The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1886. Our Lords and Masters

Feilding Star, 29 June 1886, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1886. Our Lords and Masters

When- Sir F. Whittaker mored the sec - ond reading of the Limitation of Votes Bill, which provides that every man in the colony sh«uld have a residention qualification and one vote only, he said that hitherto a man could ride from one electoral district to another and record a number of votes on one and the uffrrie day. We understand of couiso that "a man" hail' qualifications in each electoral district; otherwise he could not do th:s thing. Sir Frederick said it had been argued thut the Bill would have the effect of interfering with thorigbis of property, I but he thought differently, and he saw no reason why any distinction should bo made between real and personal property. He though* that every man should exercise one vote and no more. Dr Ghace opposed the Bill, because he did not think it equitable that new arrivals in the colony^' without acquired property, should have the same voting powers as persons who by thrift and industry had at-

quired property. He was followed by Mr Hart, who considered it the reverse of fair that a man, who, on Saturday night spent the last sixpence of his earnings on sensual gratification, should have the sauii voting power as the property owner. Mr Robinson appeared to have been still more shocked, for he said ho believed if the Bill was passed, very shortly property owners would be debarred from possessing a vote at all. The acquirement of property was, he fought, an incentive to obtaining voioes/as to the government of the country. He appeared to have been so overcome with emotion that " he hoped some hon. member would move that the Bill be read that day six months." He was too exhausted- to make the motion himself. Of course, "Dear" Pollen oppeaed the Bill thus— Every project required evolution, and perhaps in the course of time the hopes of the hon. member who introduced the Bill would be fulfilled. What, was the aspect of the laboring classes in the colony, he hiked, at present ? / Why, "my lord of the pick and- Ishdvel." "My lord," the earner of ei<rhtT>ob a day, ruled the colony, He trusted the Council .would not agree *• taking the power of the government of the colony away from "the intelligence of the colony and consigning it to the meat ignorant portion of the inhabitants of th^ country. The man whe dared to : /speak like this of the industrial classes is a pensioner, who owes the bread he' eats to the poor people he holds in such bitter contempt. The most manly speech reported is that of Mr Scotland, a gentleman with whom we nearly always disagree, but on this occasion we are delighted to be in accord with him. He expressed his intention of voting for the Bill, as he believed that it added dignity to manhood, if a man were permitted to go to the poll. It was to be regretted that oertain hon. members had endeavored to set up class distinctions in a young country like this. He could not help smiling at the arrogance of persons who assumed a high pedestal above their fellows, simply oecause they had acquired property, and had acquired it not infrequently by exceedingly doubtful artifices. The acquisition of property did not by any moans, injus opinion, signify that the owner possessed intelligence, he protested against the sneer levelled against " my lord of eight bob a day. ** Thlse brave must hay r/ made -<<iZ>ear" Pollen shunk in his shoes. After Mb^Stevenß having said he was indifferent as to the frite of the Bill, that settled the mattert and the motion '. ffdr the secqpC ,ft&iding was put a^d lost. The debate w& hay'e ijnperf efetfy sketched^ will not ieud to increase the. ; popyfarTt3fof the:. Legislative Assembly%wi£b the average of .the electors. ,Ths.mefe fact of Ihe Bill being thrown out* will not "disabuse their miuds T of the unpleasant belief that they kore t>evtted a class > above . themselves to look down upofflnetn as beings of a very inferior order. The ; " lower ,<las8«8" are, after all, th« toil- ' ere ana spinners who provide the ■ Colonial revenue, out of which come the salaries, .allowances, honoraria, or whatever name hon, gentlemea may please t^ciirll them, which. ar9«oma«U an object among the Lords. We ■^scent altogether the "high and mighty" tone assumed during the debate by several of the h*n. gentle-raem-w Of the merits of the Bill itwlf it is not necessary for us now to write, but we may say this that before many , years are over Mime such limitation of votes will undoubtedly besome law. It is not a necessary corollary that because a, man has acquired large landed estates that h* v a good or clever legislator, any more than because a man has no property that he is incapable of taking a share in the government of the country. There it a medium in all things, and a limit to the. political power which •houli&W entrusted to any man. •*■'■' '