The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1878.

Kumara Times, Issue 419, 29 January 1878, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1878.

We intimated pretty clearly the other ■day that it was our intention, in due time to speak plainly with reference to a certain election then pending. That election—if the term can be applied to such a farce—is now over \ and we do not hesitate to stigmatise the proceedinga at the Waimea last night as a disgrace., to a colony professing to political liberty, and repugnant alike to the spirit and the letter of the British Constitution. In making use of this strong language, be it distinctly understood that we cast no reflection upon the gentleman who superintended the proceedings'. It would take a cartload of Philadelphia lawyers to interpret the Education-Act of 1877 j and although Mr M'Whirter in our opinion erred in one or, two comparatively unimportant details, on the whole he carried out faithfully the provisions therein uiade for the election' ‘of Local School Committees. But .here is the humiliating spectacle to be witnessed ! Of a community numbering several thousand electors, 84 are locked up in a small room under.■charge' of a constable, and nine of that number having been nominated, they are ballotted for, and • setfeh declared ’ duly elected. 1 In the meantime aotqe pipe ty t other ejectors, who did not happen to be on the spot at the the OhaijriDan (in the exercise of. the autqci-atic power oonferrefl on him by-the Act) ’ lock ed tin* door, are atandiug outside loudly clamor*nS, Jp r .admission, while thousands in ( the. district are, virtually disfranchised. We ask the - public if such aii exhibition' is not wholly at variance with our much-vaunted liberty,-equality, and freedom in matters political, and utterly repugnant to our boasted British love of fair-play ? And we look to the gentlemen who were last night returned “at the head of the poll”—save, the mark'!—and put it to them if they, do not feel their manly bosoms swelling with honest pride at the thought of the honorable . positions they occupy 1 : do not -say they are not individually and collectively 'the best committee that ■could be picked Some we know to be the right men in'ifhe right place, and others probably are so . too; that is not the • question. They are blameless in the matter of course;; bnt for our part we would prefer not to be the nominees of a packed'meeting—a meeting packed in conformity with an Act of Parliament. And how could it be ■otherwise ?, !Thq -Act is explicit enough on this point, if not on others. Tteets forth that the. existing Board shall; ap-1 point a time and place fbr the holding’j •of the.elect ion of members of committee, and amongst the regulations are the following-;'—- j ■The Chairman of ihe> meeting shall see that the,number pf .voters .present, and'; number of ballot papers issued, agfee. I When the nominations are made, and ' n ballot required, the names must be writ- I ten upon the blackboard. ! Before the ballot '.papers are issued, j all persons not qualified to vote must leave the room. After the ballot papers are Issued, no person must be allowed to enter or leave the room until the balloting is finished. How, in the name of common sense, is there any .single room in any school' district in the colony large enough to j hold a twentieth of those persons in it j entitled to vote 3 Aad if not, are not those who cannot, vi et armis, pack the room disfranchised ?Indeed, there is nothing iii the Act to prevent a venal Board appointing , the smallest room in

, the district &s the place, and midnight as the tihae, for holding the meeting!; when' any seven householders could,/Ox course, meet, and plump for one another.. , : As pur readers afe aware, we have supported the principles of free, compulsory, and secular education. Many of our fellow-colonists, we regret to say, conscientiously-differ from us ; but we have lived in the - Hope that time and experience would work their own cure. Hitherto we hay'e endeavoured to prove to them that their so-called “ grievances” were imaginary. Now, we have to confess with sorrow that not only they but the whole cnmmunity are, through the gross blundering of the Legislature, laboring under an insufferable injustice. We would even go further, and say that if no public disturbances take place at these electious it will be due solely to the good sense and forbearance of the electore, whether Protestants or Catholics. There are several other matters in connection with the Act which require ventilation, and we shall shortly return to the subject.