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ELECTORAL REFORM IN BRITAIN

{v CONVERTS, TO .WOMAN SUFFRAGE pIR. ASQUITH AND MR. LLOYD '■:--\] ;■ liondon, March 28. :' ' [ In the Houso 'of Commons Mr. Asijuith moved the adoption of the Speak-, prs' Conference, recommendations ' on reform. Mr. Asqtuth announced his conversion to woman's suf.'irage/;. -:,.' ;i . V ! -l : ; ' '.■."■■'■■'Mr'.-,,-'Lloyd Gcprgo' supported tho recommendation, and urged an early non- ; party, settlement of the: matter in: tho interests of tho reconstruction which would take place throughout the Em T pire after, the war: He opposed a Unionist amendmpnt delaying tho'matter. '.■•': The conforonce's rejwrt was ono 'of the.most remarkable concordats in '■ ! pur. political history.. It'. -would b8 Ifcrimin'al folly to',-throw away this op--'.portunity of settling a vexed question, which must: be. faced before ■'•. peace! 'Parliamentary agreement "was only possible if.-they acted on ihe lines of the proposals, tho most notable of which were simplified registration; elections, redistribution, • ; ."with proportional representation. ReIgarding woman!suffrage, .he confessed xhat his views had changed during the >ar.;-'- Previousl.v he was. opposed, on grounds of -publio . expediency. Ho .' thought, women ought to work out - 'their own salvation. , They have, worked it: out during the war, and could we have oarried on without them?.., He emphasised the need,of a truly,national Parliament to:represent_the country, in settling problems in .which the, Domin- ; ions were vitally interested. Y: Y- ', ; Mr.. Walter, Long (Colonial'''Secre■'■■■!tar.y)'.: advocated j'th©; acceptance of the, .'entire; proposals. in, new of -.national' 'unity,in tho .bitter'struggle''with, the !: enemy.'after the wai\-T-Aus.-N:Z.. Cable r.iAssni- ;.;■);-. ; ';: : ;; , ■':' ;.•/ i'. ■'•.-.";"..<''; Y ~■"..;. ;_ :■ 5 ' ; MOTK)N ;FOR.LEGISLATION ,; REMARKABLE, 'ONANIMITY .- OX'.' v : r >:CONTENTIOUS,;iSSTJES.,:; .; i; . (Reo.'March 29, : B:4s:pjn.) s; ':'; : ' '; ' ■ •'' ■';::,':. Y-; ,:■; v London,,;;March','2Bi v ■■ \ !' Mr'.: Asquith,' in moving that legis- • Nation -be introduced -.on the lines of the House Commons Re : form said ah '■, election-.oh the,.present register .wbiild .be. an absurdity, bwrng.to;, tho numbers of, electors rnYtheYnaval and military foroes, and the movements, of the population, ;due.;to.war.work! ' 'The question of Mecf oral .'reform' .raised'' many ' co'hteh.lious question's, but the Conference had shown remarTcabTs:.agreement. ■ Thirtyfour propositions, out of thirtyrseveh, of ,a nature. that had aroused an .embitcontroversy, for a whole, Ition had'been,adopted unanimously by ,the:House'of. Commons. :.. .. , ■■'. -TEe ffouse.'Ey 351 votes to 62," accepted Mr.; Asquith's motion. ■:'., ■;V Mr.; Bpnar- Law announced ".that the 'Government: would introduce • a Bill to give_efteot .to. the. Conference's rccom'mendatidns; ■'•;.".. >-..,.-■ '-\V ;•

.: ,i^^e v SpeaiorY Conference was held .-/.to. ■ consider, and. if. possible submit resolutions, on the v following •(ttatters: (a) Reform of tho franchise; •v>) ■■ ■•: ..baas,-;-, /for,, the..' .■redistri- . - .hution. of'sdats; (c) reform of-the sys- • item, of registration of electors I (d) Ai meihod:of/elections and the m'anner in j which•the;costß:; of elections,, should! he' .■■.'■■ lM» : are 'tis .follow:—;,.; /-" '-•, ..//■ ■ Registration.' -■'' ' V It-is recommended that the -'qualify-' tag period for registration as a ParUamentary elector shall bo reduced .from twelve-months to nix, 'with a re-':'--'-"iXsl?n;ol ■ tte "Sister every, six months ; ~ *hat,;the:periods shall end on January do and July .Ip/in,each year; and that /jtne tune'.' between ,the and -.■-..; jcominjg into.fore© of the register shall - ; .-,»©'.shortened'.- "The"-three last-named ■ .?:. *ecomrflehda,tions ■."are? 110 t to "apply to' , -Ireland, \'wluW,;.'owing; to , different 1 ■~' fconditions, ■mij, require special 'treats . ment. vln England" and Wales the registration officer shall beMh the case 'fit a 'county the clerk--.to tho County . !U>.uncil, and iii the case of a borough / ithe town clerek, appeals.from' the deci- .- sionsof these officers' to" lie with .the . ...County i : Court. ••; The;- conference' expresses the opinion, that the cost of the ... registration should be-a' : charge on the ' 'wft '*—j—* State contributing onc- . ';?"Reform of the Franchise. !■•'• : i_.!*Eve'ry. person of .full age, iot sub; ,:3ect tpany legal incapacity, "who for ■.\j, (tne qualifying period has,residedl- in' .;•;';■ any premises or has.occupied for 'the .purposes: -.of 'his'.business,.; profession; • |pr trade any.promises of the clear year-' ~ly value of: not less than£lo shall be ' (entitled .to, be registered '■.-. as mentary elector."' 'No .change should jbo made.'in .the law relating/to, the ,'Sbint:occupation of business premises; ■■ but a 'franchiso based on the qualifi.- ; cation above quoted should" be substi- : (tuted. for all existing franchises. The .:.; representation of the Universities' should be maintained; and qualification V,' should not.be lost by ; removal to:difs. xerent premises within the same con-' -..-, (this is tho law now) or frora j :'one constituency to"•';another.'•. in'.the '.' same borough o'r.county (including the .County of 1 London) or to 'different, (premises in a continguous county or ■ . pTorough..,; It is further recommended Jthat a person should not vote, at a election in more than one conJ.,>tituenoy,' provided' that .'"a person.' '■ [shall, bo entitled to. one 'additional vote jin:'another constituency in- respect of .. i .fthe occupation of business premises' <r , in Tospcct of any qualification he may pave as.a University voter." ;,Tho con--forence recommonds ■ a codification, of (tho law relating to franchise and re,'gistfatiou.' ,

•, of /Toe-conference-''accepts as governany scheme of redistribution the principle that each vote recorded shall, jas far as possible, command an oqiidl Jsharo of,representation in the House pt Commons," and declares it to bo dejsirablo that the nuinbor of members 'Jor Great Britain shall remain substantially as at present; that ;?0,000 should bo the standard unit of (population for each member; that, a ' fcounty or borough (except tho, City, of (London) with a population of less than 50,000 should ceaso to liavo separata Representation, which should, however, continue in' the case of constituencies •between 50,000 and 70,000;' that a [municipal : borough or urban district With a papulation not less-than 70,000 should become a separate Parliamentary jborough; that-an existing constituency jat present- Returning two members Should not lose a member if the defect in the population is 20,000 or less; that b member should be given, for every 170,000 and for every multiple of 70,000, jand an additional member for any rcJmainder which is not less than 50,000; jthat tho boundaries of Parliamentary, constituencies should, as far as practicable, coincido with the boundaries of ivdministrativo areas; and thai tho City of London shall continue as at present to return two members. It is fur-, •fcher recommended . that existing Iboroughs entitled to return two members should riot.be divided, and that tho Boundary Commissioners ; should take the population as estimated by the Registrar-General for July, 19H, injstcad of that of tbo census -of 1911. pfurther, the Boundary Commissioners

should bo instructed, after ascertaining local opinion, to sogrogato, as far as possible, adjacent industrial and rural areas in forming constituencies within any. county, and whero a borough losos its right to separate representation to combine it with any othor such borough and boroughs lying within the county or with any. other borough in the same county having separate representation .instead of merging it in the adjacent county 'division, Whoro an_ ancient borough loses its representation the county?division in which it is merged' should be named after tho merged borough. There is a recommendation also in favour of regrouping tho existing divisions of burghs in' Scotland whiqh' aro scattered ' over wide areas! "As regards Irolaud, the conference desires to -place on; record that on the subject of redistribution it has carried ton its deliberations from the point of view of Great Britain only."

Tho Universities. It is recommended that tho Universities of Oxford and Cambridge shall continue to return two members eaoh, that the electorate should he widened, and; that * eaoh elector, should have one voto only in order to provide ' a , minority, representa-: tion. Tho Universities of -Durham, Manchester, 'Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, and "Wales bo grouped with that London as one constituency returning three members elected on tho system of a single, transferable vote. The four Scottish Universities should return three members on the samn system. As regards all Universities, tho obtaining of a degree should be tho basis for electoral qualification. Proportional Representation. ' "A Parliamentary borough which, would be entitled on a basis of popu-, lation to three or more members shall be a single constituency provided that a constituency entitled to return more than five members shall be divided into; two or more constituencies, -each returning not less than three nor more than -five members. • The election in any such constituency shall bo held on tho principle of proportional repre-: sentation and each elector shall hayo one transferable vote" For this purpose the Metropolis (excluding the City of London) would be treated as a single area and divided into constituen-' cicfc returning not less than three nor more than five members. If this system ;of proportional representation bo adopted, then the .Boundary Commis-' "sioners should -be instructed where there are contiguous which if. formed into a: single constituency would be entitled to return not lesS than three inor more than five members .to'unite them; into one constituency. Y; : Costs of Eleotiohs. ',' . At a i general election all nominations and all polls' should be on one day, with an interval of eight days between-, the two' stages'. Returning officers'..charges should be paid by the State on a scale to be fixed by the Treasury; the duties of returning offi-' cer being, discharged ,by a deputy—in counties, the clerk to the county council; in boroughs, the/town clerk. Evefx candidate, to deposit 'the sum of £150, Unsuccessful candidates whose poll does not exceed in the case of a single or double member constituency cne-eighth of the total, or, in the case of a constituency returning _ three or more members one/eighth divided jby, the number of members 'to be eleoted, shall forfeit his deposit to the Treasury.;

Outside Organisations at Election

. \ ■.■' Times. .'-■■■.'', i [ - : As .to candidates' expenses, though the-question is not'strictly within tne terms of the reference, "tne conierenbe is strongly and unanimously of opinion ■that tne expenditure at present entailedl in/fighting an. election is unjustifiable, and. should be materially reduced. This can'only... bo eifectiveiy earned out by. an alteration in the maximum amounts at present allowed by '■ the Corrupt-Practices Act, 1883,'' The conference recommends, therefore, that the 6calo shall be-7d. per elector in.a.; county; sd. per elector, in one and two i member boroughs; 4d.per elector in. the j larger boroughs; : that when there are joint candidates the maximum shall not exceed one and a half times .the amount allowed for-a single candidate;" and that-a duly nominated candidate or a number of duly nominated jointi candidates shall 1 be allowed one free postage. The conference considered "the growing'and, as it considers, the raisohievous practice by which at the time of an election political and other organisations 'incur expenditure in furtherance ,of the, views of < particular, candidates." It regards this as a contravention of the spirit of the Actand realises the : difficulty of dealing with the .matter," ..but it resolved that any person incurrine expenditure' by,:holding meetings or issuing literature for the; furtherance of the election of a candidate shoulcVblJtEliilty of a corrupt practice unless'suoh expenditure is authorised by the candidate and returned, as part of his expenses. The Ballot Act should he made permanent. 1 .

The conference only considered this question in., relation to r England and Wales, and resolved;in favour of a six months' franchise as owner or tenant, neither sex nor marriage'being a disquahfication provided that husband and wife shall not be both qualified in respect of the same premises. •'.':',.- Soldiers arid Sailors.. '■•', ■ It was decided that.it' ought to bo the duty of. the refristration officer to ascertain, as far as possible, ' 'tho names and addresses of all persons of full age who ordinarily reside in his area, but who are serving in His Majesty's forces, and such persons should bo qualified to be registered' and to vote as a Parliamentary elector"; also that in the, case of- a person -who has served in His Majesty's Forces during i any part of a' qualifying period residence in a constituency for one month immediately preceding January 15 or July 15 shall be a sufficient qualification. . ■ .' !

Woman Suffrage. . All the resolutions up to this point ■were unanimous; but only by a majority did the Conference decide that "some measure of woman suffrage should bo conferred." A majority Was also- of opinion that if Parliament accepts this principle the most practical form would be to confer the vote on "any woman on the Local Government register who has-attained a specified ago and the wife of any man who is on that register if she lias attained that age." Various ages were discussed, of which 30 and 35. received tho most favour; and il was further, resolved that if Parliament grants the franchise 'anywoman of the specified ago whois a graduate of any University having Parliamentary representa|tiion should, bo entitled to vote as a University elector.

r It was unanimously resolved that a person should not be disqualified because ho is responsible for the mainItenance of Borne other person in any asylum for lunatics or idiots. By a majority it was agreed (1) that re-' ceipt of poor law relief for less than thirty days during the qualifying period ought not to disqualify; (2) that at any election for a singlo member constituency where there are more than two candidates tho Bystom known as tho alternative vole should apply; and (3) that provision should bo mado for polling a voter who satisfies tho registration officer that he will bo compelled to be absent from tho constituency on tho da/ of the poll, an absent voters' list being prepared for this purpose at tho sametime as the ordinary register, and to remain in force during the cru renoy of. that register, the electors inscribed thereon not to bo entitled to vote in person.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170330.2.23

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,213

ELECTORAL REFORM IN BRITAIN Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 5

ELECTORAL REFORM IN BRITAIN Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 5

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