LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 10201, 6 July 1889, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wellington, July 5. The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p:m. Mr Wahawaha presented a petition from a number of natives praying that C. R. Forward, an absconding solicitor, should be prosecuted. The Fire aad Marine Insurance Companies Bill was committed and reported with verbal amendments. The Council rose at 3.45 p.m. till Tuesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The evidence taken by the Commission appointedjto inquire into the taking of land by theGovernmentatPointllesolution, Auckland was presented by Mr Mitchelson, who moved that the papers be laid on the table— Sir G. Grey moved as an amendment that the papers be printed —Mr Ballance said that if the charges made by Sir G. Grey were true the papers should be printed. — The Premier said that personally he was quite indifferent as to the papers being printed, but the statements made by Sir George Grey were inaccurate, and he thought the printing of the papers would be a useless expenditure. — Amendment lost by 43 to 17 and papers laid on the table. Replying to questions it was stated — That the Government were making provision for assisting members of divided families to join their relations in the colony. — That it was proposed to bring down a bill to amend the Slaughter Houses Act, also to introduce a bill dealing with Civil Service reorganisation and retiring allowances to the Civil Servants.— That the Government could not see their way to increase the minimum letter weight to one ounce within the colony or permit newspapers to pass free through the post. — That the Government were considering a proposition to ask the House to meet earlier in the afternoon and to end the evening sitting at eleven o'clock, thus obviating late sittings. The following bills were introduced : — (Downie Stewart) Notice of Action Abolition ; (Duncan) to further amend The Dog Registration Act, 1880 ; (Marchant) BushFiring ; (Tanner) Bible in Schools. Sir H. Atkinson moved the second reading of the Post Office Bill, providing for the issue of post cards for transmission to foreign countries and empowering the issue of postal notes payable at any post office.— Agreed to. The second reading of the Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Bill was agreed to without discussion Sir H. Atkinson moved the second readiug of the Otago Central Railway Bill, say. ing that the House had by large majorities declared that the line should be constructed at the expense of the land benefited by it, which the bill now If the line were carried on to Eweburn it would give a very considerable return for the L 200,000 of total expenditure, while some 20,000 settlers would be benefited. — Mr Ballance supported the bill.— Mr Pyke accepted the bill as better than nothing, but it did not go far enough aid did not even tap the district in which he was interested. If carried to Eweburn, however, he felt satisfied the line would push its own way further. — Mr John McKenzie supported the bill. — Dr Hodgkinson protested against its passing. Debate interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.

Evening Sitting. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Hislop moved the second reading of the Representation Bill. It had been said that the present time was not opportune for making a change in direction of proportionate representation, but no time could be like the present for laying the foundation of an electoral system on right principles. The bill provided that the colony should be divided into four districts ; a number of members being assigned to each district according to its population. These districts would be subdivided. Nominations of candidates were to be sent byJßeturuing Officers of divisions, and each candidate must be nominated by ten electors. The bill also provided for one'vote for each man, and it would destroy localism. The bill had been referred to by its opponents as being too complicated, but there was no difficulty in working the system. Mr Ballance said the appropriateness of the system to the conditions of the colony had not been shown, and it would take an average man years to understand the system and to make choice of the large number of candidates that would be necessary was too huge a task for a working man in these days of 8 hours labour. The colony was not ready for such a change nor would it be for the next century. He recommended the Colonial Secretary to withdraw the measure. Mr O'Connor supported the measure if only for the reason that the best men would not be relegated to private life as had recently been the case. He denied that the system was difficult to understand. Mr W. P. Reeves thought clause 5, limiting the House to 70 members, was the most

important clause in the bill. Although the Government were understood to have nailed their colours to the mast on this point, in October, 1884, the Premier had stated that he {was in favour of a large House, but a little over two years after that he introduced a bill to reduce the number of members, stating that he had always been in favour of a small House. The Premier, he thought^ cared very little ibout the question. The present bill was one of the worst drawn he had ever seen. The average voter could not understand it. He objected also to the bill on the ground that the country had not had an opportunity of considering a system which was a leap in the dark, and which, although it had been debated for years in England and America, had made no progress. These countries object to the system because it would confine the franchise to the educated wealthy and the useless minority, Mr Fish moved as an amendment that the bill be read a second time this day six months. The Premier moved that the debate be now adjourned. — Carried, The debate on the second reading of the Otago Central Railway Bill was resumed by Dr Hpdgkinson, who contended that, the Hue would not pay the cost of working and would increase the debt of the colony. — Mr W. D. Stevvart said the present bill was an instalment of justice to Qfcago, and hoped ifc would be passed.—^Mr Moss said he had always supported this railway, but this was a most objectionable measure. There were any number of railways in the colony with •qual if not greater claims than the Otago Central. Debate adjourned, and the House rose at 10.30 p.m.