HANSARD EXTRACTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6215, 1 August 1898, Page 2

HANSARD EXTRACTS.

"MANY MEN, MANY MINDS." [til-XECTKD FOtt THE " STAR."] Mr Fisher : He had learned that the report of the proceedings of the Police Commission was very bulky, that the evidence extended to about a thousand pages of printed matter ; and it was fair to assume that the estimate he had given as to the cost to the country being about .£7500 wa9 not very far from the mark. Mr Seddon : The approximate cost of a new cable to connect Stewart Island with the mainland was .£3850, and the estimated revenue was ,£25 a year. Mr Cadinan : At the present moment 71b of fish could be carried from the Bluff to Christchurch for 6d, 141 b for Is, and 281 b for Is 6d. Mr Seddon : He for one looked upon any irrigation scheme as being of naiionalas well as local importance ; and, whilst he should Ireep well within reasonable bounds as to increasing the liability of the State or the public indebtedness of the colony and its responsibilities, yet he did think there were cases where the State might step in and use its credit to keep down the rate of interest, and thereby assist not only the local body but the whole of the people in the colony. He would naturally be asked, what would compensate the State for doing so ? He replied, the State would be compensated by the direct advantage 'of having increased products to carry upon the railways.

Mr Meredith : In the Ashley County the sum of J>21,150 ha*> been raised on the security of the ratable property within the water-supply district, giving a water supply to 150,000 acres. In Ashburton County .£27,500 had been raised, giving a water supply to 586,000 acres. In Selwyn .£67,679 had been raised, giving a water supply to 326,318 acres. In Geraldine the sum of .£9OIO had been raised, giving a water supply to 71,212 acres. In the Waimate County ri£so9o had been raised, giving a water supply to 28,000 acres. An aggregate of £131,429 had been raised, giving a water supply to 1,161,680 acres. It was not merely a scheme to supply water to stock, but to irrigate the land, which was the larger scheme of the two.

Mr O'Regan : It is certain that reforms invariably originate with minorities, and they have been gained through the advocacy of minorities. There have been times when some of our most cherished principles were advocated only by those in the minority, and, when we admit the right of everyone to representation, as we do by giving everyone a vote, surely we cannot for a moment defend a system which makes it impossible for a minority to secure representation unless by unfair means. I believe it was Lord Falmerston who said that Parliament had done many just things, bnt seldom because they were It cannot be denied that under the present system local politics are too much mixed up with affairs of general interest to tho nation. Frequently they dommate other and greater considerations, and members aro elected for local reasons who would have to exhibit much greater capacity if they were seeking to represent larger constituencies. ■

Mr Ward: What about community of interests? It is necessary in a young colony like this to have community of intorests. • • v It is said now, that provincialism is abolished. I say, not only so far as legislation is concerned, bnt the natural provincial spirit of each centre striving tor more trade is universal, and is us strong to-day as ever it has been. A few of the best men in the colony would (by preferential voting) be elected, but I say, iv the main, it would tell against the men of moderate means, and would be a great advantage to the wealthy. It would greatly increase the expenses of elections; and I think, also, it would largely increase the number of faddists returned to Parliament, because all faddists nvo known, since people see their writings in the Press; and, although they may not kuovr what may be said for and against what these faddists write about, still, in many eases they would probably give the faddists a third or fourth vote, simply because they knew their names.

Mr Gilfeddor: We find the Liberal representative of Duuedin doing, practically, the whole work of the city ,• and the opposite would no doubt be tho case if a Conservative Ministry were in office.

Mr Lewis : I think that the public have ario-ht to demand that the man who aspires to a'seat in this House should have established a reputation of some sort in connection with local affairs. There are plenty of opportunities for a man to do that.

Mr Fisher : Wo shall still retain " the old rule, the simple plan," of simple majorities aud strong party government — lio complexity in the method of election, and no 'faddists, 1 rim Tiers or traitors in the parliamentary party iv or out of the House That is party government, and that is what the English-speaking people like.

Ron W C Walker : If the principle of tho iury was so perfect, and applicable to all sorts aud conditions of men, why was it that women had never been considered under it ? If men had a right; to appeal to a tribunal of their peers, why should women not also have the same right P He believed that grand juries had in the past saved many innocent men from going before a jury of their countrymen; still, at the same time, there were just « many cases of innocent men being saved by the action of the public prosecutor m countries where public prosecutors existed. He believed the common jurors of Isew Zealand were capable of trying every class of case that could come before them.

Hon H. Scotland: A man might be a very good butcher, or baker, or candlestick maker, or anything they liked, and

yet not, as a rule that was, in the majority of instances— be capable of nitt;iny; >n a jury to decide complicated casna arit-ing out of mercantile transactions, involving 1 , it might; lip, thousands and teus of i'houßitnds of pounds.