POLITICAL NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6145, 18 August 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS.

OWN CORRESPONDENT. — BY TELEGRAPH. Wellington, to-day. Cards have been pricked, which show fchafc 48 members are in favor of female franchise. A number of these met yesterday morning and discussed the situation, finally appointing a committee consisting ©f Sir John Hall, Messrs Saunders, Meredith, Buick, Wright, and Ep.rn.shaw, to take such aotion as will opedito the giving effect to the wishes of bhe majority of the House on the subjecb of female franchise. A deputation interviewed tho Premier, who promised that facilities would be given fo? consideration of Sir John Hall's Female Franchise Bill, which would be sefc down for a speoial sitting on Monday nexfc. This means thab the'Klectoral Bill will be taken to-day, whep the Government will not accept Sir John Hall's amendment. The three Wellington papers speak strongly against the Government's weakness in backing down to tht? obstruction of Mr Fish and his friends. The Press says thc universal im pression amongst members of the Ministerial party is thab bhe Bill has been assassinated by its pretended Ministerial friends— that underneath the flowers of compliment fchere has worked the lethal dagger supplied by tho liquor interest and used by fche Primo Minister under Lhe terrible lash of fche irrepressible Fish. The labor members are exceedingly angry with the collapso of the Government before thc publicans' ring, and have made no, secret of their determination to teach Ministers a salutary lesson. To-day. When Sir John Hall's Female Franchise Bill has passed the seeond reading Govemmonfc will take ifc up as a Government measure, and put down with a firm hand all factious opposition. Mr Fish has promised that if he has a full opportunity of putting his views in Hansard on the seoond reading he will nofc further obstruct. If the Bill gets through that reading fche supporters of female franchise are sanguine they have a majority in the Upper House, and nre now hopeful of securing -their desideratum this session, The Opposition will give a block vote against tha Payment; of Members Bill, and Messrs Cairncross, Tanner, and J, Kelly, labor members, will vjot'e against it. This afternoon. Requests were made to Government from both sides of the House this afternoon asking for an amendment to the standing orders to prevent a repetition of such obstruction as on Fiiday night, and to facilitate the busines:* in several ways