COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2574, 7 August 1909, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

CABLE NEWS.

OLD AGE PENSIONS. SENATE WISHES TO EXCLUDE COLORED PENSIONERS. Unitkd Pmcss Association -Copyright (Received August 7, 2.20 a.m.) MELBOURNE, August G. The Federal Senate carried an amendment to the Old Age Pensions Bill excluding naturalised Chinese, Pacific Islanders, Maoris, and other colored races from pensions.

THE PROPOSED SILVER COINAGE.

A LABOR OBJECTION TO THE . KING’S TITLES.

The Coinage Bill was taken in committee in the House of Representatives. Sir John Forrest explained that the proportion of silver would be tlxo same as in the United Kingdom and Canada. The coins would not be interchangeable with those of the United Kingdom, but probably would be accepted in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Mr. Fisher objected ,to tlio words “King and Emperor” on the coins. Sir John Forrest stated that he would endeavor to alter them to “King of all the Britains.” The consideration of the Bill has been adjourned.

WOMEN SUFFRAGE. PARLIAMENT SUSPENDED .—A MOCK ELECTION. MELBOURNE, August G ; One hundred and sixty-eight thousand women have enrolled as voters for the Legislative Assembly. * A sitting of the State Assembly was suspended for a couple of hours at the invitation of the Treasurer, while mock elections were held in one of the committee rooms to demonstrate the working of the preferential voting system. A section of the House objects to the introduction of the system in the Electoral Bill, and took this novel way of illustrating their objections.