PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9436, 6 August 1889, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

[B7 TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Monday. Tiie House met afc 2.30.

BILLS RECEIVED. Several Bills were received from the Legislative Council, and ordered to be considered on Thursday next. The House adjourned at 2.45 till 7.30. THE REPRESENTATION BILL. The House resumed at 7.30 in Committee on the Representation Bill. After some discussion on the alterations effected in the Bill as the result of the compromise between the town and country parties, clause 1, short title, was agreed to on the voices. Clause 2, providing that, in computing for the purposes of the Act, the population of the colony, 28 per cent, shall be added to the population not contained in any city, borough, or town district, which contains a population of over 2000, was agreed to. Sub-section 5 of clause 2 : Amalgamation of the electorates of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin to return three members each. Mr. Fish moved that the sub-section be struck out. He thought the system of single electorates had worked very well, and under the present proposal a popular leader would carry the whole seats in any particular district. Mr. Downie Stewart denied that there was any danger of one man carrying all the seats with him. He hoped the Govornrnont would drop the Bill altogether if they could not carry this part of it. Dr. Is'kwman supported the clause, believing the groat majority were in favour of the proposal. ■ Mr. Taylor opposed the amalgamation. Mr. Reeves (St. Albans) thought the present time opportune for effecting a change. Mr. Thompson (Auckland North) opposed the proposal. The people in his oonabituency were not desirous of making a change. Mr. G oldie also spoke against the proposal. Mr. Samuel also opposed the proposal. Mr. Fish's amendment was lost by 48 to 13.

Mr. Taylor moved "To exclude the Borough of Sydenham from boroughs required to make up the population of city electorate districts." Lost by 39 to 15. Mr. Hodokinson moved an amendment for amalgamating country districts. Lost by 44 to 20. In the new clause dealing with the margin and giving the Commissioners a discretionary margin nob exceeding 100 in arranging city electoral districts and other distriote adjoining them, Mr. Guinness moved "That 750 be inserted instead of 100." Lost on the voices. Mr, Cadman desired to move a provision for taking the census, for the purposes of the Act, before the 30th June, 1890, but at the suggestion of Mr. Hislof, who said another opportunity would be given for considering the question, he withdrew the amendment, and clause 2, as amended, was added to the Bill by 55 to IG. Sir G. Grky moved a new clause for the abolition of plural voting. Sir George Grey's new clause, " one-man-one - vote " wns carried by 55 to 18. A penalty clause rendering the person guilty of an offence under the clause liable to £50 fine was carried. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 1 a.m.