PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5171, 18 June 1891, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

I -*- ' ) (By Tei.eoka.fh.) ' WELLINGTON. Junb 17. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. / The Council met at 2.30. THE ADDRESS IN EBMT. The Addr6Bß-in-Boply to the Governors Spoeoh was presented to His Excellency. OSISIISTAIi CODE BILIi. The Criminal Codo Bill was read a first time. Tho Council rose at 3 15 p.m. houseTop representatives. The House met at 2.30 pm. TAXING- THE OATH. Sir Qeovgo G-roy, the momber for Kowton, took tho oath ond his float. HOSPITALS AKD CHAHITABLB ISBTITOIIOK3 811/ D Replying to Mr Smith (Waipalra) Mr Cadman stated that the Government could not bring m an amending Hospitals and Oharitablo Institutions Bill this session, butlheßubsitiies would bs> tsontinueel for Uia prsaont year. THE SPEBBBT CHAKGB3. Mr Thompson (Marsden) moved tha adjournment of tho Housb to enable him to refer to the Atkinpon-Spsrrey ohargea, of last year. Alluding to the lsltor which the lao Premier had written respecting tha courses, which ho (Mr Thompjou) bad made againtt Mr Sperrey.ho challenged Hir H-irry Atkinson or any of hia friends !o provo ths charges which he had ]ii:ic!o m that lettor against him, and if they did prova them, he (Mr Thomson) would resign his eeat m tho House. BrTNDAT WOHTC. Bep'ying to Mr Hutchison (Dnnedin) Wr Seddon promised tint thfi Government would take steps to confine a week's work as far as possible to sis doyn, maintaining the freedom of Sunday from toil. They would also urgo this matter on tha K.ulway Oomraißsioners, so as to put a Btop to any unnecessary Sunday traffic. ■wosteh's pnAscniaß. Sir John Kail introduced a Bill to oonfer t\se electoral franchise on women. CAPITA! AND fcABOTTB. Mr Beea moved that, having regard to the incraaain" tension between the intorc^fcs of capital and labour throughout tho world, the Government be requested lo opsn correspondence with tho different Governments of all English-speaking communities wi'h a view lo tho appointment of a Conference to coneider the relations between capita! and labour and the 8lalo ; such Conference to mept at tho forthcoming Chicago Exhibition. In a speech of great length Mr Sees urged upon the House to agree to the motion. Mr Earn3haw seconded ths propo3ition,and said that tho Australian colonies woull gladly join tho New Zealand Government m appealing to the Mother Country to 'settle this moat important question. Mr O'Connor had no hope whatever of achieving any good by passing a motion of this kind. Mr Fish said it savoured somewhat of impudence on the part of a young country like New Zealand to gravely approach tho other nations of the world on such a momentous question. Mr Pinkerton considered that if Mr Bses' proposal did no other good it might be tte means of exchanging thoughts and ideas with other countries, which would probably ie productive of some benefit m Bet'ling the relations of labour and capital. Mr Tanner supported the motion. Mr Beeves said that tho Government did not propose to offer any opposition to the motion, as they did not see what possible harm could result from it. He did not say that the propoßed Conference would eottle the question of labour and capital, but he thought that if a Conference of thi3 kind were established, they might exppct a result even more iropsrtant than that of tho recent Berlin Congress. The motion waa agreed to on the voices. SSSTSM OF GOVEHNJtBNT. On the motion of Mr O'Connor, a Committee wa3 appointed to enquire into tho form and working of oxecutive governments elsewhero, with a view to Buch modifications of the existing system of Government m New Zealand as will diminish the evils cf tho present party syatem. The Houaerose at 5.30 p.m. Tho House rosumod at 7-30 p.m. THE ELBCTOBAIi BILT;, The debate on tho second reading of the Electoral Bi!l was resumed. Mr Fisher congratulated the Government on the introduction of this measure which hs c^nsiderei was a distinct advance on previous eleotoral bills. He could not, however, ogrce with the provision to prohibit bolting on elections aa he objected to such restrictions being plaoed on any man. • Sir G. Qroy could not help feeling that the Bill was one for which tho Government deserved every crsdit. His wish was that the only qualification ehould be residential as that would moat noarly approach univoraal suffrage. He objected to any returns of convicted persons being made to the returning ofllcßro, and thought that prisoners on completion of their fentences should again be capable of exercising tlio franchise. Mr Saundera cgr'eod with the proposal to close pnblichouscs on polling days. He thought tho Premier should still further enlarge the one man one voto principle, and make it applicable to the election of education and licensing <!ommitt9oJ. Mr Bryce admitted that the Bill was a consolidating measure, and had little but praise for it, and would give the Government every assistance m carrying it. He failed ti eeo, howover, why the electoral rights should not bs extended to tho wholo of tho community as well as to aeamon. Ho should not objeot to tho residential qualification being tho only one allowed. He was fully m. favour of giving women a vote. Mr Mackintosh und Mr Smith (New Plymouth) eulogised tbo provisions of tho measure Mr McKenzio (Mount Ida) characterised tho proposal to strike the name of an elector off the roll for defuult of voting as most illiberal, and one wbijh he was surprised tooce emanating from tho Government which trumpeted its liberalism about the country as loudly as the present Government had done. On tho whole, howevor, ha considorod the Bill waa onn tho Hou«o might fairly approve, and was evidently intended by tho Government to improvo tho electoral laws of the | colony. He was opposnd to the extension of tbo franchise to women, a3 he believed the majority of women themßolvos did not dosire the privilege of recording their votes at Parliamentary oleclions. Mr Eogg regarded the Bill a3 ono of tho most important over brought before any logislalu o. Mr Kelly (Invercargill), Mr Pinkerton, Mr Meredith, Mr Tanner, and Mr Houston alao spoke m snpport of the measure The debate wbb adjourned on tho motion of Mr Hall-Jones, and the Houso rose at 10.30 p.m.