The Hawke's Bay Times. Published every Monday and Thursday. THURSDAY, 22ND FEBRUARY, 1866.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 352, 22 February 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. Published every Monday and Thursday.

THURSDAY, 22ND FEBRUARY, 1866.

“nULLIUS ADMCTCB JDBABB Kf TEBBA MAGISTBI.’ 1

-I do not Intend to canvass the electors,—l have never done so,—and would not Up it even if I had the time.— Mr Stafford at Nelson.

Canvassing for the votes and interest of “ in dependent” electors on the eve of a election is a practice that is fraught with evil, leading, as it necessarily does, to a species of thraldom on the part of the electors, and of humiliation on that of the candidate. The evils of the system are well-known and acknowledged in the old country, where it is well understood that the success or otherwise of a candidate often depends more upon the nature and extent of his canvass, than upon the opinions of his constituency. To say nothing now of bribes on the one hand and threats on the other, the mere fact of being requested by an influential friend to vote for a certain party is often sufficient to determine the conduct of a large class of electors, and frequently the only reason given for the refusal of such request is, that the vote has already been promised to another party. Neither is the effect of a vigorous canvass greatly less evil in the Colonies than in Great Britain. As there, so here, there is a numerous body whoso votes are readily to be promised to an influential canvassing party, as falls within the experience of every one who can take note of what is passing around. And it is abundantly evident that a candidate, returned as the result of a vigorous cauvass, fails to represent the views and wishes of the electoral body. To be a genuine representative of any constituency, it is quite necessary that the votes given should be the spontaneous doings of the electorate; and were the electors, as a body, as intelligent and well informed on political subjects as they ought to be, they would manifest sufficient zeal in the cause they espoused to reader so degrading a system as that of canvassing for votes an abomination not to be endured, but resented, as alike an insult to the voter and an impertinence on the part of the canvassing body. Every effort should and ought to be made by those seeking the honorable post of legislator to enlighten the mind of a constituency on the various important questions of the day, and his own views and opinions on these questions freely stated. In the case of a contested representation if this course be pursued by both parties, the electoral body are left in a state of perfect freedom to vote, as they, from a calm and enlightened view of these questions, believe to be best.

Far different, and even opposed to such a course, is that that has recently taken place in our midst, where au attempt has been made to get a whole constituency involved in a pledge to return a person who has never given the slightest indication of his having any opinion whatever on the great questions that must be brought before and decided by the General Assembly, of winch it is sought to make him a member. In this case we have the ultimatum of arrogance on the part of that gentleman’s friends, and of degradation on that of their victims. It is a source of unqualified pleasure to us to learn that, as with' Mr Stafford, so with our old and well-tried representative, Mr W. Colenso, whose opinions are well known to the whole constituency. He declines to CANVASS FOR THE SUFFRAGES OF THE NAPIER constituency, but wishes his return to be as it has already been—the voluntary act of an approving electorate whom he has faithfully served in the same capacity for a series of years. And sure we are that the number of electors who, without reason, will be found to cast aside an old and faithful servant in favor of a new one who has never yet told them what his opinions are on the great political questions of the Colony, will be found to be few indeed, notwithstanding all the efforts put forth by those who degrade themselves to canvass for him. We believe that our old and tried friend may go to the poll with full confidence ‘of success; and that if the other party would avoid a disgraceful defeat it will be a mark of wisdom on the part of their candidate to retire from the contest before the day of election.