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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4540, 8 October 1875, Page 2

A very useful little Bill passed through all its stages in the Legislative Council yesterday. Its object is to amend previous Neglected and Criminal Children Acts, with special reference to industrial schools, and the time at which the control of masters over adopted children shall cease. A question having arisen in an Auckland court recently as to the meaning of the term " nonage," it was decided to mean " under fifteen years of age," at which period all control over a child would therefore cease. Hence the necessity of introducing an amending Act, by which those children are subject to the control of the authorities until they arrive at twenty-one years of age. Experience has shown this provision to be necessary to the welfare of the children, who when left free from any sort of guardianship are more than apt to fall into bad habits, especially if they happen to possess relations of an undesirable character, who will lead them to fraternise with degraded associates, and to frequent haunts the air of which is morally impure. These remarks apply more particularly to Auckland, which city, although it cannot boast of a " West End," has yet much of that degradation, squalor, and misery to be found in the east of London. In all cases however it is most desirable that children who have been adopted by these State institutions should be under the guardianship of the authorities (though they may be earning their own living), until they arrive at an age when they can be held responsible for themselves.

The New Zealand Herald cf October sth has an excellent leading article on the Representation Bill introduced by the Ministry. It points out that the population of the colony at the last census was 296,018. The number of electors 51,823. This would give to each European member (Maoris are not included in the census) an average o£ 700 electors, or an average of-4000 souls if the representation were fairly adjusted. Now we find the following districts with numbers much below even 500 :—Otago : Wallace, 103 ; Invercargill, 489 ; Waikaia, 434 ; Clutha,433 ; Mount Ida, 344; total, 1853. Canterbury : Gladstone, 333; Akarou, 354; Avon, 450; Lyttelton, 264 ; Cheviot, 267 ; total, 1668. Westland : Totara, 143. Nelson : Collingwood, 259 ; Waimea, 354 ; Nelson suburbs, 299 ; Nelson city, 379 ; ditto, 379 ; total, 1670. Marlborough : Picton, 487. Hawke's Bay : Clive, 357. Wellington : Wairarapa, 326 ; ditto, 326; Hutt, 457; Manawatu, 378 ; Rangitikei, 396 ; total, 1883. Taranaki: Egmont, 409 ; New Plymouth, 397 ; total, 806. Auckland : Onehunga, 416 ; total, 9283. Here we have 26 members representing only a little more than 9000 electors, while the remaining 48 European members represent nearly 43,000. No wonder that a large number object to a readjustment of districts, and that the prospect of reform becomes more dim as each so-called amendment increases the number of members who must be asked to abolish themselves. We have confined ourselves to those who have less than 500 constituents. There is an average left of nearly 900 for the remaining 48 members, but this remainder, when investigated, displays the most disgraceful anomalies. Several have only a fraction over 500. Many are under 600, while many others range from 1000 to 1700, and the Thames tops the list with one member for 3466 electors. Taken by provinces we find the following result: —

these proportions, or to point out that Auckland has only one member for 970 electors, while the highest per member for any other province is only 750, and in nearly all the rest the number ranges between 500 and 600. Looking at the representation of the two islands, we have— Auckland .. 10 members .. 15,483 electors.

Total ..44 „ .. 29,100 „ To rectify this inequality, and to give to the North Island a member for every 665 electors (which is the Southern average), it would be necessary to increase the 30 members to 34. Instead of this, the proposed alterations give one member each to Hawke's Bay and the Thames, making the representation of the North Island 32, while a member is to be given to Nelson, 2 to Westland, 2 to Christchurch, and 1 to Otago, making the representation of the South Island up to 50.

The s.s. City of Melbourne, which left Auckland on the 3rd September with the outward San Francisco mails, arrived at San Francisco on the 26th of the same month, four days under contract time.

We publish telegrams from England to-day supposed to be of special interest to New Zealand, and on that account charged one shilling a word. They contain news that Sir Julius Vogel is to come out by the December mail, and that the ship Strathmore, from London to Dunedin, is 181 clays out. The first of these items is also contained in the ordinary telegrams ; as for the second, we may say with the novelist " wo knowd it afore."

During the hearing of tho case against Eliza Smith yesterday, one of the witnesses, a married woman, twenty-seven or twenty-eight years of age, Btated that she had been born at the Hutt, had been brought up in the same district, but had never seen the inside of a schoolhouse, and could neither read nor write. All jurymen, except those empannelled to try the charge of perjury against Eliza Smith, were yesterday discharged, it having been arranged that the cases comprising the civil cause list should not come on.

A deputation waited upon his Honor the Superintendent yesterday with a petition, which appears in our report of the Education Board meeting. In reply hia Honor promised to give the matter his careful consideration.

The members of the Wellington Mutual Improvement Society held their usual fortnightly meeting last evening, the Rev. W. H. "West in the chair. It was decided that a special general meeting be held on Thursday next, the 14th inst.

The City Missionary, Mr. D. Hall, thankfully acknowledges the receipt of the following contributions for September, in aid of his support in prosecuting the duties of his mission:—Captain Y., £1 ; Mrs. S., 10s; Christian, £1 ; J. C. C, 10s. ; Mrs. G., 2s. ; Friend, ss. ; Mrs. H., ss. ; Mr. E. T., ss. ; Mrs. W., £1 25.; total, £5 17s. " The Bottle," and the burlesque " Aladdin," were repeated at the Theatre Royal last night. To-night "Robert Macaire" and the burlesque will be played, and to-morrow night Mr. and Mrs. George Darrell will make their first appearance this season, when "Macbeth" will be reproduced, having been in careful rehearsal some days.

Auckland .. 16 meml ers, averaging 970 electors each Taranaki ..3 „ 450 Wellington' 9 „ 530 Hawke's Bay 2 „ „ 600 „ „ Marlborough 2 „ 500 NelBon ..7 „ ., 550 „ Westland ..3 050 Canterbury 13 „ „ 030 Otago .. 19 750 It is needless to c I well on the unfairness o^

Taranaki Wellington ».. Hawke's Bay- . 3 „ 2 1,328 4,799 „ 1,010 Total .. Marlborough Nelson Westland .. Canterbury.. Otago 30 2 members 7 3 13 „ 19 „ 22,024 987 electors 3,811 „ 1,944 „ 8,192 „ 14,255 „