The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 569, 17 April 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, A.pril 17. As no official notice has been issued this year, warning the public of the province that all claims to vote must be made during the present month, it may be advisable to remind those who are qualified as electors, and whose names have not yet* appeared upon the electoral rolls, that if they let the ."30th April pass over without delivering their claim at one of the places appointed for that purpose, they will lose their franchise for another year. It would be unnecessary to urge upon our readers the importance of securing for themselves a voice in the management of public affairs; —those who are entitled to a vote and who neglect their opportunity for claiming- their right have no just cause of complaint if matters take a turn which they do not approve of. As the law of registration is at present unfortunately in a very complicated state, we add the following information on the subject, which we believe to be accurate, for the benefit of those who wish to register their claims during the present month.

Owing to the change in the law with respect to the electoral districts for Provincial elections, it will be necessary to form two sets of rolls, one for the election of members of the General Assembly, the other for that of Superintendent and Members of the Provincial Council. As the franchise is the same in both cases, of course it follows that if a man lias a claim to he placed on one roll, he is entitled to be placed on the other also; but he must send in two claims for this purpose, owing to tlie different division of Electoral Districts. For Genernl Assembly elections, the province is divided into four districts only, viz. : —' tlie Town of Christchurch District/ 'the Town of Lyttelton District/ ' the Christchurch Country District' (comprising all the province not included in the other districts) and c the

Akaroa District/ (Banks' Peninsula east of Port Levi). Sir G. Grey's proclamation of sth March, 1853, states that claims for the Town of Christchurch and the Christchurch Country District must be sent in to the Resident Magistrate's Office Christchurch ; or at such other place or places as tlie Mesident Magistrate at Lyttelton may by public notice direct or appoint. The claims for Lyttelton and Akaroa are to be sent in to the Resident Magistrate's Office at those places, respectively.

For the provincial elections the province is divided into ten districts, viz :—

1. The town of Christchurch. 2. The town of Lyttelton. 3. The Kaiapoi district. 4. The Avon district. 5. The Heathcote district. 6. The Port Victoria district. 7. Tne Akaroa district 8. The Ashley district. 9. The Eakaia district. 10. The Timaru district. Tlie 'boundaries of these districts are laid down in the schedule to tlie Provincial Council Extension Ordinance, Session VIII., No. 8, which was published in full in the ' Lyttelton Times' of August Ist, 1857. In a public notice from the Provincial Secretary's office, dated 29th July, 1857, certain places were appointed in the different districts to receive claims to vote "at the ensuing- elections of the Superintendent or of a member of the Provincial Council." We presume that as no alteration has been notified, claims will be received this year at the same places. As the Resident Magistrate at Lyttelton is authorised to appoint other places besides Christchurch for the delivery of claims to vote for the Christchurch Country District, business might be facilitated by the receipt of claims to vote for the Christchurch Country District at the same places as for the provincial districts.

However this may be arranged, there is but little time for qualified claimants to look after their franchise. No one can make a mistake if he remembers that if he is qualified 1 to vote for the town of Christchurch or Lyttelton, or for the district of Akaroa, he must send in two claims for such town or district; and that if he is entitled to vote for any other provincial district, he must send in a claim for it and for tlie Christchurch' Country distinct also. The double roll is a serious inconvenience; it remains with ourselves to take care that we are not disfranchised for the sake of avoiding* a little trouble. 7 7"''