THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1472, 23 April 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDA Y, APRIL 23, 1873.

The warning given a week or two ago was, after all, not the cry of an alarmist or without some foundation. What has occurred once may occur again. The compilation of the electoral roll for the General Assembly is hedged round with some safeguard, inasmuch that there is a certain, although not sufficient, degree of publicity given that objection will be taken to claimants whose qualifications are disputed, but in making up the Provincial roll it seems matters are managed after the manner of a " shake in the hat," or some equally reliable plan. Ecce signnm. One of the members of the Provincial Council for the Grey Valley, whose name is on the electoral roll for the Colony, whose property and other qualifications are indisputable, finds, at a critical moment, that his name is not on the Provincial roll, and no one in authority can explain why. What a mercy it was this happened to a member of the Provincial Council. Had tbe omission occurred in tbe case of one of the common herd, to any unit among the "swinish multitude," not another word would be heard about it. There are, it is asserted, other names omitted from the roll of Provincial electors with as little justification as was the name of Mr Guinness. These persons, not taking an active interest in political events, will not make a complaint, or seek to have their names reinstated as Mr Guinness has done. This is the strangest part of this mysterious muddle. When the Returning Officer at the nomination at Ahaura refused to allow Mr Guinness, because his name was not on the Electoral Roll, to second the nomination of a candidate, that gentleman, after protesting in strong terms against his disfranchisemeut, at once placed himself in communication with the Revising Officer at Nelson, pointing out the omission, and asking Mr Broad to rectify the error. This, it appears, was done at once, for in the roll supplied to the Returning and Deputy Returning Officers for their guidance during the election, the name of Mr Guinness is inserted in writing in the proper place. It seems by this that the Revising Officer, or whoever compiles the roll, can strike out or insert names at his pleasure, without let or hindrance — without publicity and very likely without inquiry. Surely this is a dangerous power to place in the control of any man. This matter has set people thinking, and inquiring by what means the Revising Officer at Nelson obtains the knowledge which guides him in compiling the roll. To whom is he indebted for the information which leads him to commit egregious blunders like the one in question ? With respect to tho approaching revision of the roll for the General Assembly, those who have put in claims are again cautioned that every effort will be made to prevent any increase in the roll where the newly-onfranchjsed are likely to influence the election for the next Superintendent of Nelson. The Revising Officer at Greymouth will, of course, only have to consider the objections made to claimants, but these objections will be persistently urged on the most frivolous grounds, in the case of every disputable claim sent in by a resident on the Nelson South- west Gold Fields. Itisofvitalimportance to those at present ruling at Nelson, that the franchise should be curtailed on the gold fields, so that the voting-power m?y be large by comparison in " the more settled districts."