The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 26th 1869.

Dunstan Times, Issue 361, 26 March 1869, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, MARCH 26th 1869.

Beneath the Rule of Men entirely just the ten is Mightier than theswoKD

With the last day of the present mouth doses the only opportunity, that persons entitled to have their names upon the Electoral Eoll will have of doing so, otherwise they lo*c

the privilege of exercising the franchise for the next twelve mouths to come, those who therefore desire to qualify themselves as electors, should lose not a moment of time, and register at once. The necessity for registering becomes the more important qs the days of the House of Representatives are numbered, for before the close of the present year, we shall be called-upon in all probability to record our votes at a general election. The goldfields cannot by any means congratulate themselves upon their choice of members at the last general election, strictly speaking, wo are scarcely represented at all in the Parliament of New Zealand, and never, either here or in Australia, since the mining community possessed the privilege of choosing their own representatives have, they been treated so cavalierly by ' the objects of their choice, we might almost designate it contemptuous indifference. Messrs Vogel and O’Neil have never so much as addressed or even visited their constituents since elected, and upon no more than some half dozen occasions have we even heard their names mentioned in any of the proceedings of the House in connexion with the goldfields, both gentlemen undoubtedly got what they wanted by being o’ected, using their constituents as a means to an end. Mr. Bradshaw, member for Goldfields Towns, and Mr. Haughton, who represents the nice little pocket borough of Hampden may also be included as goldfields members, their constituents with very tew exceptions being composed of the mining community; in neither of these representatives have wc anything to be proud of, and like in the case of Messrs Vogel and O’Neil, they have made the interests of their constituencies subservient to their own, in fact, we may much question if they scarcely bear us in remembrance. Out of this precious quaterni, three have cut our acquaintance entirely, prefering to reside hundreds of miles away in the North Ireland, there to enjoy wholly or partially the sweets of office or Government patronage. The rc. maining member, Mr. Vogel, although resident in Dunedin might, so far as the goldfields are concerned, be in Kamschatka; he, has availed himself of no opportunity to become person, ally acquainted with the localities or people, -whose interests he professes to watch over. Whether it is from apathy, or that wc have nothing to expect by being represented in the j council of the nation, we have so stoically submitted to this neglect; or that a mutual silence and want of recognition is deemed by all parties to be the wisest; it is difficult to divine* but one thing is certain that, unless we choose more lively representatives when the next opp rtunity presents itself, our interests will very materi ally suffer. The goldfields now boast a settled community, engaged in systematic and permanent occupations, and who have created valuable and vested interests. They are no longer a nomadic people scattered over the broad surface of the land, but we find each one buckled down diligently to labor, having entered into the pursuit of gold mining as the chief business and attraction of their lives. With the present system of representation there is much to be found fault with. The goldfields require to be represented in divisibns, and not as at present as a whole, there does not exist that entire community of interests for which general measures will suffice, while a preponderance of votes in one locality is equivalent to disfranchfsing the other. As an undivided constituency the goldfields, from being so widespread, are exceedingly difficult to canvass, and as miners, as a rule, like talk, and more ‘ especially to confront those who arc seeking their suffrages, men who would honestly represent them decline doing so on the grounds of an expensive and tedious election. Instead, therefore, of securing a representative with honesty of purpose and brains sufficient to support our interest, we are at the mercy of some adventurous office-seeker, who, after using us- for Ids own particular ends/

lays us quietly by until wanted again. In the meantime, we have only to find consolation in the unpleasant fact that the promises and protestations made to us were mere outbursts of idle verbosity, given without the slightest intention of ever being redeemed. The Dunstxn district, with which may bo included the other northern goldfields, have interests so much in common that a local representative is absolutely necessary, Under existing circumstances we have no voice in the making of the laws which govern us, our business being that of simple obedience to them. When again called upon to exercise the same trust of freemen, let us guard against difficulties which now affect us by recording our votes in favor of no man unless he possesses sufficient stake in the district that, however much he may be inclined to advance his own interests, he cannot do so without at the same time advancing ours also. It is human nature to look after oneself; but it is beyond human endurance to unwittingly be made creatures of convenience and treated with cold i’ difference by those who have proved themselves unworthy of our trust In making choice of a representative we must be guarded upon one point, and that is that sound sense is by no means corabafable with eloquence. Those who have the most to say oftentimes make the least impression. It is the ready debater who is really listened to with attention, and who, by his sound reasoning invariably carries his point, while what has been adduced by the more vapid and pretentious speaker lives scarcely beyond the moment of utterance, from the fact that all he has said is wanting in consistency. We have every reason to be dissatisfied with our present representatives, and should they ever again have the hardihood to seek our suffrages, we can only preserve our self-respect and show our displeasure of the pass by replying to their importunities : “ Get you gone ! Seek out other constituencies ! Go where you are not known ! We have decided to fill your prices with other and better men ! >