THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1870.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 130, 9 June 1870, Page 2

THURSDA Y, JUNE 9, 1870.

As we are going to press, the p.s. Luna is leaving for the South, bearing, in company with His Excellency, the greater number of our representatives in the Legislature. The coming session is fraught with interest to this city and province, and it is due to our representatives, and to ourselves, that there should be effective means taken that they understand our views and our determination on certain questions. Far be it from us to advocate that the honorable position of a representative in a free Parliament should be degraded into that of a delegate ; but there are times when in the public interest liberty must be suspended, whether of the legislator or the masses. The man who would accept a seat in the Parliament of the country at the hands of his constituents, pledged as a delegate to carry out their behests in legislation, is not only unworthy of the honorable position, but is the man to sell his constituents, and though the correct theory of representative institutions is that the representative holding generally the views of his constituents should fairly canvass them and vote according to his own discretion, circumstances may arise when a united constituency may demand to be heard. Again though the system of " block " voting is generally unfair, and is to be deprecated, and though often by counteraction the system defeats itself, a case may arise of such vital and lasting interest to a people as to warrant them in assembling to command their representatives to let the constituency's voice be heard in the halls of legislature, in a pre-determined and undivided yote. And the more clearly are we convinced of this when we considor the various little jealousies and ulterior objects that affect the votes of individual members. A whim, a pet, a fancied slight, a lively sense of favours to come, may all influence the movements towards the right or left of the Speaker, and not the least of the elements influencing the action of many a politician is the determination to be different, so aa to assert his thorough independence. In view of all this, we assert that circumstances may arise when a constituency may demand that its voice be heard, and that its representatives, instead of neutralising their influence by conflicting votes, should throw their influence into the scale as one man.

Such circumstances have arisen. Auckland demands such action now at the hands of our representatives. Rumour has it that at least one member will be recalcitrant. The city has recently spoken unequivocally on this subject. She has said it into the ear of representatives. The divisions of the past, by which the voice of this province has been hushed in the House of .Representatives will be no longer tolerated; and means, if needed, more effective should be taken to show that the man who offends against the interest of this province will be regarded as a traitor ; and that in the pending general election his personal pride and political independence will lick the dust.