POLITICAL NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1547, 2 May 1887, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

(PROM OUR CIIIRESrONDENT.) Wellington, May 2. 1 There is nothing very exciting going on m either Bouse ss yet, though iha Representation • ill is sine to evoke murh discussion, ami to encnun't v great opposition. It is found that the relati c influence of t wn and c )untry will be seriously altered by tha proposals of the Bill. At .'ost ('..stiib.ition the concessi n to Ihe country electorates was equal (o seventy-five thousand, find on the same btHJs of adv. ntae the country would be entitled to over ninety thouean , having legavd lo i c rtbult' of the lato census, insiead of rghteen thousand as proposed by the Bill. . n ut m another way, the advantage to the country under last diNliibufci n wa^ 90 8 per cent, while that under the Bill is reduce i to 3 2 per cent. As at present drawn the hard and fast lines of the Ei'l will result ia the electorufes be'ng often composed of widely differing and perhaps antagonistic interests; and more latitude must be given m order lhat due regard may he had to topographical features. A meeting of country inembeid. called by Mr Pyte, is to he held to-day to consider the quesiicDi '->v'u ' 'i" Bam<* * »si^ of advantage as at last dis' ' I ution, tha country wou»d g*<n eleven memleia, Hie ♦ »wns, of courp* 10-ing that number, whereaj under fha Bi'l the count i/ will lone two, Jha number of town members being correspondingly increased. Talking of electoral nnfcfers I may mention that. Major Steward proposed that m ordt r to give increased facillt'' i f..r registration, forma of claims to vo 9 should be obtainable ht every post offio, and that P:snawlera bo authorised to at eat the signatures of claimants. He will also, it is undat itood, propose the adoption of a more sin. pie form of ola ; ra than that at present m vho, Mr Pyke ias a Bill prepared to authorise the oonßtrnotion of the Otago Contral Railway by a ByudioUe or company on the land grant system, Be will aIBO proposa m'kmg the provincial districts the eledmal districts, the proportion of members t > each, not, however, io be elected i s has been telegraphed South, on the Hare system, but ia the ordinary way. It la said lhat Mr Bißcken will not proceed with his pnti-ooeroion-in-Irela i d resolution. Bh uld he do bo, however he be met by the '• previous question." Sir G. Grey is s-ated to intend to bring In a Bill for the c »mpule"ry yearly closing of shops on the 'inea of the Victorian Ac . There are atili ten or & dczan raembe a of the House absent from their places but nearly all are exp cted to put m an appearance during the present week. • A a showing the lapid changes m the personnel of the Rep esentative Ooaml r I may mention that of 77 members who eat m 1874 there now only remain thirteen.: