TOWN EDITION The Daily Telegraph WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3244, 23 November 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION The Daily Telegraph WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1881.

Captaim Russell, in big address last night at Hustings, defended his action in the House withTrespect to the Representation Bill on the ground that, by giving natives equal electoral rights to those enjoyed by colonists, the balance of power between the North and South Islands in Parliament would have been equalised. Captain Russell feared that the South Island, having the largest number of members in the House, would be able to secure all the public works expenditure. In order to bring up the number of the inhabitants of the North Island to that of the South he would have included the native population, and by giving the Maoris manhood suffrage the North would have been entitled to as many members of Parliament as the South Island. That is the argument used in the year of «tace 1881 ; but in 1878 Captain Russell took an opposite and we venture to think a more sensible view of the question. In 1878 Sir George Grey's Electoral Bill aimed at giving the natives equal privileges with the Europeans, not to balance the voting power of the two islands, but ostensibly as a measure of justice to tbe Maoris, and in reality to enable the Ministry to secure a certain number of seats in the House. Mr Moss went as far as to say that it was well known the Government could bring pressure to bear upon the natives, and the suffrage was given to the Maoris to enable the Ministry to control the elections. The frankness of this avowal was charming, exhibiting as it did the extent to which blind followers of a political leader will go in their treason to their own race. The Dunedin Age, speaking of the.Electoral Bill, said, " Let the Electoral Act, such as it is, become law, and representatives of the Ormond kind may bid farewell to politics." Speaking upon the same ject, in a leading article that we wrote and published in these columns in October of 1878, we said, " There can be no doubt whatever as to the effect of the Electoral Bill should it become law. The voice of Europeans, of those who pay rates and taxes, and who by their industry and enterprise have brought the country to it 3 present state of prosperity, will be swamped by native votes. Mr Ormond, who has ably and faithfully represented the district of Clive for so many years, will have his seat contested by some obscure nobody, nominated by the Government, who will be, perhaps, placed at the head of the poll by the votes of Maoris." What possible difference can there be between Sir George Grey's Electoral Bill and thu Representation Bill that would have had the support of Captain Russell ? We unhesitatingly say this, that we would rather be in the I hands of our own race than iv the power of the natives.