To make provision for regulating and conducting the election of members of the House of Representatives ; Corrupt Practices Prevention (Johnston); Masterton and Greytown Lands Management Act, 1871, Amendment Act (Dick).

THE LICENSING BILL.

The Licensing Bill was further considered in committee. A motion proposed by Mr. Turnbull, that licensing fees be made colonial instead of local revenue, was lost on a division by 5 to 54. A motion proposed by Mr. Murray, that packet licenses be treated as colonial revenue, aud not the revenue of the locality in which the license was issued, was also lost. ' Clause 126 was, on the motion of bir William Fox,altered to read— "No woman, other than the licensee, shall be employed

in the bar of a licensed house more than eight hours each day." On the motion of Mr. Bowen, it was agreed that no female, except as aforesaid, shall, with or without her consent, be employed in the bar after 10 p.m. On clause 129, Sir William Fox moved that tea, cofiee, &c., should be supplied at all times at the bars of all licensed houses.

The debate was interrupted at 5.30 p.m. by the adjournment for dinner.