POLITICAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10112, 10 August 1893, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

OUE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.! WELLINGTON’, August 9. NATIVE LAND LEGISLATION. The West Coast Settlements Act Amendment Bill has been passed by the Native Affairs Committee, with bat ' trifling amondtmn's. Tho Native Land Court Certificates Confirmation B 11, introduced by Mr Carroll in the House to-day, proposes to grant certificates to some blocks in the Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay districts, dealt with by the Native Lauda Court, under the Validation of Titles Act of last session.

There is wide diversity of opinion as to the merits of the Native Lands Purchase and Acquisition Bill. Many members give warm praise to the Government for the proposals of this measure. Tho resumption of the pre-emptive right of purchase is commended by those versed in the subject, but the Native members of the House and severalothbr members are said to be resolved to offer determined opposition to tho Bill ; and its chances of passing into law in its present shape are extremely doubtful. CONSTITU I'IONAL BBFOBM, The Elected Executive Bill which Mr O’Cooor is introducing will, it is understood, be on the lines of the report presented in 1801 by the Constitutional Representation Committee appointed on Mr O’Conor’s motion. The object is to have the executive elected by Parliament. Provision will be made that whenever a new Parliament assembles, and the Speaker of the House is elected, the members of the House shall proceed to tho election of ssven Ministers. All electors are eligible for nomination aa Ministers, but the paper must be signed by toe candidate and not less than six members of the House. The Speaker shall preside over the election, which shall be conducted by ballot and on the principle of proportional voting. The seats cf numbers oi either Chamber who may be elected Ministers shall become vacant, but Ministers shall have the right to be present to speak and initiate proposals, but not to vote. Legisla’ion may be introduced by Minutera of the'r own motion, or upon inBtructioas from Parliament. Appointments of Court Judges, members of the Legislative Council and tbs Agent-General sliali bo made by the Ministry, sub jest to the approval of Parliament, and Ministers shall not recoimmnd the Governor to dissolve Parliament without like sanction. THE LICENSING QUESTION. The'following information hearing on the financial aspect of the licensing question was laid before the House in a return obtained on the motion of Mr Fish. The number of the different classes of licenses granted in the (’oiony tor the year ending June 30, 1892, vir as follows - Publicans’ licenses 1431, New Zealand wine 7, accommodation 240, oottio 58, packet 61, wholesale 137. The license fees paid Vo local bodies amounted Co .£00,299. Noiuformasion is available as to conditional licenses. SIB K. STOUT’S BILL.

The greater part of the evening Bitting was consumed in en obstructive debate oa a motion to go into Committee on Sir E. Stout’s Licensing Act Amendment Bill. Two ihinga were, however, made abundantly clear in the course ot the debate. (1) That many members were beginning to run crooked on the licensing question; (2) That the Government Liquor Bill will propose to give the people a digest vote on the number of licenses, but wita a proviso for a two-thirda or three-fifths majority. The attitude of members was very well summarised by Mr Tanner, when he said that every speaker during three home had been declaring that this was an important question and must now be faced, while at the same time they showed great disinclination to face it. The division on the motion to report progress on the Bill was explained by the Premier to mean that members would express an opinion as to whether or not licensing legislation should be carried through by Government or by a private member. The narrow majority of 30 to 28, by which this was carried, while it showed a nearly equal division of opinion on that point, was chiefly significant as proving what members are "wobbly” OQ the principle of the meamre. NEW MEMBERS. In the course of the evening Messrs M’Gowan and Cadmsn, the newly-elected members for Thames and Auckland respectively, took the oaths and their seats amid general applause. Mr M’Gowan was introduced by the Premier and Colonel Fraser, and after subscribing to the oath, was carried off in tnumph by the Government whips, Mr Oadman, who was warmly welcomed, was led to the table by the Hons J« M’Eenzte and W. P. Eeaves. WOMAN SUFFRAGE. _ On the sec md reading of the Women's • Franchise Bill a division was called for: by Mr Meredith, who afterwards explained ; that ho was in favour of the measure, but had challenged the second reading in order to show the country what members were in their places and took an interest in the question. As no more than thirty three could be persuaded to record their votes, of whom only throe were against the second reading, the presumption is that members are confident thfit the woman’s franchise is safe to pass, la the course of the debata Sir John Hall administered a severe rebuke to Mr Fish for bin reckless and slanderous assertion that many (signatures to the petitions were duplicated, and that girls from six to ten 1 ' years of ago had signed. - ' JOTTINGS AND INCIDENTS. Petitions in favour of the return of his diploma to Dr Bussell, signed by over three thousand residents of Christchurch and suburbs, have been received, and were presented by Mr Joyce to the Premier to-day. These petitions will be laid before the Governor in due course. The Government has accepted tenders for the supply of Martini-Henry rifles to volunteers as recommended by LiontenantColouel Fox, and an order his been given for three thousand, extending over three years. The first thousand are to be delivered in three months, and the remainder at the rate of a thousand a year.

number of shipowners’ representatives are now in Wellington, and held a meeting to-day in connection with the Shipping and Seamen’s Act Amendment Bill. It was resolved that Mr K. Ramsay, Dunedin, Mr A. Cock, of the Anchor line. Nelson, Mr J. Ransom, Northern Steamship Company, Auckland, and Messrs Gale and Levin, representing Wellington shipping interests, should tender evid»nce to fhe Labour Bills Committee on the subject of the Bill. The Auctioneers Act Amendment Bill introduced by the Premier to-day is intended to prevent evasions of the law such as have recently practised by the “American salesman” in the south. On the motion of Me W. Hutchison, a rotura was presented, showing that the cost of printing and publishing the transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute for the year 1892 was <£s7B 10s Bd, Mrs Ann Keaet is petitioning Parliament for a compassionate allowance on account of the services rendered by her late husband, Stephen Keaet, on the ChristohurehLyttoltoa railway. A petition, praying for a compassionate allowance to Peter Brown, lata railway shunter at Lyttelton, is referred by the Committee to Government for consideration. The Oxford Road Board’s petition for u shar* of the royalty from timber cut in the Oxford Bush has been referred to tho Government for consideration. The Christchurch Hospital Act Amendment Bill has been reported upon by the Locr.l Bills Committee, and recommended to bo allowed, to proceed with t<yo verbal ameadiße'itj, The Canterbury Agricultural and Pasfcoiv.l Aajociafcioa Empowering Bill No. 2 baa bad the schedule amended and verified bv the General Survey Office, and the Local Bills Committee recommends that the Bill ba tillowe i to proceed.