The Evening Star FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1870

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2136, 11 March 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1870

The prospect of two elections for members to fill the seats in the House of Representatives vacated by Mr A. J. Burns and Mr John Cargill forces upon public attention some of the questions that will have to be decided at the next session of Parliament. It must not be imagined that the lull in the strife of parties that now prevails will continue. Although there is not at present any great Colonial question before the public mind, it is not in the nature of politicians who have once enjoyed the sweets of power to rest content, and let their opponents rule quietly. Representative Governments are said to be essentially Governments by party, and if the governed will have (rood laws well administered, it is for them to select men to frame them whose ideas are clear and definite on such subjects as are for the general good. We need not point out that to carry this out with intelligence requires much sounder and more widely diffused political knowledge than is to be mot with in any country. The surprise is that more serious blunders are not made than now occur, when the rough and ready style of political education of the people is taken into consideration. It is, however, of the utmost importance that at an election the utmost freedom of action should be given to the electors in selecting such men to represent them as in their judgment are best qualified for members of Parliament. The recent extraordinary proceeding at the Wallace election, and the authority from the Colonial Secretary’s Office to furnish a copy of the poll register to an applicant, suggest one of the questions that ought to be put to candidates for the vacant seats, “ Will you support a “ measure for taking votes by ballot 1 It is no great credit to the intelligence of the day that it is necessary to urge this question upon the attention of the electors themselves, as one of the highest importance to liberty. Ho special pleading can ever disguise the fact that the publication of the poll list in the Tuapeka Times of the voting at the Wallace election, was intended to set up those who voted contrary to papular ideas as marked men. The views they held of the qualifications of the man for whom they voted might be correct, or they might be wrong. It by no means follows that the popular view is at all times right. It suited our forefathers to adopt the superstition Vox populi vox Dei , just in the same way that the guilt or innocence of an accused person was determined by his capability of dealing the deadliest blows in single combat, or a compact with the Spirit of Evil was settled by the swimming or sinking of some poor old woman deemed a witch. But, whether right or wrong, vox populi gives no right of coercion or supervision over an individual vote. No man is answerable to his neighbor for his opinion. A vote is a privilege held in common with every other elector, to be used conscientiously to the best of the judgment of him who gives it. No man has a right to know how it has been given, and every man has a light to withhold that knowledge from every other. His vote is his own concern and nobody else’s, and it is a breach of the law of liberty on the part of the Legislature to allow one voter to have the power of ascertaining how it has been bestowed by another. A great amount of trash is talked about the independent spirit cultivated by a system of open voting, as if less independence were likely to result when all power of coercion was taken away, It is not the independent spirits that require protection, but those who are not independent. It is no doubt very noble in a man to stand forward before the world and say, “ I will sooner die “ than submit to be dictated to as to “ the course I am to take in politics or “ religion, or in any matter on which I “ have a right to judge for myself.” But we ask, what right has society to place him in such a risky position ? The very admiration such a spirit of self-sacrifice meets, is the best proof that it is uncommon, and therefore best cultivated and established by removing all obstacles to its exercise. There are robust constitutions that are proof against the severest weather; but would it be wise on that account to expose all to the same risks 1 With care and attention the health of the delicate .may be equally preserved with that of their hardier fellow-men; and so with the ballot. Uuder its shield the most timid and dependent are placed on an equal footing of independence, with the most fortunate of their fellow-electors. If the electors of Caversham and Bruce do their duty at the coming elections, they will make it a sine qua non that those for whom they vote will support the ballot.

City Election.—lfc will be seen by our advertising columns that Mr J. Fogel is a candidate for the representation of Leith Ward. Supreme Court. —The Court was occupied nearly the whole of to-day with the case of Pritchard v. Gibbs, part heard yesterday. At a quarter to 6vc o’clock the jury had not returned their verdict. Correspondence. —We have received letters on various subjects, and one from Mr J. Graham, which are unavoidably crowded out. Mr Graham’s opinions of the exhibits at the Horticultural Show are in fact stated in our report. Jarraii, or Swan River Mahogany. —The' first cargo, direct, of this wood, so celebrated for its resistance to the attacks of the toredo, arrived at Port Chalmers by the Nightingale, from Freemantdc, today. Messrs Connor and M‘Kay, the contractors for the Graving Dock, purpose using it in the construction of the dock gates, but in all probability there is a larger quantity than they will require available for other purposes. Immigration.—The Jessie Headman, which arrived from Glaswow to-day, brings out some 87 passengers, of whom 66 are assisted. The last mentioned number includes 13 agricultural laborers, 11 domestic servants, 6 ploughmen, 3 paper finishers, a carpenter, a tailor, a shepherd, a mill-worker, a wheelwright, and 24 who are not described. The whole of the passengers will he conveyed to town by the Golden Age to-morrow morning. Delivery of Mails. The detention of mails at Port Chalmers is really unbearable. Day after day steamers arrive shortly after noon, but the mails never reacli town much before night. To day, for example, the Phoebe arrived a few minutes after two p.m., and her mails were not landed at the time of going to press. Had she brought down the English mails it would have been just the same, and it is high time that the Post Office authorities devised means whereby the mails may Ls expeditiously forwarded to town. Auckland (Gossip. —Writing under date the 6th inst., the Lyttelton Times c rrespondent says : —-The IBth Royal Irish took their departure for Sydney iu the s. s. Hero, last Saturday. I need hardly repeat that the Governor was iu deep sorrow when the pacing took place. The guard at the Government House was withdrawn early on Saturday, and a “dismounted” Mounted Armed Constable will, in future, do duty iu its place at the Gubernatorial gate. The antipathy which it is well known is felt by Welliugtonians against Sir George Bowen, is, I fancy, gradually showing itself even in this, the city of his choice. The select few who grace his Excellency’s parties are loud in his praises, but when 1 have said this, nothing, lam sure, remains to be told. Lady Bowen has been very gay of late. The arrival of the Squadron encouraged somewhat her penchant in that direction. It is sometimes regretted that this amiable lady does not go more frequently out of her way to set the example—much needed here—of affording relief and comfort to the poor, who certainly form no inconsiderable portion of our community. A new club was inaugurated during the latter part of the month, rejoicing in the name of the “ Northern Club.” The other club, now called the old club, is named the “ Auckland Club.” The new institution surpasses iu every way the other, and a liner building or better accommodation could hardly be expected in a small provincial town like Auckland. At the opening dinner, when, by-the-bye, the wines were good, but the cooking indifferent, Sir George Bowen, who was specially invited, made one of his extraordinary speeches, which would have certainly done the reporter of the Wellington Post good to hear. He landed the Auckland folks in somewhat fulsome terms, and had one or two very severe digs at the Empire city and its inhabitants. His words I will not repeat, as they were never meant by his Excellency to reach, I should fancy, the ears of our Wellington neighbors, who seem to have quite enough trouble already, without any further addition. ! I perceive the rumors of the intended removal of the Seat of Government are findipg way into various Provincial newspapers. Ido not think for a moment that Ministers have expressed at any time any wish to that effect. Sir George Bowen, I feel certain, would do all iu his power to effect a result he so warmly desires, but his power or influence is not of much weight, if of any at all, and Ministers, I think, are swayed in these troublesome times by more important motives than that of pleasing the whims of any person and party. Much has also been said of the probability of having tbe next session of the Assembly held here. Again, I repeat, that such temporary removal is highly improbable. What gave rise to those rumours, will perhaps be found to have originated from the fact that Mr M‘Lean finds it more convenient, and, in fact, almost necessary, to administer the Native and Defence affairs from Auckland. It is said that tho visit of the Premier will last some time, as he intends visiting the Waikato with a young Otago chief, Tairoa, whom he brought with him from Wellington, and that he will also proceed to the Thames, and, as I have said before, to the Bay of Islands, with the Governor. Tairoa is a friend of the Maori King, and has lately been in communication with him. Some good is expected of the interview. /

We sec by the advertisement that the Provincial Hotel and its various addenda of billiard rooms, rifle nailery, and Theatre, arc in the market. We shall be glad to see arrangements made for resuming these sources of amusement, as the closing ®f the Theatre, especially, has created a void which cannot he filled up satisfactorily excepting by its being re-opened.