REPRESENTATION.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1370, 6 July 1878, Page 3

REPRESENTATION.

To the Editor of the h'lobe. Sib, —With jour permission, I will urge one or two reasons why the reverse of the conclusions come to by you on the above subject in your leader of the 3rd inslant should be adopted. First, you state that to re-dis-tribute the seats upon the basis of population would be to acknowledge that the Reform Bill had not included all who were entitled to a voice in the representation of the districts. You are correct on that point, sir. Now, allow me to refresh your memory by calling your attention to one of your own articles on the above subject a short time back, viz , it is most desirable that every intelligent taxpayer should have a voice in the management of the affairs of the country. Women, being intelligent and taxpayers, have a right to be represented in the country. The Hon, Wm. Fox and Mr Ballance both spoke in favonr of a female franchise. I leave it to you to say if they are Liberals. I admit our newly fledged Christchurch Political Reform Association are opposed to it, but they have declared that population shall be the basis of representation, so of course put you out of court. Your hypothetical case of largo numbers of children and aliens don’t exist in this country. Therefore we won’t waste time over it, further than to say where there are a large number of children is it not a sign the district is an important one. You say a fair ad j ustment of representation according to districts is surely within the reach of the colony. Of course it is, and in the article above quoted you state the difficulty is where to draw the line. If so lot us draw it at population. I don’t believe in offering a thing with one hand, and snatching it back with the other. Sir, let us have the above question dealt with in a liberal manner, so that it can rest for a few years at least, for I don’t think our future politicians will have any cause to leave the colony in search of a subject to practice upon apart from that one, if they only have the will. Yours, &c., REFORM.