THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 136, 7 August 1880, Page 2

THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

The Representation Bill has at last been circulated amongst the members of the House of Representatives, and from the summary sent to the newspapers we gather that only nine of the existing districts remain unaltered. These are all North Island districts with the exception of the Avon and Totara (Westland) districts. Only one district in the whole eighty-nine, which is the number of electorates proposed under the new Bill, will return two members, and that is the Wanganui district. The existing Coleridge district is proposed to be divided, and the second will be called the Ashburton district. The following are the boundaries of the two :

Coleridge—Bounded on the north-cast by the dividing range between Canterbury and Westland from the source of the River Kakaia to the Teremakau saddle, on the east and north-east by the Cheviot, Ashley, and Avon districts, on the south-east by the Lincoln and Ellesmere districts, on the south-west and south by the right bank of the Kakaia River to the starting point. Ashburton —Bounded on the north-west by the Southern Alps, on the north and northcast by the Coleridge and Ellesmere districts, on the south-east by the sen, on the south-west by the Rangitata and Clyde River to its source n the Southern Alps. The Maori representation is not intended to be interfered with, and it is provided that if necessary the Governor may issue writs for a new Parliament without reference to this Act, if the new rolls have not yet been formed, and in such case the election is to be held under the rolls then in force. The following are new or altered districts as per schedule : Rodney, Waitemata, Auckland North, Auckland South, Parnell, Grafton, Newton, Onehunga, Franklin North, Franklin South, Thames, Coromandel, Waikato, Waipa, Eal Coast, Napier, Hawkes’ Bay, Waipawa, Wanganui, Rangitikei, Manawatu, Wellington Country, Wairarapa North, Wairarapa South, Thorndon, Te Aro, Wellington South, Picton, Nelson East, Nelson West, Motueka, Waimea, Wairau, Buller, Reefton, Greymouth, Cheviot, Kuniara, Hokitika, Ashley, Kaiapoi, Christchurch Suburbs, Sydenham, Christchurch North, Christchurch South, Heathcote, Lyttelton * Akaroa, Lincoln, Ellesmere, Coleridge, Ashburton, Geraldine, Timaru, Seadown, Gladstone, Waitaki, Oamaru, Moeraki, Waikouaiti, Port Chalmers, Roslyn, Dunedin West, Dunedin East, Dunedin Central, Dunedin South, Oaversham North, Taieri, South Taieri, Mount Ida, Bruce, Tuapeka, Vincent, Wakatipu, Clutha, Mataura, Awarua, Invercargill, Riverton, Wallace.