PARLIAMENT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6217, 13 May 1887, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TnonsDAT.

In the Legislative Council, The Ward Conservation of Rights Bill passed through its remaining stages, The Poat Office Act Amendment Bill was read a first time.

Tha Hon Mr Reynolds gave notice of an amendment to Captain Biillie'a motion for Tuesday, that in the present state of finances in the colony, it Is not prudent to make any provision for new library buildings. The Council adjourned at 2.45.

In tho Bouse of Representatives,

Replying to questions, it was ststed that the Government could not recommend a reduction of Ministers to five, and that Ministers' salaries were not considered excessive in view of tho large demands made oa them. — That no steps had been taken to put a stop to glove fights, as they were not considered illegal so long as a breach of the peace was not committed,— lhat the report of Mr Blacke'.t's retirement from the Public Works Department was utterly without foundation.

Mr Beetham movad the second reading of the Wellington Harbor Reclamation Bill. — The Hon Mr Larnacb taid he would propose amendments in tho Bill while in Committee. — The motion was agreed to.

The Sydenham Borough Council Empowering Bill was committed and passed without amendment,

Tha Nelson Foreshore Roservo Bill elicited a lengthy discussion in Committee, several members objecting to clause 4, which provided fiat the corporation was not to be liable to tho mortgage — The debate was interrupted by tho 530 adjournment.

On ro-umin? at 7.30, the Sydenham Borough Council Empowering Bill was read a third time and passed*

Sir Julius Yogel moved the second reading of the Women's Suffrage Bill. He was not proposing it for the sake of a novelty ; it could be Btrictly defended on logical grounds. Were the intelleotnal powers of women so much below those of men as to exclude them from the franoblse? He held that with cultivation they would be developed quite as highly as those of the male aex. No one could deny that women oould speak readily, or possessed thoughtfulnesa and sympathy and powers of endurance. The latter fully mide up for physical inferiority. He did not disguise hia belief that, if admitted to the franchise, admission tOßhareinthegovernmentofthecolonymust follow, The laws made in the past had not dealtfairly with womeo,and it was right their assistance should be called in to deal with matters peculiarly affecting them; in fact, with all subjects of social importance. Men consulted women constantly in all stages of life, and why not publicly? Of late years the old prejudice against the appearance of woman in public capacities had rapidly been dissipated, and he waa persuaded that the full emancipation of the female sex would be follow, d by the best of good to the community ia general. If it were urged that women would become less attentive to men, he would ask, What right had they to sacrifice their intellectual capacity to them? It would be asked, if the justice of his remarks were so selfevident as he insisted they were, how was it that female suffrage had not been granted by Enpl»nd,inßtead of leaving it to this little countty to set the example. Well, It had occurred to him tint it was only quite lately that womrn hai been encouraged to become property holders, whereas in Great Britain the qualification was largely a property one. That was not so much the cue hero, where population lather was the basi3. Ho besought them to no longer outlaw women.— Mr Moss opposed the Bill, as lv did not care to see women dragged down by having to become familiar with the lowest Ecene3 of human life.— Mr O'Conor said he would vote for the Bill, —Mr Bracken thought woman's Bphere wsa the arena of benevolence and good works. If they dragged her into the turmoil of politics she would become man's rival, and not bis helpmeet.— Mr L&nce disagreed with Sir Julius Yogel c deductions, There was no proof that the women of thoci'ony had asked for the Bill, and if they were polled he believed they would object. What had poor New Zealand done that she had become the experiment of all of these nostrums,— Mr W, F, Biicklaud wa3 strongty iv favour of tho B'll. They thought too much of themselves, and eoS enough of the ladies. Was tho accident of being born a woman to degrade a human being all her Jife ? The experiment had been tried on School Boards, Road Bmrds, &c, with marked success, He ventured to siy that if the vote were taken from men and given to women they would have n better Honae sitting there than at tho present time. — Mr Bruce could conceive that the admiss:on of women to voto would hivo a piejudical influence on questions of great nutlonal importiuce. He bade them eerioti3!y reflect as to what the consequences would hi of having ladies sitting m the Rouse. Ho agreed with Mr Lance that women themselves did not want the bill. — Mr Fergus cqmbattetl Mr Biucu's viewa, and quoled Disraeli, Gladstone, Hare and Cowan's views in favour of the admission of women to the franchise.— Mr Hobbs said that Mr Bcnco's speech was the epeech of a orusty old batchelor. He twitted tho oponents of the bill with being afraid to give women a vote, because they did not want them there or in their clubs,— Mr Stewart said t'la present state of the law was unjust and illogical. -411 over the woild fhe rights of women were being more and more recognised. He was in favour of the measnre,— Mr Wi Pore thought the Bill « ould become a source of ondless trouble in the House. Ladies would distract the atteutii n of honourable members. Although getting np in years, ho must oonfecs he would be affected that way himself. They would havo to confiine the suffrage to pl»in woman, for if beiutiful ladies came there no business would he done, particularly by tho oldar member*, In f«ct ho was quite sure his wife would not let hipi ome back Mr Monk said if ho did not vote for this Bill ho would indeed be an old fossil, — Dr Newman thought there oould bo uo question that the suffrage would improve the status of the women, and that if some had taken part in tho legislation ni the past, mauy of the statutes which emcumberecl the law books wouJd never hive been placed theru. — Mr Ivtss coasideied they wcie not acting wisely in withholding tho light to voto from women who were properly holders, but he was not in favour of giving universal euffra^o at present, Women must first ba educated up to it, and they had bettor begin with tho thin edge of the wedgo. — Mr Holmes obj<»ct(d to giving tho franchise to women on the ground that Ihey Win dependent on men for thoir political opinions p '"■•' irpropcrty holders or not.— Captain Kiissetlmid {here hid not been a single attempt by nuy speaker to prove disability on the part of th 6 women, Tho opponents of the measure confined themselves to showing inability on tho part of tho men to control the women. Me J. C.Buoklaud travorsed the arguments of the vavious opponents of the measure.— Mr Scobie Mo&onzio said that to his mind it wai merely a proposal to dnpliuate tho votes of a ceitmi nnmber of men— those who could command a largo female following, aud it would introduce discord ond dissension into families* Cjio of the first results wo4(l bo to introduce the Bible into public BOhools, verily an avenging Nemoais to Uia Frontier.'— Mr Korr, in a JBpeeoh provocative of much laughter, explained himself as opposed to the moisure.— Tho Premier said thnfc when the question was iliacuesed nine years ago it waa on!y lost by a few votes, and thin thoro were not so many votes as now. Tho strongest argument against it was that the admission of women would lead to tho SUto assuming now functions, and oven if there would bo danger from the'r political ignorance, tho sooner they wero pnt into political training tho better. Ho did not bolievo in the assertions that voting would interfero with (ho mpdes(iy and proprietry of womou j on tho contrary, it wou'd raise both politioa and wourn aud* men to a higher plaoe,— Mr Pyko said that wo.ncu were quite ontitlad to e'otitoral lights.— Mr Montgomeiy thought they should bo careful how they btought woman int'> contact with ma'tera of thia kind, aud asked was it wlao of tho Home to throw aii apple of discord into households, by giving this privilege. He agreed it would roally be giving a djial voto, and lie doubted whether it was wweei c c to oany tho Bill in its entirety. He hoped the second reading would bo carrio), in order that women with property should be allowed to vote,— Mi Birmu saw no logicaj reason in refusing womon the rjght (q vote, — Measrs f. H, Fraser Wslkor, Levestini, Jonos, Trimble, and Fitzhorbert Biipport;d tho Bill, while Mown Whyte, Fisher, Bovan, aud Samuel epoko in opposition, — The motion for tho second reading was. agreed to by 30 to 22. The House rose at 12,40 a.m.