House of Representative.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11644, 23 August 1905, Page 2

House of Representative.

The nouse met at 2.30 p.m. COUNCIL AMENDMENTS. , The amendments made by the Legislative Coxmcil in the Criminal Code Amendment Bill and the Mutual Fire Insurance Bill were agreed to. FIRST READINGS. The Mining Act Amendment Bill, the Animals Protection Consolidation, and Acclimatisation Societies Encouragement Bill, the Lands for Settlement Act Extension Bill, and the Trade Monopolies Prevention Bill were introduced by Governor's message, and read a first time. LAND COMMISSION DEBATE. In reply to Mr Massey, Mr Seddon said he hoped to take the debate on the Land Commission report to-morrow or next day. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT EXTENSION. Mr Seddon explained that the Lands for Settlement Act Extension Bill proposed to increase the amount available for land for settlement purposes from. „£500,000 to ■£750,000, as it was anticipated that half a million would not "suffice to meet the requirements this year. I SECOND READINGS. It was announced that the second readings of the Trade Monopolies Bill and Animals Protection Bill would be taken pro forma with a view of sending the former measure to the Industrial and I Commerce Committee, and. the latter to a j special Committee. IN MEMORIAM. On the motion of Mr Seddon, seconded by Mr Massey, a resolution was placed ou ' record regrettiug the death of Mr James , Green, ex-M.H.R., and expressing sympathy and condolence with his family. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. It was decided that for the remainder j of the session Government business take j precedence after 730 p.m. on Wednesdays. "A PRIVATE BILL. Oxford Road Districts Bill (Buddo) was ' read a first time. THE ELECTORAL BILL. Sir Joseph. Ward moved the second reading of the Electoral Bill, which he said was largely a consolidating measure. He ! ex2jlained the new -matter in the Bill, I which has already been publislicd in do- I tail, making special, reference to the fact that it was proposed' to enable a person not on the roll to vote at the election if lie _ was properly qualified. The Bill 'provides also for the appointment of a chief electoral officer and a deputy for the colony. It was not, he said, contemplated to appoint two officers, .but the provision was made in view of possibilities. Sir Joseph announced thaV " for -the approaching .general election the ; .main roll in every i electorate was complete, and so far as the j compilation" of the - rolls was concerned j tkey were much further ahead than they . were prior to the last' general election. Be | went on to point out that the Bill pro-"j vidod that an .elector would not be removed from a roll except-, by- .transfer or ' death, and the' system would no longer be ' pursued of removing from the roll the ' names of all persons who had not voted at an election. With regard to voting at local option polls, he intended to ask the House to amend the Bill to ensure that persons who were out of their own electorates should have voting papers forwarded to them, and seamen would also be . provided with voting papers. With regard : to absent voters, he proposed, to amend i the Bill "by making the time up to which i the absent elector may apply for a voting permit the^date of v the issue of .the- writ! instead of nomination day. The proposed >

amendments in the law were framed in ' the desire to have the elections carried- out as fairly as possible, and to impose a pen- ! alty for anything in the shape of fraud in j connection with the election. j Mr Massey hoped that the appointments 'to the Electoral Department would be I mp.de without any political interference, . ; and that those appointed would not be men who had taken a prominent part in ' party politics. He strongly objected to ! clause 123, which proposed to allow properJ ly qualified persons to exercise their votes . although their names were not on the roll. This was a dangerous innovation, and ' should not be allowed. Carelessness should not be encouraged, and the person who • would not take that trouble to see that 1 his name was on the roll should not be | ' permitted to vote. The provision made ' for absent voters was a very useful one,' and if properly safeguarded, should prove very convenient to a large number of people in the colony. The Leader of the Opposition spoke of the necessity that existed for a complete reorganisation of the system of Maori representation in the in the House pointing particularly to the case of the Southern Maori District, nad it not been for Mr Parata's personal,.popularity the '-position would- have been adrusted long ago. He would like to see Mr Parata called to the Upper House to replace the Hon. Taiaroa, and that would afford a suitable opportunity for the readjustment of the electorate. Sir William Russell urged that if absent electors were to be allowed to vote the same right should be given to women who for any reason were Unable to attend at the poll He thought that no nomination fee should be charged, holding that such a charge penalised the poor man unduly against the rich. On the. whole, the Bill was a precious little improvement on the existing law. The debate was ' interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. •* The House resumed -at 7.30. Continuing the debate on the Electoral Bill, Mr Bedford advocated . a universal system of electoral rights. "With the exception of one or two clauses, the Bill was a good one, and he would support the second reading. , Mr Ell urged that the- area of some of the large electorates in the colony, siich as Westland and Bay of Plenty, should be I reduced, which would tend to make the ; system of representation more equitable. j Mr Duthie could not understand ■ why the Government should bring down this Bill when they excused themselves from going on with such important measures as the Local Government Beform and Civil Service Beform on the score of want of time. This Act had only recently been revised, and the Government seemed to be I trifling with the time of the House. I In .the course of a lengthy debate, several members complained- of the way in which the commissioners redistributed tkc scats every five years, and urged tliat community of interests was generally dis- ! regarded, and that the result was not in , the interests of the colony generally. Objection was also taken to pushing through j an Electoral Bill containing no new press. [ ing proposals on the eve of a general clec- ! tion. I The subject of Maori representation was I dealt with by a number of speakers. Mr Taylor characterised the system of special Maori representation as an anomaly, an ! absurdity, something that could not be defended, and would not be justified. Not only that, it was farcical. Mr A. L. D. Fraser agreed that special Maori representation should be done away with. At present Maori voting was a fraud and travesty. Special representation of the Maoris was injurious to the native race and detrimental to the colony, in more ways than one. Mr Carroll said he believed that the natives -would, be better off if .their special representation was done away with, £o¥ every member of the North Island would then be a representative of the Maori race, and the influence on their behalf would-be proportionately greater. At present the. Maori was kept behind in the race because his representation was confined to Maoi-i ideas, and he Relieved that the sooner tkc Maori was joined with the European in electing the best representatives for both, the better it would be. The Maori must be represented in proportion to taxation, but he urged that the sooner the Maori got universal representation the more effectively would the Maori rights be preserved. WELLINGTON, August 23. After the Ttelegraph Office closed, the second reading of the Electoral Bill was carried on the -voices. • • The House rose at 12.35 a.m.