PARLIAMENTARY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7294, 25 August 1893, Page 1

PARLIAMENTARY.

(13Y A3LEGBATH,}

WELLINGTON. August 24, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Council met at 2 30 p.m. THE ELECTORAL BILL. Mr Stewart resumed the debate on the second reading of the Electoral Bill. He would support the Bill, in ita entirety as he had done last year. Years ago the legislature had virtually agreed to the proposal for the enfranchisement of women. For the last three sessions the House of Eepreseota- • tives had said that it should be the law. He [ expressed surprise that so many lately appointed members of the Council who were appointed on this question, n6w spoke against it. Dr Foiled supported the Bill. Women, in his opinion, were not only entitled to the franchise, but also qualified for seats in the legislature. Ha eulogised the capabilities of women intellectually, morally, and socially, and added that before long an ambulance cross, as far as tbs efforts of the women were con* cerned, would be a greater distinction than that of the K.O.M.G. decoration. Dr Grace opposed the clause for the enfranchisement of women, chiefly on the ground that their systems were too complex to stand the strain attendant upon the excitement of elections. He thought too highly and tenderly of women to subject them to the excitement of politics. Mr Kerr opposed the emancipation of women, whoso place was in her own home, and relieving the sick and the afflicted, rather than engaging in the turmoil of politics. Mr Jennings supported the clause for the enfranchisement of women. At 5 p.m. the Council adjourned till 7.30 p.m. The Council resumed at 7 30 p.m. Mr Jennings continuing his remarks, said that he believed the enfranchisement of women would have an elevating influence on Parliament. Mr Bigg thought that the time had not come for passing a measure to confer the franchise on women. When the question had received the approval of the country he i would bow to the decision, and givo it his | support. Mr McLean opposed the granting of the franchise to women, and objected to the “skylarking” manner in which this greati question had been brought before them. Mr Stevens defended his action last year with regard to granting electoral rights to women, and declared that nothing would ever induce him to vote for the women’s franchise unless the inequality between women voters in town and conntry was removed. The arguments in favour of the women’s franchise were practically irresistible, and but for the hitch, about electoral rights it would have his hearty support. Major Bopata opposed the granting of the franchise to womeni Mr Kelly advised the Council to hold the measure over until after the General Election. He would in Committee move an amendment in that direction. Mr Bonar urged the Council to panee before making snob a tremendous change as was involved in the granting of the women’s franchise. Mr Buckley having replied, the second reading was carried on the voices, the committal being set down for to morrow. The Council rose at 9 50 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. OLD SOLDIERS 1 CLAIMS. The House met at 2,30 p m. Mr B. Thompson brought up a report on the claims of old soldiers, and moved that it be referred to the Government for consideration. A long debate ensued. Several members urged that the claims of these men should receive more attention from the Government. The Premier objected to this matter being reopened at the present time. He said that be intended laying on the table a return, showing the number of old soldiers’ applications, and what they bad cost the colony. Eventually the debate was adjourned till to-morrow. AH INDEPENDENT MEMBER Mr Earnshaw moved the adjournment of the House, to enable him to refer to a personal matter. From the moment he entered the House till the present time he claimed to have been a loyal and consistent supporter of the Government. Consequently on Friday last he was very much surprised to learn from the Government Whip that the Premier was seriously considering whether be (Mr Earnshaw) should not be excluded from the ' Whip’s room and from the Government party. He was the more surprised at this intimation because bo had frequently defended the Government even when he thought they were wrong. He gave the particulars of the communications that bad passed between the Government Whip and himself regarding the matter. The Premier’s complaint was that he (Mr Earnshaw) had not given the Government party such support as the Government had fairly a right to expect,

seeing that he bad approved of the Ministerial policy. He wished to say that when he seconded the Address-in-Beply, it was when Mr Ballanoe was Premier, but he did not claim to be bound to the present Premier, although he had supported an important policy measure, the Electoral Sill, till Mr Seddon departed from the lines laid down by bis predecessor. Mr Earnshaw spoke of a matter regarding which he had bad a little difference with the Minister of Labour, and alluded to the fact that at the conference of Labour members, to which he was not invited, a vote of confidence was passed in Mr Beeves. It was evident to him (Mr Earnshaw) that the Government wished to have a servile following with no mind of its own. He intended to fight the next election in Dunedin alone. He declined the support of the Government in that contest, and he felt pretty certain that he should come out at the top of the poll. The Government might exclude him from the Whips’ room, but they could not prevent him from supporting their principles, and he did not intend to leave the party.

Mr 0, H. Mills, the Government Whip, referred to a remark made by Mr Earnshaw, on the occasion which induced him to stigmatise the member for Peninsula as an independent member. He did not think that Mr Earnshaw was justified in saying that the Government wished to have a servile following. It was not the wish of the Government or the party to exclude Mr Earnshaw from the W hips’ room or from the party, but quite the reverse. He was quite satisfied that the party liked to stand or fall together, and it would be quite consistent in Mr Earnshaw to bo on the other side of the House if he preferred it. Mr Beeves gave bis version of the matter on which he had had a difference with Mr Earnshaw. He explained that at the meeting of the Labour party referred to, only Mr Pinkerton, Mr Kelly, and Mr Buiok were present, but no attack whatever was made on Mr Earnshaw. He (Mr Beeves) informed the members present that unless he could receive absolute support from the Labour party in labour legislation, he should consider, hie position—whether or not he should retire from the Government. Mr Taylor considered that the whole business was due to a disturbing element in the House, in the person of the member for Inangsbua Mr Tanner said that this was absolutely the first time that he had heard of the so-called caucus of Labour members. Mr J. W. Kelly emphatically denied that the Labour meeting was called for the purpose of passing a vote of confidence in the Minister of Labour. He wished to defend Mr Beeves from the attacks made on him by Mr . Earnshaw, who had gone out of bis way on several occasions to attack the Minister of Labour. Tiie House rose at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. THE ALIENS BILL. Mr O’Connor moved the second reading of the Aliens Act Amendment Bill. He ex- , plained that danse 2 provided that letters of naturalisation should not be issued to persons belonging to any race who were likely to become undesirable colonists, and that clause 4 prohibited aliens from trading, and provided that no one but British subjects should act as hawkers. In the course of the debate which followed, much reference was made to the hold which the Chinese were obtaining in the colonies, and several members expressed the opinion that steps would soon have to be taken to cope with the evil ; but it was generally agreed that if; would be unjust to interfere with those members of the race who were already settled in the colony. The Premier said that as the Bill opened up a question of international law and involved Imperial interests, it should not be allowed to pass. The House was counted out at 9 p.m. while the Premier was speaking.