HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13744, 5 September 1908, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. On the motion of the Premier, it was decided to place on record the high sense of the services rendered to the country and Parliament by. the late Mr A. D.* Willis, formerly member for Wanganui, death occurred a fewdays ago. Tlyi third reading of the Town Boards Amendment Bill was taken and the Bill passed. _ SECOND BALLOT BILL. Tho House went into committee to discuss tHe Second Ballot' Bill. Mr Massey said xhe sliort title to the Second Ballot Bill was misleading* as there might be, three or even four ballots. The Bill would lead to political corruption, and was distinctly a retro J grade measure. A; Mge mistake was being made in forcing the Bill on the electors, who. had; toot asked for it and did not want it. , :. »;• . Sir Joseph Ward saw no more. than, two ballots were possible. It was.^a mistake to suppose that the Bill was a party measure, or that minorities would be- disfranchised t y it. . At the evening sitting the debate on the short title was continued and carried to great length, x a stonewall. being obviously intended. , ; The Premier /said everybody, recog'. nised the Opposition's little, gamerMr J.. Allen denied that the Bill was being blocked. The Opposition was . anxious to put forward all the arguments against the Bill to show exactly what its nature really was, so thdt Government supporters might vote in accordance with their real opinions. At 8.25 o'clock the short-title clause was passed "by 39 to 14. On clause, 2, Dr. Chappie moved a series of amendments to sub-clause 2, which the chairman ruled out of order^ as fcfeing a negative of the second ballot. The Chairman's ruling was upheld by the Speaker, Sir Joseph moved an amend-, ment to sub-clause 2 providing that where at the first ballot the first' candidate has polled 500 votes more than tho second, he shall be decided to have obtained an absolute majority, even though he should not have done so mathematically. . . l\lr Massey supported the principle, eveii' though 1 it practically meant the destruction of the absolute majority. Sir Joseph Ward , acknowledged tho suggestion had come to ram from the Opposition side of the House. Mr Massey moved thai? the figure 500 should be reduced to 250. Sir Joseph Ward could not accept that proposal, saying it would be too narrow. Mr Massev's amendment was lost and Sir Joseph Ward's carried by 36 vptes , to 15. Clause 2 was agreed to. • Clause 3 was agreed to by 40 votes f to 12. Clause 4, referring to the interval between the first and second polls, was carried on the voices. Clauses 5 to 8 were passed unaltered without debate. Clause £ was carried by 36 to 12. Clauses 10 tb 14 were agreed €b without discussion.