SINGLE ELECTORATES BILL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11045, 5 September 1903, Page 6

SINGLE ELECTORATES BILL.

, A Sionewall.

" ".(F.r.6m 'Our Parliamentary Special). • i >'-' (By .Telegraph). WELLINGTON/ September 4. ,• TJe-'feature of the^ day^s proceedings in- \ Parliament was the stonewall set tip against -the . Single Electorates Bill. j Things were- going very well; formalities ' were over, the Premier had obtained the rest of the Wednesdays of the session, had thrown one to the .private members . with great" generosity", and had thrown them the wily suggestion that i£ they scratched his back' by putting ■•' the" Govern'fneiit' business brawly he would scratch theirs taking up their Bills as Govern- , , me«'t measures. It "seemed as if a fair breeze had set in, and would hold through the ;day ajid night-. The House went into ' the Order Paper with confidence, got into ..Qpmmittee ,on . three Bills, and $ettled down to the first Single Electorates Bill. - -A "big debate the day before had- made all men familiar with' the question, per\gnaded them there was nothing sto be said on the subject, that the opposition : <tf the city members"was as dead as Jiilius^ Caesar; but those. who thought thus little,' knew .the - ci^y member- threatened with the deprivation of his -plumper.. As 4 sooh as the Bill is put- by Mr Baume, /the. dark Aucklander" rises in his moodiest, mood, moves the deletion of the word "single," w ancf makes a speech in which he announces that he intends to, use all Mb powers> mental and muEC;ular,> against this -horrid peace of- legislation. Sir' Joseph Ward tak«s up the tjhajlenge, - • Announcing that he is prepared to fight in that chair for two months- if- it is neces- % ' saxy. ' 5 The afternoon passes in this pastime. 1 After dinner the town men get help from the country, from Masterton and .Clutha j(even' good old Clutha) .putting a stalwart pair o£ hands each into the work. Sir Joseph gives the combine ten minutes' dose of argument" in order that people may not say he was afraid to meet the eneifiy on all points. ' Mr Taylor leads the other side with consummate ability and amusing force. Masterton having thrown out the suggestion- that- the Minister's object will be at- - Jained fbest by the v abolition of plumping, '"as the practice is called of throwing votes away, Mr Taylor takes up the suggestion readily. 'Will the Minister, he asks, be satisfied with a. clause making every voting paper informal in which three votes have not : .been exercised. The J&lijiister says nothing-. Mr Taylor addresses himself to the other city nn-tfabe^s. "They don't want plumping?"':' -.' ; v p Most'.sav) nothing- Mr Duthie and Mr Aitke^^reg readily enough. Mr Fisher keeps; ;sifenpe, s,o does Mr Bedford. OnJK tmnkß. pf, Sir Joseph's figures, showing J^8 ? 000,. votes were not exercised last* genefe^leleition', of which 12,000 were in Durtfedin. Mr Taylor^ finding his suggestion is not received with- rapfcure by anybody, drops back into.Jiis ..-seat, and presently drops out of th'££ House.! The stonewall- goes wearily on till supper. . •', . After supper the point was made in the stoHewall, debate by Mr Moss that the arrangement woaild alter the* licensing arrangements- considerably — three districts, for •one,, three Committees, and great confiision.' ' l

Rheumatic Pains will Boon wear out the Wrongest, constitution. If relief is possi^le r ,Ghamberlain'6 Pain Balm will afford it".' TKis ' liniment has been a boon to •. 'thousands of sufferers. One application gives relief. Try it.— United Farmers' Co.op. Association sells it. Of reinforcements we have made a special study and results have ,shown .that we have correctly solved tins delicate problem. We employ ts^e most modern methods of uniting the fram,e and. fork tub.es, for the increase, "of strength,' namely, by the uso of socketed reinforcements. — Percy C. Price 4 sole agent, A.venue.