THE Manamatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1879. REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 72, 6 May 1879, Page 2

THE Manamatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1879. REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS.

*#~~ In last issue, we pointed oufc one feature of the Government pro* gramme, as declaimed through the Evening Post, viz., the redistribution of seats upon a relative basis of population. This principle, however, would not be carried out to its full length, but would be made to adapt itself to the existing order of things, so far as to prevent any violent and sudden change. The Post goes on ro say : — This measure, however, would be merely a temporary one, and we understand that Ministers have under consideration a schemo by which the future adjustment of representation to population shall be removed from the arena of Parliamentary debate, and — this principle once fixed— the allocation of 1 representation placed in the hands of a permanent non-political commission, who should take the distribution of population as their sole basis. This course would tend to remove a question which ought to be a national one away from the chances of party strife, and to ensure its settlement on grounds of fairness and justice. venture to think the scheme indicated in the above sentences, will meet with faint support from the Legislature. The reasons assigned for the creation of a " permanent non • political commission," who should constantly be engaged redistributing the seats, are chiefly— that the question would be removed from " the chances of party strife," and would " ensure its settlement on grounds of fairness and justice." The " chances of party strife " referred to are very remote indeed Has such an element entered into any previous distribution of the seats ? We think not. It might be possible to conceive of the South Island members uniting en Hoc to secure a preponderance of representation, but such a course is most unlikely, on " grounds of fairness and justice." For all practical purposes, the chances of party strife need not be considered as a strong pr sound objection to the present method of distribution. But we think one or two grave objections to the proposed course may be easily seen. It would cause the representation to be in a permanently-unsettled condition. After each readjustment, as things are at present, the Colony knows exactly how the representation lies. If the Government proposal be carried, such would no longer be the case. A chronic state of alteration i and readjustment would result, and a most unsatisfactory result it would be. Yet such a condition would be the inevitable outcome of the permanent commission proposed. The population in a country like this is to a great extent, and necessarily, unsettled. Supposing, then, that 5,000 persons is the number apportioned for each representative, in numerous instances the probabilities are that long before the Parliament expired, the relative numbers would be greatly altered,— in one district by a decrease, in anothor by an increase. Another difficulty would be the fractional portions of the population. One electoral district, for instance, might decrease from 5,000 to 3,000 ; that adjoining, on the other hand, might increase from 5,000 to 8,000. If population is the basis, it would # be unfair to allow the odd 3,000 in either oase to have a member • whilst if such were not done, there would be 6000per8onsunrepresented. Then, again, what would be the effect of a population basis, and a Commission, if a sudden "rush" took place to any particular part of the Colony. There have been at least three such events in the history of the Colony, viz., to Otago, West-. land, and the Thames. Now, it does

not need any very great stretch °*' imagination to suppose the sudden break-out in some part of the Colony of a rich gold diggings, which would, attract a population of fifty or a hundred thousand people. We have seen such a thing before. Towns have sprung up in a few weeks, and tens of thousands of settled around them engaged in miningSuch an event would affect almost every constituency in the Colony. Fifty thousand persons settled upon country at present unoccupied, would require ten representatives. Where would the Commission obtain them, and how would such an event affect the representation of the remainder of the Colony ? No doubt the instance we have cited is an extreme case, but it has been well said that " extreme cases test principles ; for where is the line to be drawn when a principle fails?", But one move question Remains to b© oons^dered. If number is to be the absolute and universal standard, what will be its effect when our present cities, or some of them, have grown as they are likely co do, The disproportion between them atitt the remainder of the couutry will be very much greater. As an instance of whai the result might be, we may point out that whUst Victoria has a population of 800,000 people, Melbourne contains about 800,000, or nearly one half. A numerical basis would thus give the capital city an enormous power in the Legislature. London, again, has a population of about 4,000,000, and .yet sends only 16 representatives tb the House of Commons ; whilst the | whole population of Scotland is some 3,000,000, who nevertheless return 53 members to Parliament. If the numerical test were adopted. London would possess onevfourth more representatives than the whole of Scotland. Yet the most extreme Eadicals have not dreamt of such a revolution as the numerical test woald bring about ia Great Britain. Though this disparity will never exist in New Zealand to the same degree as in "Victoria and the Home Country, it is nevertheless a fact that the population of the four great cities of the Colony is increasing far more rapidly than over the rest of the country, and if the numerical basis be adopted, we may be led to abk in a representative sense, sooner or later, what shall be done to prevent the fat kine of the cities eating up the lean kine of the rural districts ? We do not think the Government proposals will become law. Parliament will undoubtedly insist upon retaining the distribution of the seats entirely in its own hands It will not delegate to a Commission what are its proper and legitimate functions.