Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 110, 27 April 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1863.

That the electoral franchise possesses greater value than from the careless and indifferent manner in which that privilege is treated when attained, seems pretty certain, for in looking over the names entered upon the list of new applications, we notice a great many which we have no hesitation in saying have no business there.

That the great advantage attending representative Government, is mainly to be attributed to the freedom and purity of elections is the burden of the cry of all those happy politicians who delight in the indulgence of a little harmless political sentiment ; and that that freedom and purity is to be maintained by giving a vote to persons holding a limited stake in the country, but still a stake. Tbatlimitation virtually places the electoral list upon the footing of universal suffrage, and although excellent in theory fails entirely in practice. No person has any legal. title to vote, or can, in fact, claim a vote at all, unless possessed of property of the value of .£lO per annum, whether household or leasehold matters not. But yet, regardless of this small, but undeniably specific qualification, we regret much that from some not-very-ea-sily-explained cause our runholdiug interest, although, at this moment the paramount interest in Hawke's Bay, should find it necessary further to extend and support their influence, by endeavoring to place on an equality on the voting list, persons, no doubt, in every way worthy and capable of using their privilege independently, who have not any real title, with those who have really a tangible and indisputable claim to exercise the privilege of citizenship. What on earth can induce men in the position of the Civil Commissioner, a man whom we should imagine was so far removed by his position and influence from the necessities of making votes, to descend into the small, and by no means disguised artifice of endeavoring to get his hired servants placed upon the Electoral Roll, is a little beyond our comprehension. Surely if men like Major Whitmore, holding, as he does, a high and responsible position in a place, wish to obtain a direct influence in the government of that place, all they have to do to secure their object, is to discharge the duties of their office in such a manner as to show that they are men possessed of abilities and talents fitting them not only for the office which they bold, but to take up an active and prominent position in local politics. If such men are looked upon by the Governor of the country as fit and proper persons to fill an onerous and difficult office, they are (in the event of that office being of any public benefit and not

a place made to order) surely the very men whom we, the Electors of the Province, if we happen to be in want of a representative, should choose. Therefore, why endeavor to holster up a position by doubtful means, which ought to stand on its own merits. Our “ respectable” contemporary (by the way, we believe our friend got his title of respectability from the Wellington Independent, —a man might as well go to Newgate to get a character as to the Independent) has a great weakness for reminding the people as the time draws near for registration of votes, that every man who has a title should take advantage of that opportunity, and at once get himself enrolled amongst the “ free and independent” electors. But that sagacious journal has never yet thought it necessary for the healthy working of our political institutions to caution all masters and employers of labor, against taking an undue advantage of certain peculiarities in their agreements with their servants, to put those innocent and unoffending people in an invidious and uncalled-for position. We notice several names in the Waipukurau district, which, as far as we are at present able to judge, have no real title to appear on the list. Seeing that such a thing as a warmly contested election has not yet occurred, and as parties stand at present is not likely to occur, the special excuse which upon that ground might be advanced for securing as many votes as possible does not appear to hold good, and we are at a loss to discover any reason whatever, for endeavoring to stretch beyond its very wide and extensive significance, a privilege theimportance of which is too great to be trifled with, and which privilege we regret very much to observe, is seldom if ever used in the manner and with the determination to which it is entitled.