HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 23 October 1914, Page 6

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

In the House, m reply to Sir Joseph ,i the Premier stated that the Govhad not yet considered toe ne-.i j* cessity of instructing the Huntly Disaster Commission to enquire mto & -charges of intimidation A decision t would be come to before the Commis- £ sio*i reported. v i ? . Tue amendments made m the Local .'^Railways Bill by the Legislative, Counwere*agreed to. £ LEGISLATURE AMENDMENT BILL. { \ The House Avent into committee on ■t_ the Legislature Amendment Bill No. 2. Hon. F. M. B. Fisher issued an J Order Paper, containing an alteration V"Jn the voting of seamen, who, it is now £1 proposed, shall vote in the electorate ?z. in which they signed their articles " $i/ Tho Opposition severely criticised the |pv proposal to alter the method of record- £- ing seamen'*, votes, the> bmdeu of bKe ?. Argument being that the change was £; made 'entirely in the interests of the i*-^ Minister of Marine ancT the member V tfor Auckland West. Sir Joseph Ward that the Bill connived at deil priving the seamen of a privilege which V they had enjoyed since 1893. He mov--4 ed, as an amendment to the title, "that f* this is an Act to deprive the seamen "<>f New Zealand from exercising their $1 Votes with, the same freedom that has r> existed since the passing of the Act in j£ Hon. F. M. B. Fisher said the proposed amendment was made for the ; o purpose of preventing seamen int 1 properly using the privileges which they 1 enjoyed.

After Messrs Wilford, Bradney, and - Miller had spoken a division was taken upon the amendment, which was defeated by 36 to 28. C^ ltga 8 was amended to provide for month's r^sidenco for qualification t \ lo exeroi&o ft v<?te« A new clause, 7a, was added, provider *»« that seamen shall h c deemeJ' to ;; Sri elector of the district eotnpiising e the port at which he signed articles," , x and-that any seaman not engaged upon '- a ship Be deemed to be an elector of the district comprising the poit at , which he was last discharged. ' - M.V McCombs movecl an «r^nJi.«l* r \ providing for the election of women to the Hflusa.

_ The Premier objecteo' to the clause, „ ;and it was quite a different thing from the! clause passed last night giving ; • women the right to sit in the Legislative Council. Sir George Grey was regarded as the great apostle of LiberalIsm, but»while he was in favor of vvo- ( men becoming good and useful members ,of the revising chamber he was never in favor of their becoming members of the Lower House.

On a division being taken, the clause v,as rejected by 23 to 27. The Bill was then reported from cotnrrittee.

The Premier proposed to take the third reading;

Sir Joseph Ward protested against • the dogmatic proceeding of the GovernBKnment in driving the Bill through; »' -saying' tliat no^ one had asked for the ".measure, which was a pure reprisal V 4 against the seamen and was being, prowioted for party reasons. Premier replied that it was tinx fair to allow seamen to concentrate their votes, in any one electorate for ' " the purpose of crushing a particular 'candidate. The debale was continued by Messrs Witty and McCombs. X ■■: : The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher replied

land the Bill passed without division. ;vThe ■',Land. Act Amendment •Bill, Kauri Gam : Act Amendment, Inpf Machinery -Act Amendment 1?%; ;}T? r®: iutrochiced by Governor^ jTnessageiahd read a first time.