The Electoral Bill.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 209, 3 September 1891, Page 3

The Electoral Bill.

n ilium jffilinln-iil tl'i*ma*utmma*e^*um^immk4t^*^ml^mm±ma*m In oomieotion with the failure of the Russian harvest and the prohibited exportation of rye, the following letter from an exportation of rye, the following letter from an experienced landowner of Kostroma, published in the St. Petersburger Zeitong, is of interest :—'• I have never yet in all my experience seen suoh a frightful famine and suoh a hopeleHs condition of the people in all the grain-producing provinces of Russia. I would not have believed it bad I not scon it with my own eyes. There is no more old oorn left, and the new harvest will not suffice even for seed. Flour costs one rouble 40 kopeks a pood, acd will soon be at two roubles a pood. The peasant bas an entire year before bim without hope and without means of subsistence till the next harvest. In our own province a subsidy of 2 500,000 roubles will be necessary. At the same time the State and looal oolleotion of taxes must suffer greatly in consequence. This is the state of affairs in 20 provinces.'' The Exchange Gazette says that such a failure of rye crops has not occurred in Russia for many years past. While the wheat crops in some regions will be middling the rye harvest is everywhere bad, and it must be remember that rye forms the basiß of the peasants' food. The Russian Ministry of Imperial Property proposes to revive the linen-weaving industry, wbioh has of late deteriorated in the governments where linen is produced. It proposes among other measures to furnish poor weavers with maohines at the lowest prices. |

The proposal that the polling day at general elections shall be a publio holiday was Btrongly opposed, even by one or two of the labour members but was retained. Opposition was aroused in consequence of Mr Buiok carrying Ly 16 votes to 14 a provision that whene.cr the number of votes is lets than foity the ballot box shall be sent unopened to the principal returning officer, who Bhall mix up the ballot papers with these from other booths. The Premier, however, pacified the objectors by promising to let the House decide whether it would recommit the clause. The proposed new clauses were left over for another day. A Three-cornered Duel. This afternoon's silticg of the House of Representatives was remarkable for a •• three-cornered duel " between the Opposition, the Government party, and the radical seotion of the Ministerial following on the electoral question in Committee on the Electoral BiU. .In one respect at least a t very material alteration wbb made. This was in regard to the qualification of eleotoi s. Under the existing law every propeity owner can register nnder either his residential or his freehold qualification, but nit under both. The Government proposed by the bill to perpetuate this system. The extremist division of the party, headed by Mr Rees, made an immediate attack upon '. the olause ahd endeavoured to abolish the freehold qualification altogether S3- as to have none but the residential qualification i throughout the colony. In answer to tbis it waß pointed out by members of the , Opposition that a man's chief interests might be in altogether different districts from that in which he resided. Surely. they argued, he ought to be allowed to vote in respect of that district if he chose. The Premier expressed his indifference on the subject and left it to the House to decide. Mr Rees' amendment was thereupon rejeoted I by 39 to 23, the Opposition voting against it, together with the immediate following of t the Government. A proposal was then made 1 by Mr O'Conor and Mr Raea to give owners of 1 leaseholds the Bame right to the pioperty i franchiee seeing that their stake in partioular distriots was often greater than that of email ; freeholders. The Government objeoted lo tbis on the ground tbat if every small leaseholder was entitled to register thera would be interminable stuffiing of rolls with faggot lease votes. The amendment was, however, carried by 33 to 29. The premier then found * tbe proposal so far opposed to his principles , that he had to ask that the whole of the , Bubseotion relating to the property qualifiea- t tion be struok out. In this motion the ' Government and Radioals oombined and to the great delight of the latter the motion was I oarried by 42 to 50. The sweeping nature of the charge has caused considerable sen- _ sation and it is thought that the Minis- * ters will have to re-en taot the freehold qualification in some form in order to give tbe measure even * the ghost of a show when it gels to the Legislative Counoil. A , motion by Mr Mitchelson to conip-1 every ( person registering himself upon the eleotoral ] rolls to attend personally before the Registrar ot eleotorß or Postmaster, in order to ensure 8 the .purity of tho rolls, was opposed by tbe -, Government on the ground that it was deßir- t able to give the greatest possible facilities for registration, and was therefore lost on the * voices. Mr Palmer tried to abolish the cumulative vote in regard to the amalgamated oity electorates, but this waß negatived by 37 to 21, There was a long discussion upon a | proposal to make any balf-oaßte holding the requisite qualification choose whether be , will register npon the roll of European | electors or whether he will vote in the Maori - eleotion. Mr Carroll (Eastern Maori) strongly « urged that full blooded Maoris should be allowed the same option as a preparatory Btep to abolishing the Epeoial native representation altogether. The Premier, however, did not thick that the Maoris were yet prepared for euch au extensive ohaDge. Ultimately the clause in question was postponed to enable' the Maori members to oocsider the matter. Great complaints were made by members about the looseness of the system under whioh rolls were purged, cases being mentioned in which names were removed from tbe rolls Bimply upon rgmoval of electors from one part of a district to another and without their receiving any i notioe whatever. An amendment was agreed to by which the period after which notices of intention to strike names off must be returned by the post office authorities to the Registrar waß extended to thirty days. It was agreed that the names of electors should be publicly exhibited outaide the Registrar's offioe for at least a month. A proposal was made by Mr Duthie to enable any elector who has to be absent from home on the polling day to obtain an elector's right in the same way as a seaman, and vote hy means of it. The Premier strongly objeoted to the proposal, on the ground that it would prevent the supervision necessary to ensure the Eeorecy of the ballot. If it were carried it would be almost as well to disperse with personal attendance at the poll altogether and let all voting be done by post, Mr Duthie's motion was lost hy 39 to 17, The Auctioneers Bill, ? The disputed points between the two chambers in regard to the Auotioneerß Bill have been compromised by an agreement that the revenue from fees shall continue as heretofore to be paid to the looal body of the district where the auotiuneer conduots his business. Auotioneera are also to pay money reoeived on account of real property into a trust account pending the completion of title. Payment of Members Bill, Notioe has been given by Mr Duncan of an amendment to the Payment of Members Bill to reduce the annual payment to 200 guineas, whioh was the amount of honourarium prior to the last alteration. This Day, I Small Birds Nuisance. The Live Stock Committee recommends that the Small Bird* Nuisance Bill bo allowed to proceed, It propc ses to amend it by empowering local bodies to strike a rate without reference to the ratepayer co long as the rate does not exceed a farthing in the pound.

A letter from Ceylon says that the pear fishery laßt season was the Becond largest en record during the present century. The amount realised by the Government was more than 900 000 rupees, equal to £289,800. The Wesleyans and Congcegationalists of London are relieving the outcast poor of the metropolis by thousands. In one week the London Congregational Union gave shelter to 3-17 homeless beings, most of them from the rural districts, for over a third of the population was not born within its bounds. The shelter halls give a little coffee and a few buna to the most needy on Sunday, and theii the gospel is preached to these people, who never enter churohes, in the same halls where sleep and food have been afforded, A New Hampshire man whose eo-wa I bothered him by jumping over fences Bhood his oows forward with horseshoes, and he has | had" no further trouble. He explains hia method by saying that the oowb, surprised at finding that they have a solid instead of a split hoof, do not attempt to jump. Mr Gladstone is of opinion that the *5 paid to MBton for " Paaadise Lest " was the first payment made for literary work. There were before Milton's time authors in the pay of booksellers, •.** Milton, however," he says " was no journeyman. He sold a property, and I have not yet obtained notice of any earlier oase in which a literary work was made the'st^bjeot of sale and purchase. Very possibly some case or cases may oome to light." - ■ -: ' ■ J"' -Xhe Sootoh oensuß, whioh is the last of all ' to con^e in, shows tiie same increase in ths town and decrease in the rural population whioh the wI&U:4fW& Wt ** B btooming