ANTI-GERMAN BILL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17934, 30 October 1918, Page 9

ANTI-GERMAN BILL.

MR VIGOR BROWN AND THE FRANCHISE.

AN INTERESTING DTOSJON

[Fbom Oto CbMHBSWinaHT.] WELLINGTON, October 29. The first division of the session was taken on Mr J. Vigor Brown's Naturalised Subjects Franchise Bill, and the division list is bound to cause some amusement; as Sir James Allen and Sir William Fraser deliberately walked out with the minority including tha Labour Party. Mr S. G. Smith, the new Tarahaki member, did not follow the official Labour section. The Bill, which proposed to disfranchise any naturalised British subject of inemy origin, contained the following jlause:—. 5 (1.) At any poll taken under the Legislature Act, 1908, or any Act relating to local government, the presiding officer shall put to any person claiming to vote bearing a name suggesting that he is an alien of enemy origin all or any of the following questions:—(a) Are you a subject of any of the countries | (naming them) with which Great Britain is at warP (b) Are you a naturalised British subject? (c) What was your nationality immediately before the grant of your certificate of naturalisation; or (in the case of a wife or child of a naturalised British subject of enemy origin) what was your nationality at the time of naturalisation? (2.) The presid- . ing officer may require the production of any certificate of naturalisation as a condition to admitting the said person to vote, or may dispense with euch production. (3.) If any person refuses to answer fully any Question put to him as aforesaid, or by his answer shows that he is not entitled to have his name on the roll or to Vote, his claim to vote shall be rejected., the division list was as follows: Against the Bill—Allen, Sir J., Buick. Fraser. P., Fraser, Sir W., Harris.' Hindmarsh, Holland, Hudson, Isitt, Jennings. M'Calliim, M'Combs, Stewart. Veitch, Walker. For the Bill—Anderson, Anstey, Bollard, Brown. Buddo, Colvin, Craigie, Dickson. J. S., Field, TV A. H., Field, \V. H , Findlay, Guthrie, Hanan, Herries, Lee, Luke, MacDonald, Malcolm, Mander, Massey. Myers, Newman, Dr A K , Noswor'thv, Parr, Pearc9.' Poh/nd, Poole, Rhodes,- T. W., Russell, Scott. Sidey, Smith, S. G., Sykes, Talbot. .Thicker, Uru, Ward, Sir J., Wilford, Wilkinson. Wright.