The Dunstan Times. CLYDE, FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1881.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1007, 5 August 1881, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

CLYDE, FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1881.

Bcnea’h the rule of men entirely jnst The pen is mightier than the sword.

Last Monday morning a telegram was received by Mr G. Fache from Mr V. P yke (now in Wellington), stating that “ The alternative proposals of Government for the distribution of seats are to wipe out the Dunstan altogether. Cromwell and Bannockburn are added to Wakatipu; Blacks and Tinkers are thrown into Mount Ida; and Clyde and Alexandra into Waikaia. This means the disfranchisement of the district, as it divides it into three districts, the Dunstan forming a minority in each.”

Very naturally, the above telegram created a little excitement amongst the electors resident in Clyde, and a preliminary meeting was immediately held in the Library to discuss the matter, and decide as to the best means to prevent the Dunstan electorate being wiped out, and the electors disfranchised. It was decided to call a meeting of those interested for the same evening (Monday), at which suggestions could be made as to the best medium to counteract the “ friendly ” intentions of Government, and transact any other relative business that should suggest itself. The meeting, as decided upon, eventuated, and after a few hints had been thrown out for guidance, a Committee was appointed to draw up a memorial to Government on the subject. Those appointed were Messrs Fache, Wilson, McConnochie, Holt, Naylor, and Macgeorge. The memorial will be signed by those who would like to append thensignatures to it, and will ultimately be forwarded to Mr Pyke to present to that august body, the House of Representatives,

"We cannot too strongly impress upon one and all tho necessity of devoting some attention to tho electoral roll for the Dunstan district now in course of formation. By devoting attention,we mean ascertaining if their own names and also tho names «f their friends and acquaintances are embodied in it. The necessity is now greater than usual, because of the general election to take place at the beginning of next year. With some it may appear useless labor ; in fact, we have lately hern-d some persons express themselves to that effect, since the currency of the proposal of Government to wipe out entirely tho Dunstan district; but we see the greater necessity for action, and that immediate, to prove the determination not to readily yield. The cry should be, “ .Register, register, register ! ” and the reply, “We will! ” The importance of a district is based on its electoral roll, wliich regulates everything either for its good or for its evil, and we desire to impress this on the minds of all. It is undeniably a fact that by the mining community the privilege of enrolment has not been exercised, because of the miner's right franchise, and it is no less a fact that by their so acting they have been doing infinite harm. With the Ministry, or with the House, whenever a question arises as to any district, the roll is at once referred to, and by that it is judged; and we have little hesitation in saying that the Ministry in coming to their alternative proposals for the redistribution of seats had as their basis the electoral rolls. If the electors do not desire worse things to follow,they will immediately have their names placed on the roll.

Now, as to the alternative proposals referred to above, we must explain, and to make matters clear we must start from the beginning. During the last session (1880) the Ministry brought up a Bill for the re-distribu-tion of seats—that is, the alteration of electoral districts boundaries—which, however, reached only to the first reading. The same measure is again brought up this current session, and amongst other things it provides for the wiping out of the Wakaia district and parcelling it amongst the other surrounding districts. To this, as was to have been expected, Mr Hosace Bastings, the member, strongly protested, and by argument and a memorial from the district and other acts so gained the ear of the Ministry that they offered an alternative proposal—viz., to leave Waikaia alone and wipe out the Dunstan, parcelling Cromwell and Bannockburn to Wakatipu, Blacks and Tinkers to Mount Ida, and Alexandra and Clyde to Wakaia. This monstrous proposal, it will be seen at a glance, virtually disfranchises the district, as it divides it into three, in each and all having a minority, and the question arises—“ Are wo to allow ourselves to be quietly snuffed out of political existence without a murmur, or are we to enter our protest 1” demanding in no half terms a continuance of the rights we have always enjoyed. Fcr our parts we most emphatically say “No!” We would not advise any act of open rebellion, but from our place we demand that the people should rise to a man and approach the Ministry by memorial, pointing out in the plainest possible language that they will not submit to their entirety as a district being destroyed, and their political existence snuffed out in so unceremonious a manner, because a few men who know little (and care less) of the district say so. There is not one thing in common between the several parts of the Dunstan and the districts into which it is proposed to mei’ge them. They are as widely separate as the poles, commercially and politically, and (as we said before) the proposal means disfranchisement, pure and simple. This simple fact is to be borne in mind, and its effects well weighed. We will not insult the intelligence of the people by enumerating them; we will concontent ourselves by reiterating onr demand that without loss of an hour they take action. The usual course of obtaing signatures to memorials in this case will not do : time is too precious; meetings should bo held, and the telegraph brought into requisition to wire to the Ministry and the district member the results. This course has beeu adopted by the residents of Clyde. In another column will be seen the report of the Clyde meeting, and the copy of the memorial wired to the Ministry. ,