TUKSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1880.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 50, 17 February 1880, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1880.

THE NEW ELECTORAL L.WVS. * The electoral laws passed by Parliament during last session are a great improvement in many respects upon those under which the Colony has worked for some years. As regards the franchise, there has been a consolidation, which effects a vast improvement, for instead of the multiplicity of qualifications which burdened the statute books there are now only two, viz., the residential and the freehold. Under the old system there was a freehold, leasehold, and household qualification ; a lodger's franchise, another for miners, and in fact such a number that the electoral rolls were most confusing and incongruous. For instance, one column of the roll was headed " Place where property situate, and description of same," but under this it was common to find it stated, i " More than six months," the fact being that the rolls were drawn on the basis of a property qualification, to which had been added the lodger's franchise. As pointed out already, there, is a residential qualification and a freehold. The former leally confers manhood suffrage. Under it every adult male who has resided for twelve months hi the Colony, and six consecutive months in an electoral district, may register himself as an elector in that district The freehold qualification enables property to be fairly represented. Under it a man may register and vote within every electoral district in which he owns property 0/ the valne of £25. By this means all who possess a " stake " in a district, are enabled to exercise a vote. It is satisfactory to Know that the difficulties attaching to the Maori qualification have been obviated. For .the election of Maori members, there is manhood suffrage, pure and simple. The only Maoris who may be included in a European roll, are those who either pay raies to some local governing body, or own a freehold estate of the value of £25. This is a fair adjustment of the difficulties attaching to the question. We do not think the new laws as regards the registration of electors and the erasure of those who have ceased to hold the qualification are worthy of very great admiration, nor that an improvement is effected by power being given to register at any time during the year. The annual return of the season during which registration may be effected brings directly befoi^ unregistered persons the necessity and importance of enrolling themselves; the newspapers frequently refer to the matter during the registration season ; and in many electoral districts, political organisations work to secure the enrolment of electors. The fact of there being only three months in the year during which persons: could register, was therefore< a powerful incentive under the old system, being a most effectual preventive against procrastination. Under the new system the facilities for registration will be so great that there will be little room " for action. We would fir rather have seen the registration period made to accord with the residential qualifica-

tiou. This could havo been done by allotting, say, the months of January '■and July for registration, 'llie liaflyeavly return of the registration period ! would, we- believe, Lave led to far 'more general" enrolment than will be effected under tbe new system. The new laws as regards objections, frc, are most cumbersome and absurd. Under the o*d system an annual " purging " took place. Tlie names of persons objected to wore published in sonri one or lnoro newspapers circulating in the district, and a day was fixed for hearing objections, which were decided by a specially appointed officer. The new system is for more complicated, and will not, we believe, work nearly so well. The mode of objection is as follows : The Registrar sends a formal objection to the person. It' the latter does not thereupon in writing request his 'name to be erased the Registrar is required to summon him to the R.M. Court, and should the case be decided against him ex paste, or after hearing, the unhappy elector may be compelled to pay ( heavy costs. The effect of this wiil | be, to give a large amount of unnecessary aiid useless trouble to the public, the Courts, and the Registration Officers. Further, we believe that the purging of the roll will not be done nearly so effectively under the new system as it was under the old. The annual return of " objection day" woke up the Registration Officer to his duties. Careful enquiries were made in each district as to the retention of qualifications, and many suggestions were forwarded to him by those in a position to know. This will be done iiway to a great extent by the new system. There will be nothing except in the case of an approaching general election, to stimulate the Registration officers, and we believe the public will take far less interest in the purity of .the roll than at present. The system of summoning persons objected to will not, we feel persuaded, work well. In nine cases out of every ten electors will neglect to apply to have their names taken off the roll when called upon to do so by the Registrar. They will thereupon be summoned to the Court, and most probably be compelled to pay costs, which will cause them to refuse to register again. Reviewing the whole subject, we believe the chief improvement in the electoral laws is that effected by " The Qualification of Electors Act," which consolidates and simplifies the franchise law. Little if any improvement is effected by " The registration of Electors Act."' Had the Legislature provided for registration twice in each year, and for hen ring of objections by the Resident Magistrates as frequently, it would have made the registration laws accord with the residential qualification, and would have given a simplicity to the electoral machinery it will certainly not possess under tho altered system.