THE LICENSING QUESTION

Otago Witness, Issue 2579, 19 August 1903, Page 16

THE LICENSING QUESTION

THE POSITION IN BFX T CE.

" WAZS'T-OF-CONFIDEXCE " AMENDMEKT.

(Fedm Oub Otto Cohkespondent.) WELLINGTON, August 13. The discussion -on the bill to validats the .local option poll in the Bruce electorate took a rather important turn to-night when Mr JMassey suggested that the House should let the bill pas 3 its second readiug, with an instruction to the committee to which the bill would be referred to insert a clause providing for a cecoud poll without the provision requiring half the -electors to vote. Mr Mass&y held that the Government was responsible for the delect in the law which - had led to the .difficulty in Bruce, and the Government ought at once to introduce - amending legislation without tear or favour. Prior to this several members who had opposed the bill said they would support a second poll, and would bo' willing, in view of the fact that the iiecond poll would havo to be taken on a. day when there was no c-lection of members of Parliament, to waive the provision that half the electors on 'the roll mt»Dt to make the poll operative. Mr Duthie took the came view as ' Mr Massey, aud moved — '' That tho second reading of the bill be postponed for a fortnight, and that the Government is hereby instructed to bring in a bill with the least possible ilelay providing for a second poll, and that section 18 of the act of 1893 shall be inoperatne in r.o far as it stiptdates tha»i half the electors mmt vote."' Mr Kirkbrldc seconded Mr Duthie's nnipndrnent a.? a protect against the action, cf the Government- in not lirmgisg down necessary legislation to amend the licensing law. The Premier (who was out of the House when Mr Duthie submitted his amendment, and had evidently been informed of what had taken place) came hurriedly m at this stage, and submitted iliat it was not in order on the pecoud reading of a bill to give an instruction of tlii-^ kind. (Th-; Spcakci ruled that Mr DutKjf'b amendmeii-i -was perfectly in order.) The Premier : Then, Sir, I cannot accept the amendment as other than one of no-confidence. —He pruceeded to say that tliis was ono of the mcit extraordinary things lie had ever heard of: that ou the sacond reading of a bill an inFtruetion of this kind phould be given -to the Government. (Mr DutliK?: "It is not an instruction : it is a civil request.'') The Premier : It is an instruction : there is no doubt about that. It is a motion of want of confidence in the Government. — (Laughter.) In his 25 years' experience m Parliaineut he had never heard such a proposal, and he undertook to say they jnifrli* cearch • the parliamentary records of any self ■«>overn.ing colony and they would not find -.nything of the kind. Underlying the whole thing was thir: that some people were afraid of the decision of the Privy Council. (Mr Allen said the Bruce case wa= not before the Privy Council.) The Premier: Io is the

Newt-own case tuat ■will settle the Bruce case. (Mr Allen: "It will not.") The Premier proceeded to point out that the financial debate would commence on Friday, and ho supposed Mr Duthie would wish him to bring down this legislation hi the middle of it. If they wanted a Premier to take up that position they would have to get another cue. Th.9 debate was continued by Mr El', who said he had suggested this way out cf the difficulty to the Premier early in the afternoon. The Premier, however, declined. Mr Baiber, Sir Joseph Ward, and Mr M"Nab followed. Meantime the senior Government whip was actively and apparently anxiously engaged in ascertaining the views of certain of the Government followers on the subject. Mr Bucldo and Sir William Russell carried the debate past midnight. The latter asked the Speaker if he was entitled to speak for a-n ho\ir on the amendment. The Speaker ruled that he had the right, •the Premier having declared the amendment a- no-confidence one. Mr Hall-Jones said Mr Duthio's amendment was undoubtedly a no-confidence motion. It said, '"That the Government be hereby asked." Now what was a request of the House? A request of the House -was an instruction. The amendment could not be treated otherwise than as a no-confidence motion. Mr Duthie's amendment was defeated by 45 votes to 25. Mr R. M'Kenzie then moved the adjournment of the debate, and Mr C'olvin eeconded this. Mr Allen urged the Hou=e not to carry the adjournment of .the debate. He supposed, however, that the adjournment of the debate was a!t,o to be made a party question. The Premier warmly (supported the adjournment on tta ground that io would bo unwise to moss any legislation affecting licenses while "the matter is before the court. Discussing the question fuitivr, the Premier declared that a,5 iar a« the regulation of the Local Elections Act was ccu-eemed, and as far as the electoral law was concerned, an amendment was demanded which would prevent a recuircaco of what had bi ought about the present thuation. An Electoral Bill was, he (-aid, already prepared dealing with this very question. (Sir Win. Russell: "Wliy did you not say that before-?'') fhe Premier : Why should I say so? In any legislation we pass we will deal wirh it, not piecemeal, but in a com^i ehpnshe way Mr Baume urged tha: Mr Allen v.as ■entitled to a dnision on his bill. If the di-.cucsion had not done any other good ithad imprest ed on th,-> Premier the ab-olute necessity of bringing foiv.ard to mo licensing legislation. ° Mr E3l urged the Premier to let members vote absolutely free from paiiy trammel". After further discussion the Premier said ho was quite willing to give Mr Al'en another opportunity of bringing f or\ a: d his bill. (Mr Allen: "Will you provide for a second poll being taken, not only in Bruce but in the other places?") The Premier: I have courteously made the lion, gentleman an offer in respect to h'.e, bill, but ho docs not want it. He wants something else. The division was taken at five minutes to 1, the motion for adjournment being lost by 25 votes to 31.

The Government having been defeated on i the question of the adjournment of the debate, Mr Allen replied. He challenged , .the Government to agree to make the bill apply to all ca=es vn which the poll was voided so as to allow a fresh poll in each j case with the provision for a vote of half the electors eliminated. Earlier in Hie s-es-I f ion the Premier had told him to bring in a | bill, aud had *iate-d that he had as good a I chance of passing it a= tho Government. He i was therefore justified in expecting apsist- , auee from the Premier. Did the proceedings . that night disclose any assistance? No. On • the contrary, every effort was made to block i the bill. The second reading was lost by 36 ' to 20, and 'thus the bill was thrown out.