PARLIAMENTARY.

Colonist, Volume XXV, Issue 2932, 13 August 1881, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, August 12. r , The^House met at 230 p.m. , ~ ' ' vz ; |-jM| v ßry]se gave notice that, ongoing into "Cotamitee of Supply he'would move a further reduction of Departmental cost to the extent qfjf £3,0,000, and that the, Government be ..&\recfcid?}diiring the recess- to give, effect thereto by means of reduction of salaries, consolidation of offices, and otherwise. "_■% Replying to questions put, was stated ■that-the Government waslSwaW the)6wnor.2 ship of lands in the Thames district was .passing f/om the natives to^ speculators, but ;f^eyjc|^jM not say it was ;belng^liena,tßdTtq', "tHe prejudice of the miningihtare'stf-apdlthey' considered it necessary to push forward the ..pnrchase.of certain freeholds from the na-

The Coßt of connecting the Lighthouse -at Farewell Spit with Collingwood by telephone wasso great that the Government did. not deem it necessary to undertake the work. The refund made to ex-Judges Harvey and 'WJeston was in conformity with a resolution ;p»'*?<| fch^at wbera officers ware dismissed -the--10 per cent should be repaid. The amount paid Mr Harvey was £20, and Mr Western £19, thelattsr being paid/da 31st July,last.Itiwaa no« the intentidn-:of thb'-GoVernmerit-to make similar concessions to other public •arvanU Bimply on their application for,the same. -::\ . • '?, .,.

-"'"Native' matters in the Middle Island Swere under the superrition of Mr Alexander Maokay, and for the translation of documents ample , proviiion would be made by th^ appointment of liceni)d interpreters, f r\ - The Government hid not yet determined! to impose the same duty on maize as was imposed on O'her oereali, but if they decided on doing so, the proposal would be brought down-ia-the Tariff Bill, which would be ready next we«k. The grounds.upon which the Government gave its assent to the infcroduotion'of the Timara Harbor Board Bill was that it contained other beside endowment proposals, and they did not; /wish to burk disoußsion on tbeJubjeet. >■'".;■; |^;: -i " The flood of Harbor Board Endowment Bills since proposed to be introduced was such as to propose to swallow up, a very, large 'portion of the, Crown lahda, and ib wasl upon ' the grounds of policy that they refused to assent to them. 'The Prisons Aot, 1873, Amendment, the Public Domains, tho Inspection of Machinery, the Friendly Societies, and tho Parliamentary Privilege Bills were read a second time. The Public Reserves and East Coast Land District Bills passed through Committee, and the former, was reported, read a third time, and passed. The House adjourned at 5.30 p m. THE REPRESENTATION BILL. ! ' i JMidnight. The Houma resumed at 7.30. ' ' if. The lion Mr Hull ,mo red the second roading of the Representation Bill. He alluded to the various measures ot electoral reform proposed during the present Parliament,' and others which he hoped would yet pas?. sThe present measure waa the crowning one to 'place the representation of tho people on a : satisfactory; footing. s Redistribution was periodically ne'eessary, owing'to the unequal 'growth of'population in a young country. He strongly eulogised Hare's system of representation as the most perfect, and ex-' . rpreiied;»-hope be would lire to sea it, adopted here, but admitted that it was at present in advance pf public opinion ; all they could do, therefore, was to equalise tho repiesentalioa under the^preisnt syitem. As to the'number of pembers iMhould depend not en any arbitrary rule, but rather, by, consideration as to how the Colony could be conveniently divided into electorates within reasonable limits. The House'should tie, made to suit tho electorates aot the electorates to suit tho Honso.<'He reviewed the arguments agaiast Joo amall or too ltrge a House. He argued that,the pr jsent Bill proposed a fair medium. , Xbe country could* be fairly divided' into 91 electorates. - 'In proportion to population this number was lowsr tuan it had been in former periods in / the Colony.) The leading principle ,of the Bill; was the representation in proportion'to population. He knew of no other prinioples which could be adopted as a standard $ however it might be desirable to modify it by other considerations.' The nature of thfsa modifying considerations he dwelt on ,at some length,. As nearly as possible it was proposed'as a first step to give eaoh Provincial district representation in proportion ite population..' He regretted that this would largely, reduce the represention of Nelson and, Westland. Nelson, however, would f till have a fraction m#r» representation than she was entitled tor—The ohante-population-were-nol taken into account in one Island or the Maori population in the other. Parliament e bad already granted exceptional representation to tte Maori piople^and, !th«reforeVthevfc6jild not be fairly taken into account in apportioning European population nor could they fairly be so until the bulk of the Natives bore their fair share of taxation and ob"eye"a~our" laws. If they were entitled to additional representation : it should .bs ,by Native, jmeinbers not. by Europeans* He. urged a variety.o'fireaiians • why the country districts should have a larger proportionate representation than) centres, of: population. He admitted a good deal might be said on both sides of the question of single electorates. The balance of ftrgumeaUwai, he. thought';, in favor of •solji electorates', as the f^oii«e had rejtetedibV prbpwaldhat in disiristi entitled to three members there should be a representation of the minority by only giving eaoh elector-two' yote.g;;, jHe read's tong memorandum on the'proposed onarigis in che representation and districts. He claimed ;jhic (faeßill was a fair and justonv, and hoped, go mere loealfeulihg would be allowed topre* judioe its consideration. Ho moved the second r«adipg t :of-tho,B'ill, T ., , ff ■ ( - I vi-^» \ "?T ' 1 mGwrnm* xnoYtd an ftttwdnnnf, "That

in the opinion of thifi House itSras not deair- . able" tba,t jgjOpulatiohi^hould be the sole basis ofrepresWrtatiohv That^lie system of single electorates was unsatisfactory." He urged thatT;b.e i sjj.tuatio,a, character, and pursuits^of tHe p'opaMion of various-parts of the Colony should be considered fts well ai their number. He objected to nearly 600 Armed Constabulary being included in estimating the .population Taranaki'a representation wsa' estimated. If Nelson would only revolt and gei -tinman insurrection which would, require-, a large force to be sent to quell it;'- Nelson .w r o s uld,on t this principle be entitled to retain :its-reptes'ejHa.tiory Goldfields, he contended, -ware entitled to a large proportion of representation, owing Rrthe large proportion of adult males to the population. This meant a large proportion of taxpayers. Single electorates, ha contended, intensified rather than "reduced the evil of non-representation of large minorities. What was wanted in this Colony waa an elastic system of representation, which would adjuai itself .to .varying circumstances. -He disclaimed all party ""BiT'G^Grey'said he attached-very little importance to the details of representation, 1 while -alHhe/representatives did was subject "tp'review"by'anominated Chamber. With >the Helail'al of th'e-Bill he could not agree, but the a spirit* of a representation according "to •population)hejwould support. - Sir William Pox replied at great length to Sir G. Grey, affirming that thelpresent Sill was exactly like one brought forward by the Grey party. Mr Sheehan defended Sir G..-Grey. ; Th« North had siill the fullest confidence^ in Sir G.,Grey, and-.it was impossible to " wipe him out."., '1 '.] •„■ s: * -' '■• y ->-: ■ -