ELECTORAL BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1570, 28 May 1887, Page 2

ELECTORAL BILL.

Mr Ivess. — The honorable gentleman \rho has laat spoken appears to me to have evinced suoh interest m the purity of our elections that it doea seem astonishing that, when the various Bills affecting municipal elections have been bofore the House, ha has Dot proposed to expnnge tho clause providing that any candidate for the office of Mayor shall make a deposit of £10. Mr LoveaUm. — I hare. Me Ivess.— l am very glad th 6 honorable gentleman has attempted to expunge it, for the sake of his consistency ; but J think it U a wise and safe provision, and that it (should bo introduced into this Bill. It is all very well for an honorable member who represents a town constituency -to say that inoonvonionoe wouldf result if such a restriction were Introduced ; but m country districts I know for a fact that the Government is put to very serious expense In the matter because of hogua candidates, m some cases having to appoint t-m or twelve Deputy Returning O&oers, and involving an expenditure of fully £100 for elrp ion expenses m one constituency. I m>y lofot to my own district, whero wa have no less than eight or ten polling-plooesi. Now, it ia open to any person to offer himself as a candidate, and on more than one or two occasions bogus candidates hava b 3c n proponed for' the purpose of introducing a little fun into the election coutoa h , and the remit , has been that the bogus candidate did not poll more than two or three votes. That of itpetf io a conc'usive proof of the neoesslty for the introduction of a safeguard like the one jvrcp :sed,' bgoa'pao I am nuro that any person would 3 irioijaiy coqsidgr ' the matter bofore allowing Ulmsolf to be proposed if he or hi- friends had to deposit the Btup.H sum of £''5 I know as a fact that m Victoria the d« posit that Is required before any nomination ia rocoived it Boraethlng like £.>/J Taut has been the state of the law"f.ir tho hst twenty. three years and poiujuaUpe" hasUflwa fotjud . to exist

m consequence, not has any desire been expressed for repealing the law : it merely has the effeofc of suppressing bogus cundldatei. I am me who thoroughly believes m the fullest exercise of choice m the election of members of this House, and I think it would be paltry In the extreme for any member to cay that the faot of a deposit of £25 being required would deter any one who had a reasonable chauce of Bucoeßa from coming forward aa a candidate, As some honourable membarß have, very properly, pointed out, If the candidate himaelf had not the £25 his friends would gladly find the money for him. I know of many caseß where the candidates had not the means, and their supporters generously came forward with the required amount. I know some honorable members of this House who have had hundred! of pounds offered to them to defray the expenses of their election : and, If any candidate evinces any Ability; and shows he has the neceaaary qualifications to beoome » member of this House, the paltry sum of £25 will not be allowed to stand m the way of his securing his election*. I feel quite confident of that. A difference of opinion exists m this House upon the question, but I think the provision is one imperatively demanded ; because, if our nominations are permitted to be continued m the open manner they are, the country will be seriously mulcted m consequence of bogus nomination!'. A memorandum had been handed to me to the effect that a Bill was Introduced ioto the House of Oommonß m this direction, and was carried by a vote of 203 to 105 Therefore it is evident the principal has been affirmed at Home, and I am quite Bute tho time has arrived when it should be introduced into this colony. We have had a similar provision m operation for several years m municipal eleotlons, and it has worked successfully. The small number of votes whioh the mover of the amendment baa indicated as necessary will make it no hardship to the candidate at all, because if he polls the number the £25 will be returned to him ; and if he has not that ohanoe it is better for the country and this House that his nomination should not be received. I Bhall vote for the recommittal of this Bill m order that the amendment indicated may be introduced.