Correspondence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 350, 15 February 1866, Page 3

Correspondence.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HAWKE’S BAT TIMES.

gta,—ln perusing your wen-timed remarks (vide Times of the Ist last) concerning the defective state of the law on the subject of the registration of voters, I was forcibly .struck by the conviction that obstacles are placed in the way of registering new claims, rather than facilities given, which, one would think, ought to be the case with regard Xa any qualified persons who might wish to avaU themselves •of taelr right in the matter, I perceive that uo notification was made to the public by the Registration Officer of the opportunity afforded them to this end, during the current quarter, until the 20th nit., in the Herald, and the 22nd in your journal—thus permitting nearly three weeks of valuable time, (which might have been rendered available by some) to pass by, and so to shorten the brief period allowed by law for claims. And, up to this time, no authenticated copy of the form required by law has been placed before the public, for the guidance of such as may wish to register. How is an ordinary individual to discover in what manner he has to prefer his claim ? Must he, perforce, buy a form, and take the risk of btiag disqualified after be has done so, through possible verbal inaccuracies in such form—a by no means singular case—when, with an authenticated copy before him, he might use his own pen, and •atisfy himself of its being in proper form, instead of being obliged to depend upon others ? Certainly lam of opinion that even before the commencement cf January the public .should have placed before them, by means of advertisement in both local journals, a copy of the form formakiag claims &s prescribed by law, and such extracts from the Act as would euaole them to avail lb erase ves readily of its provisions on the very first opportunity, and without any rear of going wrong. This should also be kept before the public daring the whole three months allowable for new claims. Less than that is not doing justice to that large class of the public who are qualified, but asyet unemoUed electors. —lam, &0., OXK QUALIFIED.