HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 5289, 24 August 1905, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. 'The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill, and Mutual Fire Insurance Bill, were agreed to. In reply to Mr Massey, the Premier said that he hoped to take the debate on the Land Commission’s report to-morrow or next day. LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS. The Premier explained that the Land for Settlements Act Extension Bill pro posed to increase the amount avail-, able for lauds for settlement purposes From £500,000 to £750,000, as it was anticipated that half a million would not suffice to meet requirements this vear. RILLS FOR COMMITTEES. It was announced that the second reading of the Trade Monopolies Bill and Animals Protection Bill would be taken pro forma, with a view of sending the former measure to the Industries and Commerce Committee, and (ho latter to a special committee. THE LATE MR JAMES GREEN. On the motion of the Premier, seconded by Mr Massey, a resolution was placed on record regretting the death of Mr James Green, ex-M.H.R., and expressing sympathy and condolence with his family. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS.

It was clocidud that for the remainder of the session Government business take precedence after 7.30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

OXFORD ROAD DISTRICTS. The Oxford Road Districts Bill was read a first time. ELECTORAL.

Sir J. G. Ward moved the second reading of the Electoral Bill, which he said was largely a consolidating measure. Ho explained the new matter in the Bill (which has already been published in detail), making special reference to the fact i;.'.at it tvas proposed to enable a person not on the roll to vote at the election if ho was properly qualified. The Bill provided also for the appointment of a chief electoral officer, and a deputy for the colony. It- was not, he said, contemplated to appoint two officers, but the provision was made in view of possibilities, lie announced that for the approaching general election the main roll in every electorate was complete, and as far as the compilation of the rolls wore concerned, they were much further ahead than they were orior to the last general election. He pointed out that the Bill i.r-n .ded that an elector would n*t bo removed from a roll except by transfer or death, and the system would no longer be pursued of removing from tno roll the names of all persons who had not vated at an election. With regard to voting at local option polls, he in tended to ask the House to amend the Bill to ensure that persons who were out of their own electorates should have voting papers forwarded to them, and seamen would also be provided with voting papers. With regard to absent voters, he proposed to amend the Bill by making the time up lo which the absent electors may apply for a voting permit, the date of the issue of the writ, instead of nomination day. The proposed amendments in the law were i rained in the desire to have the elections earned out as fairly as possible, and ;>o imiposo a penalty for anything in the shape of fraud in connection with the elections. . Mr Massey hoped that the appointments to the Electoral Department would be made without any political interference, and that the appointees would not bo men who had taken a prominent part in party politics. He strongly objected to the clause which proposed to allow properly qualified persons to exercise their votes although their names were not on the roll. The provision made for absent voters was a very useful one, and d properly safeguarded should prove vei y convenient to a large number o. people in the colony. The Leader of the Opposition spoke of the necessity that existed for a complete reorganisation of the system of Maori representation in the House, pointing particularly to the case of the Southern Maori District. Sir W r . Russell urged that if absent electors were to lie allowed to x otc iho same right should be given to women who for any reason were unable to attend at the poll. B e thought that no nomination fee should fro charged, holding that such a charge penalised the poor man undulv as against the rich > Mr Kaihau gave notice to move that in the opinion of this House the existing legislation affecting the native race is demoralising to the Maori people and wholly unsatisfactory and should be amended by providing for facilities being given in regard to the individualisation of titles ; the abolition of the Maori Lands Council, by allowing the native people who have more land themselves than is required for their occupation and maintenance to alienate cither by sale or lease for the occupation of settlers, if in the opinion of a properly constituted tribunal fair value is paid therefor. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.

The House resumed nt 7.30 p.m. Continuing the debate on the Electoral Bill, Mr Bedford advocated a universal system of electoral right. With the exception of one or two clauses the Bill was a good one, and he would support its second rending. Mr Ell urged that the area of some of the large electorates should lie reduced. , , y[ r Duthie could not understand why the Government should bring down this Bill when they excused themselves with going on with such important measures as local government reform and civil service reform, on the score of want of time. In the course of a lengthy debate several members complained of the way in which the commissioners redistributed the scats every five years, and urged that community of interest was generally disregarded, and that the result was not in the best interests oi the colony genially. Ob-

i,j; ■ _ • jcctlon was also taken to pushing through an electoral Bill containing no now and pressing proposals on the vc of a General Election. The subject of Maori representation as dealt with by a number of speakG Mr A. L. D. Fraser and Mr Taylor condemned the special Maori representation. Mr Hone Heke described the cry of the Europeans to silence the native voice in the House as ungenerous and unfair. It was done because the European population had grown from 50,000 in the sixties to 800,000 at the present day, and the Maori voice was no longer feared. Mr Carroll (Native Minister) said he believed that the natives would be bettor off if their special representation was done away with, for ' every, member of the North Island would then be representatives of the Maori race and the influence on their behalf would be proportionately greater. At present the Maori was kept b?hind in the race because hisrepresentation was confined to Maori ideas, and ho believedt hat the sooner the Maori was joined with the European in electing the best representative for both the better it would be. The debate was carried on until midnight when Sir J. G. Ward replied. With regard to the objection raised on the score that such a Bill should not be brought down on the eve of the General Election, he urged the necessity of making the electoral law perfect at such a time and he add ed that under the system now proposed practically every qualified person would be put on the roll and given the opportunity o! voting. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 12.35 a.in.