THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 55, 9 July 1879, Page 2

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE.

In -vieTT, of the approaching Session of. Parliament, and the promised introduction of a Bill for the readjustment of representation', a few statistics upon the subject may not only be of interest," but serve to erpose the anomalous, system at pretent m operation. According to dala recently furnished 'by tbe Regis-trar-General the whole electoral di»^. tricts of the colony are divided m four classes. As is well-known the number of constituencies returning members amount to sixty-nine, and „sh.ese- are classified as follows : .Thirty six electoral: districts m which tlio number of male; a<?ult» to each, representative are between 1000 and 1750, the average of the whole of that c^ss being 140 Q. In this list we find Manawatu, Rangitikei; Wan^anui, Hutt, and and ■las the fqur last names are the various j constituencies, "which shpuld.be brought forward "by .way of comparison with 1 Manawatu, we will proceed to make fhocontra.st as follows, ;-~ ; : , Male ' adults. Manawatu ... ... „.- ... 1741 Wairarapa ... ..\ .... ... 1280 " Wanganui .... ..,.■'...'■ v.'- 1022 R*ngitikei ...- ... .;. ..,; 10i8 Hutt ... ... ...-. >i v. 1 . .-...■ 101,9 ; F-foTD these figures it will be seen that while Manawatu comes .within nine of reaching; the extreme limit of the class, ;(-t7S6V the other four .'electorates are much below the average (1400) as it is above' them. Passing onvthentothe second, class, iwefi-ttd that is composed of^ fourteen- electoral districts, j with male a.dults'4t<? eae.h Vepresentatiys of ■175 bto 3500, ■'latins' division we 1 fihd ; such 'electorates aS ; 'Wellington, -■Christchurch, Diinediiij' and althougli we pre--sume -that tlie average would reach 2500, it must be bqrne m mind that th»Tnale^ residents m large cities, being as it we'i l^ afloating -population, and without the same vested rights as country, seitters/ should * detract frcni the ~ superiority gained , by numbers. : next class dealt with by the Registrar-General, consists' oft twelve electoral districts ■ with a male pppnlation of between 700. and 1000, which takes m Port Chalmers, ItivercargilU and "Wellington Counfy. s*|ie iourtb, and last. * class ewbrac^s

seven constituencies whose male adults are und«u* 7(W, andas a matter of curiosity we^give m detail the names and population of this septenary : — „ .-,, Waimea... - ... "-6QS- ■' ':■ City of Nelson „, 670 ■ is .'Nesv Plvuioufch 646 r .Moiaieke ... ;.. ... . v 663 ; ■y. "Gnehunga ... ...-443 - ■"> I^Colliii^ood.., .., ..«. ".ivri43B/.^-"; :It does' not require inuoh perspicacity^ ,'to. diseeni Uiut \i a.rty of tiio foregoing six constitueucies. are ihtitled to a re-ipres^ntativtsManavv-atu, with four times ■'tfte p'ojjuiatio'n could Eairly ; claiiii two. La cbunectioa.with, the proposed .readjustment it has beea stated the whole of the colony will oe divided mto electorates of. 5000 each, wJiich. would give four memuers to Dahedih, Wellington, Qhristchurch, injsome ciases small conStituences being mergeU into larger, while m others, a slice will be, taken off the latter to fatteu their less fortunate rivals. We have heard a rumor, that the, latter is. the way m which Ma-'---nawatu is to.be served,, and as it is far m excess of the required 5000, the surplus is to be.given to Bangitikei, Sandon being the portion which is to change owners. This may be, and no doubt is only a canard ; but. to be forewarned is to bs forearmed, and the people of Ma^•nawatu .^should oppose to the, utmost' sueti | proposition. E.a'ngitilcci. smarted m therace with twenty years' advantage, of Mapa.watu, an d'the latter although not ohje-th'irdf .the" age of the sister county, can iiow'boast of a population of 5728 to ;Rarigitikei's 3685. These figures are "taken; from the late census, and while Ilangitikei has remained stationary, we feel convinced that m the' eighteen months* Which jhavp passed over since the statistics were- taken, Manawatu has put another 1500 to the number, and ndw reaches at least 7000. Everyday which passes by witnesses :the advent of soihe new settler, and the steady, healthy, growth of Palmerstqn and Peildihg Jhas ; perhaps never been 'pa^l^«4^ outside ■-■;inining.- cbmoiuhities. If any change is to be made atiall . i-nr this elefetorate-^-and its growing importance necessitates that there should be '.:• — the. granting of a second mombdr is the^s.tep that should be taken. The pqpulation of PalmeVston is at tho% present. ;time 150Q; Peildipg is. very little less, ' riot-to' ? isp6ak 6f Foxtbn,' Halcombe, ■ and Sandon, it is certainly monstrous that _the-rWhoJe district should have the same' amount of. representation asColliugwood with-its43B electors,'and Onehunga with 443.; ;; ;> ■:..■:■-■■ ." -.■•: '•■.■■>' -■ •--■■ - ;