Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 810, 2 March 1871, Page 2

We notice that Mr Barff has given notice of his intention to move a resolution in the County Council affirming the desirability of abolishing the existing mode in which the miners' franchise is exercised, and of providing machinery for the registration on a roll of those who hold miner's rights and business licenses, and thus placing the miners on the same footing as ordinary registered electors. There can be no doubt that the present system in relation to the mining franchise is open to considerable amendment, and on more ■than one occasion the attention of the Legislature has been directed to the necessity of an alteration. Last session, when the new Qualification of Electors Act was under consideration, the Government were desirous of modifying the exercise of the miners' franchise, and substituting registration for the existing plan, but when the subject came to be thoroughly examined so many difficulties in the way of the registration of miners' votes presented themselves that the matter had to be abandoned for the present. Since that time the Government have instituted enquiries among the Wardens and other Gold Fluids authorities, asking for suggestions on this subject with the view of a measure being submitted to the Legislature next session. There are several obstacles in the way of a perfect system of registration, the chief of which is the result of the moveable character of the mining population. Supposing the holders of miners' rights in a particular electoral district to be duly registered on tbe electoral roll of that district, which roll would of course be the basis of all voting within that particular district, those who had removed from that district during the currency of their rights would be debarred from voting anywhere but in the district in which they were registered. For instance, a miner takes out a miner's right within the electoral district of Hokitika, tind his name is registered as a voter in that district, but he leaves that district shortly afterwards and takes up hi 3 abode in the Totara district and there remains. §lf an election should happen to occur in the litter district before he has occasion to take out a fresh miner's right at Ross, he would either be unable to vote — not being registered on the Totara roll — or compelled to take out a fresh miner's right. It may be said that this could be overcome by some plan of transferring his registration, but we cannot think of any that would not lead to a good deal of confusion, and open the door to irregularities. Nor would it be fair to allow a miner registered in one district to vote within another. No registered elector can vote except within the district for which he is enrolled. At present holders of miner's right are allowed to vote within any district within the Province or County in which the miner's right is issued — a liberty which is conceded to no one else, and altogether objectionable. Under this plati any electoral district within a Gold Fields Province may be swamped by votes from another. Suppose, for instance, that a vacancy were to occur for the Buller district, there is nothing to prevent any number of miners from the Grey Valley going up to Charleston and perhaps turning the election. At the last election for the Grey Valley some fifteen or twenty voters from the Waimea, which is not in the electoral district recorded their votes at the Greenstone. Whether the plan of registration be adopted or not it is very necessary that holders of miners' rights should be allowed to vote only in the district within whicn the miner's right was issued. Another great difficulty in the way of satisfactory registration lies in, the fact that miners take out their rights j at all times and seasons. Other electors can only register within a certain period in each year, and the rolls are annually revised ; but how could any satisfactory check be applied to the registration of miuers. Any roll composed of holders of miners' rights would require almost daily revision, because rights would be constantly running out. Probably the nearest approach to accuracy would be gained by a plan of say quarterly or half-yearly registration and revision by some simple process. For example— Let every miner, on taking out a miner's right, have his name placed on a list exhibited at the Warden's Court, with the date of expiry

of his right affixed. Once a quarter or once every half-ypar, let this list be examined by the Warden or one of his officers, and the names of those whose rights had expired be struck out. At the time of ari election, the various lists within' any electoral district could be incorporated on a roll, to be used in conjunction with the ordinary roll of householders, as at present. We have carefully considered this question, and the plan just mentioned appears to us to be tbe nearest approach to a satisfactory solution of the question as any we can think of. But the simplest way after all of getting out of the difficulty is to abolish the mining frauchise altogether, and entirely reform the whole plan of registration, substituting for our present cumbrous and unequal system that of manhood suffrage. Why should the large number of persons in every way worthy to exercise the franchise, but happen to live in lodgings or hotels, be debarred from voting, whilst any miner, however disqualified by want of {education, can do so, simply because he has paid a pound for a miner's right 1 We hold that every man of full age, who is in the foil possession of bis natural faculties, and is not disqualified by crime, should have the right to vote. Why cannot we adopt in New Zealand the plan that obtains in Victoria 1 It works well there, and would do so here.