The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 67, 19 March 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1878.

It is a curious circumstance, and one that is well worthy of notice and of consideration, that, although Sir George Grey, in all the numerous speeches that be has delivered since the prorogation of Parliament, has made such a point of manhood suffrage, which he tells us is to form a prominent feature in the Ministerial programme, be has totally failed in awakening any response from the people who, he alleges, are to bcueiit by the proposed extension of the franchise. There appears to be an absolute indifference to the boon which he purposes to confer upon this long suffering country which has wilfully persisted in progressing notwithstanding that it has beeu deprived of self-government as Sir George puts it. In the numerous newspapers which come nuder our notice, wedo not see the proposed new system advocated either in the editorial or the correspondence columns. The yeople obstinately refuse to see that in the.matter of the franchise they have any grievance whatever. Sir George pipes but no one dances. From the fact that no encouragement whatever is accorded to this pet theory of the Premier's, notwithstanding the arguments and the powerful eloquence that'he brings to bear upon the matter, it is fair to infer that there is no general desire to open the door to the polling booth any wider than it stands at present. Sir George states boldly his own opinion in the matter, but he has failed to obtain any endorsement of it beyond the cheers with which the buildings, wherein he holds his meetings, resound whenever he addresses the electors— cheers that are called forth as much by the powers of oratory with which be is so* lavish!}' endowed and so freely uses, as by the weight of the arguments that fall from his lips. We are speaking now in reference to his views upon manhood suffrage only, for we are fully aware that in many, if not most, of the other items of his programme he has the people entirely with him. With regard to this particular question, however, he certaiuly is left unsupported, and, really, it is not to be wondered at. In factj we are inclined to believe that when the question is put to the country the result will be that it will be rejected. The man who, after a residence of a few years in the colony has acquired a home of his own, will object to ;the drunken loafer who has had the same opportunities, but has neglected to avail himself of them, and whose vote may be purchased for a nobbier or two, or the newly-arrived immigrant, who knows nothing whatever of the colony and its necessities being placed upon the same footing as himself in deciding how the country is to be governed. Yet this would be one of the results of the change that it is proposed to bring about. There is one reaon for believing that Sir George is trying to claim for the people a grievance, the burden of which they do not really feel, that cannot be overlooked. It is that there really is not that amount of interest taken in political matters which he seems to think exists. lu support of this assertion we will adduce [two proofs; one of them is that numbers of those who possess the necessary qualification do not trouble to have their names placed upon the roll, and would not do so at all were they not urged on to it by the newspapers, or personally looked up by those who take an active part in public matters; another is that of those who have registered a large proportion neglect to exercise their privilege on polling day. A very clear proof of this was afforded at the recent Wellington election, on which occasion there can be no doubt that the canvassers were busily employed, and no pains were spared to bring up the electors to the poll. With what result? Of the 2081 who are on the roll 1231 only voted! Of course we do not mean to assert or to insinuate that the whole of the 2081 could have voted, many no doubt were absent, some dead, others prevented by circumstances over which" they had no control from recording their votes, but when we find that in such a contest only three-fifths of those who had registered went to the poll it is very clear that the public desire for "self-government" is not so keen as Sir George seems to believe. We doubt very much whether the manhood suffrage scheme will find favor with the House or the country.