The Globe. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1296, 15 May 1878, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1878.

The speech of iho Hon. Mr. Ballance at Martou has either been very badly reported, or must ho pronounced unsatisfactory and disappointing. Tho earlier portion of it appears to have been devoted to a by no means impartial account of tho doings of last session, and when we come to that part which professes to deal with the policy of the Ministry, there is very little to enlighten ns. For example, on the subject of tho franchise, his views as reported are exceedingly vague. All the explanation we get of the intentions of the Government is contained in the following passage : The principal features of the proposed franchise, of which he could speak authoritatively, were leasehold franchise, ratepayers’ franchise under which Maoris should be included with only a right to vote as long as they retained their qualification, household franchise and residential franchise in which the lodgers’ and miners’ rights franchise should be included. A residence three months in the Colony would qualify a person under the last mentioned He would further like to see the right of voting extended to women. If the above report is a correct summary of tho words of Mr. Ballance, then it is evident that Ministers intend to pay very little attention to the declaration of the Premier during his stumping trip throughout the colony, although they are willing enough to profit by whatever enthusiasm he succeeded in raising on behalf of his supposed measures. Now one point which was strongly insisted on by Sir G. Grey was the necessity of making tho electoral qualification depend, not on property, but on manhood. Every man, he maintained, who contributed to the taxation of the country should have a right to a vote —and ono vote only — apart altogether from any property qualification. Now we learn that there is to he a leasehold franchise, a ratepayers’ franchise, a household franchise, and a residential franchise. Instead, therefore, of ignoring the claims of property, tho Government measure proposes to give it every consideration. It is true, indeed, that a freehold franchise is not mentioned by Mr. Ballance. In deference, perhaps, to the feelings of tho Premier, it was necessary to eliminate the freeholders, as such, from tho list of those who had a right to vote. But, in making the possession of a leasehold, the occupation of a house, or tho paying of rates, a qualification, Ministers practically admit that they believe as little as the general public do in much of the eloquent declamation of tho Premier. How it is proposed to make these different qualifica tious fit into each other, is not explained. We presume, however, that no attempt will be made to restrict an elector to one vote only. He may reside in one electoral district, and pay rates on property in half a dozen other districts. As the law stands at present each elector who lias a qualification in a district can vote there. The ratepayers’ qualification would operate exactly in a similar manner. Wo cannot see how it would be possible to prevent it. Of course Ministers may have some scheme which they think will result in carrying out the expressed views of the Premier, that a man shall have one vote only in the choice of a representative. If they have, we have no explanation of how they mean to do it. and ns far as wo can see, it would be utterly impossible to devise any plan which would have such a result. Had the measure abolished a property qualification altogether, and dealt alone with manhood suffrage with a residental clause, it would no doubt have been possible to prevent any man from having more than one vote. Having, however, abandoned Sir G. Grey’s programme, in admitting the rights of property they can no longer restrict a man to voting in one electoral district if lie has a qualication in several others. Tho nest great point in tig) Grey policy its the change in the

incidence of taxation. On this subject Mr. Ballance, as reported, is equally vague. Ho is in favour of the imposition of a “ class tax ” on land, and spoke of an improved system of valuation which would render it practicable, hut would not tax improvements. Ho would lax joint-stock companies, hut did not believe in an income tax. The policy of the Government would ho to cut the land up and colonise and cultivate it. Ho said the Native Lands Bill of next session would contain a colonising policy to enable the poorer inhabitants of the colony to acquire small areas of laud. Such are the views of Mr. Ballance, and, wo presume, of Ids colleagues, on the throe great points of the Grey policy. The first they have virtually abandoned, for the proposal to add a fresh qualification —a residential one—will not mend the so-called defects of the present system, and on which the Premier has so often waxed eloquent.

The necessity of increasing the number of street lamps lias been occupying some attention at the hands of ratepayers, and the Lighting Committee of the City Council has come in for a considerable share of abuse. Wo have made some inquiries into the matter and find that this abuse has been unmerited. That body has been doing its best to meet the requirements of the various portions of the city. The difficulty has been that the gas mains are not laid down in every street, and until they are, there will always bo occasion more or less to complain. But the Lighting Committee are never tired of urging the Gas Company to extend their mains. In March last, they instructed the Town Clerk to write asking the Company to extend their mains to tho belts so as to enable the Committee to place a gas lamp on every street on the belts. Again five days afterwards, on March 21st, the following letter was sent:—

I have tho honor, by the direction of tho Lighting Committee, to aak you when it is likely that mains will be laid to and along the bolts, to enable tho Council to have lamps placed at the corner of every street. The committee are much blamed for neglect in not carrying out a promise made to the citizens to place lamps on the belts, which it does not deserve, because your company have nob extended the mains. As the winter is approaching, the committee urge upon the directors the necessity there exists for extending mains, and would respectfully ask that instructions he given to have them laid as soon as possible.

In reply to the above and other communications two letters wore received from tho Gas Company. Ono stated that they should give immediate attention to the erection of lamps in Durham street and Cambridge terrace, but tho one required at the junction of Kilmore street and Cambridge terrace was beyond tho limits of the company’s mains at present. Another letter stated that as soon as tho necessary pipes arrived, gas mains would bo laid along tho East town belt, and South town bolt. This work would in all probability be done during the next two months from that date. On March 29th the Town Clerk again wrote as follows :

I have the honor, by direction of the chairman of the Lighting Committee, to acknowledge your communication to the city surveyor relative to your being unable to comply with his request to erect a lamp at the corner of Kilmore street with Oxford terrace, and to say that it is hoped you will reconsider the matter. The complaints received of the want of a lamp at the spot indicated are well grounded, and should, if possible, be met by the erection there of a lamp at once. lam directed to say that it is hoped that directions will be given to extend the mains or put in a service, considering that the city is a large consumer, and that the committee is not asking too much when it represents the urgent necessity for an extension of the company’s main to this locality.

It will ho soon that tho Lighting Coinmittee cannot be charged with neglect of duty. They havo been most urgent in requesting tho extension of mains in various localities. It is only fair to say that as regards the complaints which have boon made regarding the want of lamps in Manchester street south and Montreal street north, that tho gas mains havo not yet been extended to those places, and until that is done nothing in the way of lighting those localities can be undertaken.