The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 144, 20 June 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1871.

If the object of the fraraers of the "Registration of Electors' Act, 1866" was to place every conceivable difficulty in the way of the registration of voters, and to enable the fewest possible number of properly qualified electors to place their names on the roll, we cau warmly congratulate them on tbe very efficient manner in which their wishes nave been carried out by the Revising Officer who is now engaged in examining the lists; if, on the contrary, it was their desire to afford every facility to residents in the colony to become electors, we must sympathise with them in the lamentable failure that has this year attended their efforts iv the province of Nelson, but believing, as we do, that the Act whs not framed with tbe idea of shutting out by every possible means the names of those who might be desirous of taking part in the elections, we cannot too strongly condemn tho course pursued by the Revising Officer iv striking off every name to which, by straining its meaning to the utmost possible extent, he was in a position to raise an objection. Red-tapeism is all very well in moderation, but when it is adhered to to such an extent as to utterly exclude the commonsense view of a question, it becomes objectionable in the highest degree, and he who insists upon availing himself of the latitude allowed by it, lays himself opeu to a very large amount of blame. These remarks are called forth by the extraordinary, and, as we think, highly reprehensible conduct of the Revising Officer with regard to the claimants for votes in the electoral district of the City of -Nelson. A schedule is appended to the Act showing the form in which claims are to be sent in, and it is there provided that the signature of the claimant shall be attested by "an elector of the district, the registration officer, or a Justice of the Peace." As a rule, this form has been strictly adhered to, but because the witDess has omitted to write after his name the words, "an elector of the district," the claims have in several instances been disallowed. The Revising officer has by his side the roll of last year, on reference to which he could easily ascertain whether or not the witness to the signature was actually "an elector of the district " or not, and it would naturally have been supposed that for all the purposes of tbe Act, the claim would be a perfectly substantial one if such name was there to be found, but no ! this victim to- red-tape has ruled otherwise, and tbe consequence is that many a claimant who had, as he fondly imagined, strictly abided by the letter of the Act, has been struck off the roll, and, without any opportunity of appealing, has been deprived of his right to vote for another twelvemonth. If the Revising Officer is a mere machine, and the scratch of his pen through certain names is the result of influences over which he has no more control than an automaton, then we must look farther for tjfdse on whom to lay the blame, but, if he is supposed to be a being possessed of an ordinary amount of common-sense, we cannot but believe that the confidence Reposed in him has been altogether misplaced.

The R.M.S. Avoca, which left Melbourne ou the 21st ulfc. for Point de Galle, had on board 16,840 ozs of gold, the produce of New Zealand. The Auckland papers say that the Earl of Belmore, Governor of New South Wales, accompanied by the Countess of Belmore, will shortly visit his Excellency Sir George Bowen, at Auckland. Chinese iok New Zealand. — Advices were received at Dunedin from China by the last Suez mail to the effect that 2000 Chinese would leave for Otago during the present year. Exportation oe Skylarks. — By the Taranaki this morning Mr. Wakefield sent a dozen larks in excellent condition to the Acclimatization Society at Auckland from whom we shall, no doubt, receive in return other birds of descriptions not hitherto imported into Nelson. Farewell Concert. — Mr. and Mr.S/ Hilton have advertised a farewell concert to t»ke place at the Oddfellows' Hall this evening. This lady and gentleman bave established themselves as great favorites with the public, aud, with tbe low prices of admission, will no doubt be largely patronised this evening. \ Steamer Phcebb. — The Wellington Post says : — We understand that the Phcobe will be taken on to Sydney, with a view to her disposal. We shall be sorry to see that most pleasant and comfortable/ of steamers leave our shores, and those who travel much about the New Zealand coast will not easily be reconciled to her departure. Nelson and Cobden Railway. — The "Anglo-Australian in London," writing in the European Mail, says : — "Amongst other matters that have er -raged Mr. VogePs attention is, I understand, the Nelson and Cobden Railway. Mr. Brogden, the eminent civil engineer, who shirked the enterprise some time since, has promised to re-aonsider it, and hence something may yet be done in this affair." Captain Kennedy received a tangible recognition of the appreciation in which he is held by the merchants of Dunedin and others in the various Northern ports, from the bands of Captain Wheeler, of the s.s. Taranaki, amounting to upwards of 100 sovereigns, with a view of liquidating any expense incurred by Captain Kennedy while out of harness, after losing his late vessel tbe favorite old Airedale. This of itself speaks highly of the confidence pi iced in Captain Kennedy as a coastal steamship master. — Otago Daily Times, Bth June. Publicans' Licenses. — At the meeting of Justices held this morning, thirty-seven old licenses were renewed, aud a new one granted 9 to William Lloyd for the Mitre Hotel. Tbe Bench then retired to consider the application of Alfred Harley for a license for the Turf Hotel, which had not been made within the specified time, and that of Newman Bosely, of the Bay View Hotel, against whom a complaint had been lodged. On returning, the Chairman said ihat the Bench had agreed to look over the informality iv the case of Harley^ at the same time recommending him -~-*o make himself better acquainted with the terms of the Act for the future. The complaint against Bosely, the did not consider afforded sufficient grounds to justify them in withholding the license. " Stodare's Wonders." — Mr. Stodare made his first appearance in Nelson last 'night, and was fortunate enough to secure a well-filled house. The first part consisted of conjuring tricks with which everybody who saw Jacobs aud Houdin five-and-twenty years ago, or who has studied those p^ges of the Boy's Own Book which are devoted to parlor magic must be thoroughly familiar. The music was a great improvement upon the con-' juring, and Mr. Stodare displayed great powers of executiou both in tbe fantasia from "II Trovatore," and " The Bells " which followed it, but, as his name has been so mixed up with that of Heller, we cannot but say that his performance on the piano would have been more highly appreciated had he preceded instead of followed that brilliant player. The walking on the wire was very cleverly managed by Mr. Braham, who appeared quite at home on bis perilous little pathway. The " Mystery" of second sight was as insoluble as ever, and the entertainment concluded with what was entitled " Fun." Three more performances will be given in Nelson, namely, to-night and on Thursday and Saturday evenings. Mr. C. M. Wake, a former resident in Dunedin, who was a passenger by the Nebraska, gives the following as his opinion, founded on personal experience of Mr. Webb's steamers : — " These boats are very fine and roomy, but the provisioning part is indifferently conducted, aud will not suit John Bull unless improved on. They are not to be compared to Hall's line in this respect." We have also received the following letter, written in San Francisco, from Mr. Ware :— "May 6, 1871. —Sir— The Nebraska, the 7 second vessel of Mr. W. H. Webb's line, leaves here to-day, for Sydney, via