The Express.
London, England, 1850-04-23 00:00:00

AUSTRALIAN COLONIES BILL.

The house went again bete e mmitbe ow this bill.
Oa clause 7 beteg proposed,
Mr. V. SMITH roes to say that it appeared to him that
they were proceedihg with too much baste in carrying this
bill. The iut clause, the latter part of which contained
many inconeistenciee, had been agreed to with very
little deliberation. They new proposed to leave the
colonies to shift for themselves; but when be looked
at the vast amount of emigration which had taken place, he
thought that it was Leo bed to deprive them of the advice of
their mother country. Their representation in the waesably
was at present inefficient. The rate of qualification was tax
high, as by it they excluded from the aseembly a large into.
rest which was composed of an influential and intelligent
body, be meant the "squatting" interest.
Mr. ANSTEY athed whether it was competent fir the
right boa. gentles's' to re•opee a discuosion on the 6th
clause, when they were in committee oa the 7th.
Mr. BERNAL said that in committee how. gentlemen
were so much in the habit of mixing up one clause with the
other, that it was impossible for him to lay down the limi•s
within which hon gentlemen were to confine their ob-
earvatioaa.

Mr. F. SMITH continued to show to the house that
the fro:whims should be extended to the "squatters,"
and brought forward the authority of S:r G. Gibbs and of
23 benches of imagist:eke in New South Wales. to show
that there war no objection in the colony to the admission
of the " squatting" interest. He thought that the house
ought to consider whether it would not be advisatle to
admit tile large clue into the assembly before they carried
this hill into effect, as then the whole body of the colonists
would hays • voice in the decision of those important ques-
tions, on the settlement of which depended the prosperity
and success of the colony. He coacludel by contending
that as they had decide I that the colony should have only a
single chamber it should be composed of the representatives
of the people of the colony, for whom they professed to
legislate.
)dr. HAWES said that the principle on which that bill
proceeded was this, that it should leave the constitution of
New South Wales as nearly as pcssible as it now stood. The
object was not to alter or vary the constitution of New
South Wales except in conformity with the wishes of the
mle. What was to p t the legislature out there
extending the franchise ? It was better to
lave that matter to them. In the assembly the popular
members would be as two to one; and if they
were pressed upon by any considerable number of their con-
stituents to bring about any change they were numerous
enough and possessed sufficient ability to do so. He could
only derma this bill on the ground that by it they showed
that they wished these matters to be elf coed by the coleuists
themselves. For these reasons, therefore, he would much
rather see that question of admitting the squatting interest
discussed end a proper measure to effect it originated in the
colonies.

Mr. ADDERLEY said that, properly speaking, there
were only two courses open to the government, ei:her to
mad out a eonssitution corrplete in all it parts, or to throw it
entirAy on the ccionista to frame one suited to their wants.
They had done neither, and hence all the delay and oppo-
sition.
After a few words from Mr. WILD and Mr. Mowers',
Mr. LABOUCHERE hoped that hon. members would do
nothing calculated to delay the bill unnecessarily.
Lord J. RUSSELL thought it would be batter to leave
all local questions, including the franchise, to be settled by
the colonists themselves
Sir W. MOLES woura said that the clause under dis-
cussion gave the power of crewing universal suffrage to Van
Dimnan's Land and South Australia, which did not mat
is New South Wales. He contended that all should have
the same peivileges.
Mr. HAWES said that all these questions could be much
better dealt with in the
Sir W. MOLES WORTH observed that the bill was so
framed that it would take two years before the colonists
*mild establish their franchise. It could not be done in less
tines, seeing that the franchise must come home to the
Delemial-office for revision.

2226. HIJME was ineliaed to accept th. bill without throw-
ing any difficulties ia the way et the government
After soma conversation the clause was agreed to without
a division. Clause li was agreed to, as wu also clause 9.
Oa clause II)
Mr. C. AIISTEY remarked that under this clause It
would be temp rant for the legislative numbly, when called
Into naletesao, to alter their urn constitution, and to ketoses
the umber of its members, but the 'proportion of one third
&analogue was, to be retained, whatever increase might be
used. la the number of the elected members. The marle-
d's. plated on th, franchise would so far narrow it that
there would not be mop- then 6,000 or G,OOO electors in
either Van Diemen'. Land or B...uth Australia ; there could,
therefore, be no danger that the assembly would represent
extreme democratic opinions or endeavour to enforce demo-
cratic principles ; there was, consequently, ao reason for
incre..ing the number of the nominated ambers. H.
should, therefore, sieve the omission of the proviso which
directed that the &algae*. should increase with the elected
members is the impaction of one-third.
Lord 3. RUMMELL said that the enactment in tte New
South Wales Act of 1412 was, that one-third of the melll-
- of the Legislative Council should be sipoiated by the
gown, god that of the noa•eleeted niembas not more than
I g one-half should hold goy Mee er othuluount under the