WOMEN AS LEGISLATORS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12761, 3 October 1919, Page 7

WOMEN AS LEGISLATORS.

BILL IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SEATS IN HOUSE ONLY. (Special to “ Star.'*) WELLINGTON. October 2. Tbe Women’s Parliamentary Rights was considered by the Legislative Council. again this afternoon. The Bill passed its second reading on a division by 18 to 5, and in committee it was amended so as to make women eligible Ipr seats in. the House of Represents- ' fives only. Sir brands Bell, in moving the second reading, said that the Bill would have to be amended in accordance with the ruling of the Speaker. He would imite t.ie Council in committee to aooept such alteration as the chairman ot committees should suggest to meet * * It will bo understood,” said Sir b rancis, “ that I limit my moZ°u n 'f T CCOr i daUo, -\. w ith the Speaker’s ruling. Treating this as a Bill to confer upon women the right to bo elected f r phiCP ' an<i exceeding the right of nonu nation to the Council, 1 move the second reading, in the con--idence that the Council will adopt that course, whatever may be the personal sentiment of any member upon the question of female franchise. The question isi a larger one than that; we mLJ iUeStlon i of - tho to which “?? Properly interfere in a matjurisdiVtion 15 f WU lU J, tho Linction and jurisdiction of another place, and in that respect I submit that th© Council mrt I ff,,r° s l' tati< ' nal apart from any personal predilection of the member, adopt for anothor^lace h h a!s Tonebf en fi? f hi< i hj mother place bas thought fit to determine to be t|m proper constituency for its elocof T tlm H lt\S; Sa r ,,el Said the smarts in t Attorney-General were deserving of great consideration. “ I remvfc however to say,” he continued ‘rthat deretan? IIJp 1 !, 6 concur in wba * Imnsa en P eman lays down tbic a applicable to such cases a 9 this and to practically all olhw casS 1 1° M thSfc tffi bilitv nn dl +l? St ou rselves of responsioiurj on the mere ground tbitmeasure before us affects onlv fbn the presentative Chamber T t «■ 1 »k««M »ot find it ■nccS“ to SShl al l“ th, % Bni r MrSa ““rf Bill “ T reason f. f° p favouring the inn” hi Un - q / CS . t ’°, nabl - v of opinmn he said, “that woman has a f0? i representative 0 jSo St 7 S r d ol Td<, ia possible to stem tbe HP K The Pf s? 44 ft te Dow/r^V* 0 ,"»?««■»atirTS lb!, v, People include women who hare already been made elector StiLS s ’fc ft?"'? ».p4“ aS e %of tho fat a Bil" rSiod^’Sn rbi. !n nng T er l t of the Prmle-o.s ot S.in C °n'lj ,hj^ d M , t be ! in the ground lb!? ** lajd asid e on other Hon tH fc mT,r °duction in'the n. House was an infringement (hon members: Order! Order I louse privilo S es of this its; oons(?t“.” aS " PUrports to alter The Speaker; J mav at ODCO . men? as P ?t P t red t0 3CCept %> amendment. as it traverses a rulinn of tbo Speaker, which must be d?st with aC ATr dl^acG recor^^*^ miing. sir K = 1 SUbmifc * W Tho U f s^on ’ question, was ?oin? Earnshaw “id that he wa & going to vote against the Bill simPly on tho ground that he ?hongh™t moonstitntional and improper for a l4 I XTt*^ t n ”* refrdftative, that was just about to eo to the f + ° Un rC ’ u nd that bad alreadv extended mss i? "Ti P~P«* pen'Ste from tho ri ia l nent had no mandate rrom tho people to pass it. , Francis Bell stated chat the TToPaSSed at the • . t,llrd . session of the Parliarm! xp rv n is 93 > and without anj mandate from the people. That Parhanjent ot 1893 was just ab in t to go to the people when it passed a Bill Tbo t n-u S 7° d ° ub, ° the constituency. .1 ho Bill at present before if he Council Was nothing more than one widening the choice of the electors. The motion to read the Bill a second time was carried by 18 votes to o. The following is the division list:

Ayes. Messrs Bel? Messrs Gow Hawke i T a Hall-Jones Buchanan Garland Gnmmond Fisher S 1 edd « Stewart Fleming Louisson i 0 ™ 3 ,. Sinclair Patukl . Samuel. Noes. Messrs Earnshaw Messrs Tukino Simpson Harris. Mac Gibbon '

1 ho. principal clause was altered in committee to read as follows: “A woman shall not disqualified by sex or marriage from’ being elected as a member of the House of Itepre-scnta-tives, or from sitting or voting as a member thereof, anything to the contrary in the Legislature Act, 1908, or in any other Act notwithstanding.” The Bill was reported with this amendment. ,

The question that the Bill be read a third time was made an order of the day for Friday.

The lion J. MacGregor gave notice to move; “ That the Speaker’s ruling upon his proposed amendment to the motion for the second reading of the Bill ho dissented from.”