THE Evening Star. MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1917, 28 June 1869, Page 2

THE Evening Star. MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1869.

Solomon laid it down as a maxim tliat in the multitude of counsellors there is safety,” but in his days the world was young. Three thousand years have rolled away and a Select Committee of the Provincial Council of Otago has discovered the fallacy of the theory, and assumes that there may be two many councillors. It would not have been matter for surprise if, without exciting further attention, an Act had passed the General Assembly effecting a radical change in the constitution of things. Such things happen every session. A telegraphic message announces in general terms that a certain Bill has been introduced. Its provisions cannot be known generally until the arrival of the mail from the North, and before tliat takes place the Bill may have passed its third reading and became law. The imperfect mail system of the Colony sufficiently explains Low this may happen. But it is somewhat strange that without attracting attention during the last session of the Provincial Council, a Bill was introduced for the re-division of the Province into new Electoral Districts, and referred to a Select Committee for report. The Committee examined witnesses, brought up their report, and marked out a scheme which proposes to reduce the number of members from thirty-eight to twenty-four; and a circular has been forwarded to the different members representing the Province in the House of Representatives,

enclosing the following resolutions, passed by the Provincial Council on the 31st May ; Ist, That the recommendations of _ the Select Committee in respect to a re-division of the Proriuce into Electoral Districts be submitted to the General Government previous to their passing into lavr, with a view to some arrangement being come to, having for its object the making of the boundaries co-incident in the event of any re-distribu-tion of Electoral Districts for the Assembly. 2nd. That the returns prepared by Mr Hislop be printed, and forwarded to members of Council with copies of plan of the Province, showing proposed Electoral Districts.

The re-distribution of seats is proposed to take effect after the dissolution of the present Council. We presume that it is not needful to state that the present Council comprises thirtyeight members. The Bill as introduced by the Government, April 22 nd, proposed to reduce this number to thirtylive. On the 14th May it was referred to a Select Committee for report, and the report was brought up on the 25th of that month. That report recommends reducing the number of members to twenty-four as follows: —Dunedin 4, Tuapeka 2, Oamaru 2, Taieri 2, Tokomairiro 2, Clutha 2, Dunstan 2, Mount Ida 2, Waikouaiti 1, North Harbor 1, Caversham 1, Wakatipu 1, Mount Benger 1. In the appendix to the report, the following principles are laid 'down as the bases which led to the conclusions at which the Committee arrived :

That the number of members of the Pro vincial Council should not be increased.

That wherever practicable, the boundaries of the Provincial Electoral districts should coincide with the boundaries of the General Assemb'y Electoral Districts, and that as far as possible the Provincial Districts should be sub-dinsiona of the General Assembly Districts.

That all fresh boundaries of Provincial Electoral Districts should coincide as much as possible with boundaries already existing, or with well-marked natural boundaries —as the limits of Hundreds, Survey Districts, or Blocks, Runs, &c., and the watersheds ®f mountain ranges, broad rivers, &c. That while th epopulation should to a large extent be taken inro account in the formation of Districts, regard should also be had to identity of interest of Jie inhabitants of the different Districts, aud to the physical configuration of the country, so as to insure, as much as possible, ease and convenience as regards cnnummication with all parts of the same district.

The Committee recommended that the Bill should be no further proceeded ■with last session, as they deemed it advisable that the proposals should be submitted to the General Government prior to their being passed into law, with the view to an arrangement, by which the boundaries of Electoral districts for the Provincial Council should coincide with those for the General Assembly. It waa also suggested that the proposed alterations “ should “ be for some time before the public, “ with a view to afford opportunity of “ giving expression to public opinion “ on the general subject of representa- “ tion.” We are not aware that any steps have been taken to give publicity to the report, notwithstanding the important changes proposed, and therefore we deem it our duty to call attention to it. The following is an abstract of divisions of E'ectoral Districts and their population, as agreed to by the Committee. The returns were furnished by Mr Hislop, Inspector of Schools, and Registrar, whose labors are highly commended by the Committee.

* Seven members, equal to 1 in 2,803 6-7ths,

District. i ri O o Number of Members Equal to Dunedin 12,093 4 1 in 3,1; 3 Tuapeka 3,884 2 1 in 1,942 Oamaru 3,800 2 1 in 1.930 Tokomairiro 3,053 2 1 in 1.526 Taieri 3,207 2 1 in 1,603 Dunstan 3,030 2 1 in 1,515 Clutha 2,821 2 1 in 1,410 Mount Ida - 2,009 2 1 in 1,334 Waikouaiti 2,411 1 lin 2.411 North Harbor 2,292 1 1 in 2,292 Cavcr»ham 2,341 1 1 in 2,341 Koslyn 2,301 1 1 in 2,301 Wakatip 1 833 1 1 in 1,833 Mount Benger - 1,728 I 1 in 1,728 Dunedin and Suburbs, Dunedin 12,693 North Harbor - 2,292 Oaversham 2 341 Roslyn 2,301 Total - 19,627*