FEDERAL CONVENTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8531, 3 April 1891, Page 5

FEDERAL CONVENTION.

THE FEDERAL CAPITAL.

DISCUSSION cm THE CONSTITUTION BILL, Press Ateociatioii.—Electrio Telegraph.—Copyright. Sydney, April 2. Mr. Dibbs gave notice of motion that Sydney should be the federal capital. .

When the committee resumed, Mr. Monro's amendment to reduce the representatives in the Sonata to Six for each colony was negatived.

Mr. Kingston moved in the direction of leaving the method of election of senators open, in order to permit the States to exercise their own judgment. s Mr, Gillies thought lb would nob do to allow the people to elect directly td the Senate, because the men elected would only represent a majority, and not give a fair representation of the whole. At present the |Jwo Houses substantially represented the whole. Of course some colonics were contented to have a nominated Upper House, but that WaS their own look out. He considered the arguments in favour of direct representation on the Senate unsound. Sir Hknry Parkks quite approved of leaving to the colonies the right of saying how members of the Senate should bo created, but the amendment would give the power to form constituencies for the Senate.

Tho Hoh. C. C. Kingston thought if the | States wore allowed to fix constituencies, I the representatives ought to be allowed to do the same for the Senate. The amendment was negatived. The clause was amended in the direction of the Governor of State certifying to the Senators elected, and was then passed. Clause ten, relating to election of Senators, passed. * Clause 11, failure of ft State to choose senators, passed. On clause 12, 'providing for the retirement of senators, a long discussion took place on the question of fixing tho date from which the term of Service of senators shall begin. Several precautionary amendments were adopted, after which the clause passed. Clause 13, filling vacancies : The Hon. E. Barton (New South Wales) thought it unwise to permit nominee members even temporarily, and that it would be better for a colony to suffer the loss of a representative until such time as tho vacancy was properly filled. The Hon. A. Dkakin (Victoria) said the Only possible objection was to the executive which were really a committee of Parliament appolnaitig a Senator temporarily to fill a vacancy. Tho Hon. I). Gillies (Victoria) considered there was no necessity to fill the vacancy during the recess, and as both the State and Federal Parliament would sit almost ab tho same time, no difficulty was likely to arise. Tho clause was passed without amendment.

In the clause providing for the qualification of senators, a proposal to make five years' residence a necessary qualification elicited a good deal of discussion. Several members Spoke against the erection of a barrier which would prevent men of ability coming to the colonies. An amendment was proposed making the term of service three years and seven years instead of three years and six years, as in the uill.

Sir GkoiUik Grey caused some amusement by suggesting that a Board should bo established to oxamine candidates for seats in the Senate as to their knowledge on Australasian politics. Acting on the suggestion of the Hon. 11. Cuthbert, of Victoria, Sir S. Griffith, Premier of Queensland, proposed to add the words '* provided that five years must elapse before a naturalised citizen can sit in the Senate."

This was carried, and the clause passed. Clauses providing for the election of president of Senate, absence of president, resignation of senators, disqualification of senators through absence, quorum of Senate, and voting power of president, were all passed without amendment. The committee then proceeded to discuss the clauses referring to the House of Representatives. The clause dealing with the constitution of the House passed without amendment. Regarding qualification of electors, the Hon. A. Dkakin (Victoria) suggested they should confer the power of defining the qualification on tho Commonwealth. Mr. J. A. CocKitUßN' (South Australia) moved an addition, (1) That no property qualification is necessary, (2) that each elector have one vote only." The Hon. W. E. Makmion (Western Australia) objected to the proposed addition, as ib interfered with the rights of the State. Mr. Munßo, Premier of Victoria, thought they should nob have a property qualification, and electors should not have more than one vote. He would be very willing to extend the franchise to women. Sir (t. Grky summarised the position of the several colonies in regard to plural and single voting. Tho colonies should be given the power to Iter their Constitutions, and this could not bo done while a minority ruled by plural voting. Ho was glad to. hear tho Premier of Victoria declare in favour of one man one vote principle, and j hoped to soo a clauso to this effect introI duced in the Bill.

Sir J. W. Downer (South Australia) said while ho favoured one man one vote ho could not disguise the fact that the federation would be long delayed if small colonics which possessed the principle were going to insist on larger colonies adopting what was at present diametrically opposed to the larger colonic*. The Hon. E. Barton (New South Wales) thought they should not place tho Convention dominant in matters of this sort, and it should only provide tho machinery necessary for the first election. It would then be competent for the Commonwealth to fix its own franchise. He believed the inevitable result would be that the Commonwealth would adopt a uniform franchise. He would move an amendment to tho effect that for the first election tho present qualifications obtain until otherwise defined by the Commonwealth. The Hon. N. Frrai;ekald (Victoria) thought it would bo an intrusion to the Dominion States to dictate that one man one vote shall be the system, one which they could not see their way at present to apply to themselves. He believed that such an interference would endanger federation. Tho Hon. D, Gillies, though not going' to say that one man one vote was not the best for the people, would say that the present ■ franchise was marvellously liberal, more so than existed in any part of the world. He could understand a uniform franchise if they were going to abolish all legislatures, and make a Parliament for the whole, with municipalities, but he strongly objected to interfering with the rights of the colonios in framing their electoral laws as they thought proper. He believed in time one man one vote would come, bub for the present they must abide by the electoral laws of the colonies so long as those laws exist. Dr. CookiiorN contended that his amendment would not slow away federation, but the reverse would bo the case. Mr. Barton's amendment was negatived. Sir Henry Parkes said he was prepared when tho proper time arrived to consider the subject of Dr. Cookburn's amendment, but the presont was not the proper time. It had beon his opinion all through the Convention that there should be as little interference as possible with the existing rights of States, and to leave to the Federal Parliament to shape its own course.

Dr. Cockburn's amondmont was negatived on division by 28 to 9. Sir Harry Atkinson and Sir George Grey voted for the amendment, and Captain Russell against it. « ' The clause passed without amendment. QUALIFICATION OK MEMBERS. The Hon. A. Deakin moved, " That a person must reside in tho Commonwealth three .years before becoming eligible for member. ' The motion was carried by two votes. An amendment, " That naturalised citizens shall be debarred for three years," was carried, and the clause passed. Clauses providing for the election of Speaker, absence of Speaker, resignation of members, all passed. > In the clause dealing with the disqualification of members, the Hon. J. H. Gordon (South Australia) moved "That a seat become vacant if the member be absent four weeks out of the session," in lieu of '' absent for the,whole session." j The amendment was lost, and the clause I passed.

, Clauses providing for the issue of writs, quorum of 1 House, and Voting power of Speaker were passed. " Sir J; Cox Be.AY (South Australia) moved, " That members' tern, shall date from the first meeting of Parliament, and nob from tho return of the writs." . A somewhat desultory- debate ensued, and the amendment was eventually carried by one vote. Sir J, C. Bray also moved, "That Parliament meet within 30 days from the return of the writs." Carried. The clause, as amended, passed. The clause providing for the continuance of existing election laws until the Commonwealth otherwise provides, passed. The clause dealing with allowance to members was under discussion when pro-

gress was reported. . A debate ensued on the proposal to increase the hours of sit/ting of the Convention, but the subject was adjourned until to-morrow. The Convention rose at 6.35 p.m.