The Electoral Bill.

Manawatu Herald, 16 September 1893, Page 2

The Electoral Bill.

Yesterday's N.Z. Times says the Government havj found that one or two verbal amendments are necessary in the Electoral Bill, and these will probably be sent down to-day by message from His Excellency th c

Governor for the consideration of the two Houses of Parliament. It is understood that the amendments are merely technical, and arc to be proposed with the object of rendering the Bill more workable. One of them, proposed in the Legislative Council by the Attorney- General and defeated, is that the words ' or leasehold ' shall be struck out in the following paragraph in the interpretation clause :— '" Non residents qualification " means a freehold or leasehold qualification under this Act of which residence forms, no part.' This alteration is necessary because there is no provision in the Bill itself for a leasehold qualification, and, therefore, the two words in question in the interpretation clause are meaningless. The Council carried the interpretation paragraph as it now stands, but the attempt to insert the consequential provision for the leasehold qualification in the Bill proper was lost by 17 votes to 14. Hence the amendment which is now to be proposed.

When these amendments are agreed to there will be no delay in presenting the Bill for His Excellency's assent. Ministers deny the charge which continues to be made that they have no desire to see the Bill become law. As the measure, however, is one of considerable magnitude, affecting the electoral laws of the Colony, it is necessary that the greatest care should be exercised, in order that the terms may he clear and explicit.