THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1882. THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2460, 23 February 1882, Page 3

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1882. THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS.

Justices Johnston and Williams have arrived at the conclusion that it is not possible to go behind the electoral rolls in cases connected with election petitions. “We think,” they said on Tuesday, “it must have been the intention of the Legislature to mako the register conclusive for some purposes, and amongst others for a purpose like this—that the names of persons who might, like aliens, have been objected to, being on the register, the matter is not to be further inquired into.” This decision certainly gives an extended power to Registration Officers, but it places the subject on a sound and intelligible basis. If it were possible to go behind the rolls on the abstract principle that that man could not vote who had in reality no vote to give, it is difficult to see where there could be any finality. It might, indeed, be said that a petitioner might be compelled to petition within a certain time after the election was concluded. Rut, after all, what is this but a closing of the rolls at a later date ? To carry ! out the principle to its logical conclusion j it should always be possible to petition I against a successful candidate when it might happen to be found out that some one had been on the rolls at the time of ( the election who ought not to have been ( there. This manifestly was never the £ intention of the Legislature. No one J would care to hold a seat on such a very ’ precarious tenure. Yet this is what such arguments as that used by the “ Lyttel- e ton Times” this morning really come 8 to. There must be a closing of tho rolls J sooner or later. Surely it is better to 8 have them closed before the election than c after. I

As to the outcry about the enormous powers of Registration Officers we fail to see anything in it, because it is a power that may so easily be enrbed. If the same political organisations existed in New Zealand as do in England there would be but little chance of Registrars being accused of being such terribly powerful individuals. In the old country the Conservative and Liberal parties take very good care to examine the rolls before an election in the interests of their own respective parties. Between the two, there is very little likelihood of names remaining on the rolls which have no business to be there. In New Zealand, of course, the same strong party lines do not exist; the friend of to-day is liable to become the enemy of to-morrow. But it is clear that there is not much difference between the inherent powers of Registration Officers here and at Home. These officers in England may be restrained, it is true, by the danse in the Ballot Act to which onr Jndges alluded the other day, but their real and most effective check lies in the existence of private organizations, which have the effect of keeping thorn well up to the mark. Those persons that object to the decision of onr Jndges wish disappointed candidates to do after the election that which these private organizations do in England before the election. Surely the latter process is altogether more nnobjectionable than the former one. One of the remedies to the present unsatisfactory state of affairs lies in a general recognition of the fact that a candidate for his party will have to manoeuvre the ground before he enters upon his campaign. It would not, after all, he such a very great matter for the candidate’s supporters to examine the roll in the interests of the party. And if the opposite side were to do the same, it is manifest that much the same results would eventuate here as are now to be seen existing in England. It may be, as Mr. Justice Williams remarked, that sufficient time is not allowed to enable candidates to review the roll and get objectionable persons struck off, but this, after all, is a minor detail, and might easily be remedied without infringing on the principles of existing statutes.

Registration officers being liable to be called to account for their deeds at the bar of the House, we fail to see altogether that they are such irresponsible indivi. duals as it is being endeavored to make them out. Their laches with regard to existing rolls appear to us only to show that they have been somewhat lax in carrying out their functions, and not to point at all to any endeavor of theirs to stuff the roll with partisans of their particular parties. The post of Registrar has been in some instances given to men who have no special qualification for the post, but rather the contrary. The remuneration is not sufficiently large to enable a man to give any very large amount of time to the duties of the office. In point of fact, his instructions too often remain a dead letter. The Bth clause of the Registration of Electors’ Act, 1879, provides the following :—“ It shall bo the duty of the Registrar during the fifteen days following the receipt of any such claim, to make enquiries as to the truth of the particulars therein stated.” Now is it not generally the case that the word of the applicant is taken as conclusive evidence of his right to vote P Certain of the applicants are of course known personally to the Registrar, but, with regard to perfect strangers, ho usually takes their word as conclusive, unless ho has any particular reason for doubting their right to vote. It is perhaps a thankless task to say, that more than this is expected from the Registration Officer by the Statute. Without intending it the applicant may bo wrong in the statements made during his application. Forinstance ho may not understand the correct application of the word alien.

Or he may be under a wrong impression as to the district in which he resides. In any case the law lays it down clearly that the Registration Officer “ should satisfy himself ” that the claim is a valid one. If in every case he were so to satisfy himself there would be much loss danger of aliens, minors and nonresidents getting on the roll. In point of fact there exists ample machinery for keeping the roll correct. Something should be left to party organization, but, on the other hand, the Registration Officers should carry out to tho letter, as far as possible, tho law under which they •®t. The importance of these officers should be duly recognized, and the necosfunds for properly carrying out functions should not be grudged