OUR MEMBERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1577, 6 June 1887, Page 2

OUR MEMBERS.

Fiona tha" Hansard" report of the debate m the House on May 20th, on the question "that the amendments m the Representation Bill bs agreed to" we take j the following : — j Mr Ivesa. — I am sorry to rise to say ! anything calculated to prolong this debate, but I felt it incumbent on me to give an explanation as to the manner m wh'ch I recorded my voto on the last division, inasmuch as it reversed the vote that I gave on a previous division. When addieasin* my constituents during the recess I stated that the representation m this colony, .• s compared with other colonies with far greater population, was very great. I told my constituents that if they were m favor of a reduction I should comply with their wishes. At the same time, I avoided giving any decided pledge. However, they failed to give expression to any opinion, and I consideied it ray duty to go m for a reduction. I took into consideration the extent of the country I represented, and I fully recognised that the merging of that district into the Ashburton District would render it very difficult for one person to represent the whole district as fairly aB it ought to be represented. Still, m the absence of any opinion from my constituents, I voted for a reduction to eevonty-one,' believing that seventjr-one impartial gentlemon woro fully competent to discbarge the function of legislating for this colony. But shortly after recording that vote I was informed that many of my constituents did not approve of toy action ; and thero was placed before me by another honorable member a telegram from a gentlemen injthe Kakaia District— a gentleman of considerable influence m that port ion of the district. The following is the wording of the telegrnm : '' Almost everyone opposed to Bill, and think country leproßontalives shou!d carefully gnard interests of constituents, who would bitterly resent -the change" Now. sir, having received that telegram and other expressions of opinion, a- d not being on© desirous of inflict ing an injury ov a constituency with which I rony ponaibly be on the eve ot severing my connection — for It Is very hard to say how this Representation Bill would fare were it to go into Committee again, cr what might happen at the election — I do not wish, an I gay, to inflict an injury on the constituents by whom I was returned to Parliament, but deßlre to band back their district to them In the same a* ate as I got it from them. I am sure that, m the face of the concensus of opinion which it was no secret existed m the mlndß of the honorable members that there should only be a reduotion to eigbty-six, itconld not have been my duty to luppqrt bo Btntll a reduotion— of only five members. 1 hold that a reduction by only #ye members would not be m the interests of the colony and It would be disadvantageous m disturbing the exiting boundaries. I do not believe it could be the intention of members to have such a paltry reduction, and I therefore shall vote against it. If they were really determined to keep the nnmberat seventyone, that would be a real reduotion ; j but merely to reconsider the number with a view to raising it to eighty- 1 six is a proposition which I cannot uopport, for I consider that the mere naving of about £1,000 m the way of honorarium would be an unimportant matter. I think it comeß with bad grace from the members of the late Government, who were so instrumental m extending the number of members, that they should now, after the lapße of three yeats, be endeavouring to reduce the number to seventy-one, I have no desire to say anything further than that these were the reasons which prompted me to reverse my vote. I did not distinctly pledge myself to take any particular course, and was anxious to elicit the opinions of my constituents oa the matter, because 1 hold that it is more a matter for the conntituenta themselveß thin for the members m this House. I shall oppose the recommittal of the Bill, because I feel it weutd effectually prevent the passing of the Representation Bill thia session, and the additional representation m favor of the North Island would not be conoeded if the Bill were rereoamitttd.