WINE AND WOMEN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6770, 6 September 1893, Page 2

WINE AND WOMEN.

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN THE COUNCIL. (Parliamentary Reporter. ) Wellington, last Bight Wine and women were the fare provided for Councillors this afternoon. The Alcoholic Liquors Control Bill was at the head of the order paper, and exception to its having precedence of the Electoral Bill was taken by the Hons. Stewart, Stevens, and others, who alleged that the understanding on last sitting day was that further consideration of the Electoral Bill in Committee was to be the iirat order of the day. This was denied by the authority of the AtfcorneyGeneral, and a motion fur the postponement of the Licensing Bill was negatived on the Speaker's casting vote, 19 voting each way. Then the Licensing Bill was shortly discussed. Dr Pollen led ofF by moving that iV be read a second time that day six months, and other members let it be clearly understood that if the measure got into Committee it would have to undergo severe emasculation there. Mr Bolt said it was evident from the discussion that members were unexpectedly called on that afternoon to deal with the licensing question, and he moved to adjourn the debate so that further opportunity be given of studying the Bill. Sir Patrick Buckley appealed to the Council to proceed with the Bill, and said there was evidently a desire on the part of two or three Councillors to kill it. He, however, hoped that their efforts would fee unsuccessful, for the Government attached as much weight to it as they did to the Electoral Bill. Despite this appeal, however, an adjournment was carried, to the evident chagrin of the Minister, the voting being— For the adjournment (22) : Hons. Bolt, Bonar, Bowen, Dignan, Grace, Hart, Jenkinson, Jennings, Johnston, Mantel!, McGregor, McCullough, Oliver, Ormond, Pharazyn, Reynolds, Stevens, Stewart, L. Walker, Wliyte, and Williams. Against (17) : Hous. Barnicoat, Buckley, Feldwick, Holmes, Kelly, Kerr, McLean, Montgomery, Peacock, Pollen, Richardson, W. C. Walker^ and Whitmore. The Bill again comes on for second reading to-morrow, but its supporters are by no means enamoured with the prospects of ita passage. The probabilities are that the principle of direct veto will be applied to it by its reference to the country during the recess, or by the substitution of a bare majority for a three-fifths majority in the case of a poll. It was 4 o'clock before the Electoral Bill was called on, and for an hour the opponents of female franchise endeavored to get clause 61, which extends electoral rights to seamen and commercial travellers, extended to other classes. Mr W. C. Walker first tried to get bushfellers, but was defeated by 22 to lb'. Then Mr Swanson endeavored to have rights extended to gumdiggeis, this being lost, by 22 to 15 ; and Mr Rigg moved the insertion of "men employed on co-operative works." The friends of female franchise were, however, determined to have " the Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill," and so the amendment was negatived by 21 to 15. A proposal by Mr Shr^mski in favor of lighthouse-keepers was also defeated. The dinner adjournment had now arrived, and Mr McLean urged that progress be reported, as some of the Councillors were too feeble to attend an evening meeting, bub there was such an emphatic desire expressed to meet again at 7.30 p.m. that the motion was not pressed.