ELECTORAL BILL IN THE COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6480, 24 September 1892, Page 3

ELECTORAL BILL IN THE COUNCIL.

VOTING BY LETTERS FOR WOMEN BILL PRACTICALLY KILLED. (FROM OUR PARLIAMENTARY KEPOKTER. ) Wellington, last -night. The Legislative Council this afternoon further considered the Electoral Bill in Committee, and by a substantial majority conferred the franchise upon women with the system of voting by electors' rights. A brief debate took place on the proposal of Mr Oliver, Chairman of the Select Committee, to add the machinery clauses providing for voting by letters by women. The threatened stonewall by Sir P. Buckley did not eventuate. Mr Walker and Sir George Whitmore raked up the usual arguments against female suffrage, and Mr" Downie Stewart replied. Dr. Grace said the cost of elections was a disgrace to the colony, and if the electoral franchise were conferred without this Bystem of voting, it would greatly increase the cost of elections, which would be vicious nnd dangerous. With this system women would be able to record their votes after due deliberation without much excitement. Aa a medical man ho had sympathy with the women of the factories who would without a special form of voting be required to stand about in the rain waiting to record their votes to this great injury of their health, and women in country homes would be precluded from voting unless they had this right to vote by letter. A division resulted in the clauses being added by 13 to 8. The Bill was subsequently recommitted on the motion of Sir G. Whitmore, who moved to amend the interpretation clause to read "Person does not include women." This was negatived by 13 to (i. The voting being — Ayes : Whitmore, Walker, Swanson, Pollen (?), and M-mtell. Noes : Reynolds, Stevens, Pharazyn, Stewart, Dignan, Ropata, Taiaroa, White, Oliver, Ormond, Johnston, Holmes, and Buckley. Mr Williams paired for the ayes and Mr McLean for the noes. The proposal to add a new clause providing for the division of city electorates into three single constituencies was carried by 12 to 7. The Colonial Secretary remarked it was evidently the intention of the Council to kill the Bill. The Bill was then reported and set down for its third reading on Friday.