The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5415, 5 August 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1878.

Thb long expected law of electoral reform has, “at last,” been produced. If is the Bill which was indicated by Mr. Bax*LA77CE and Mr. Stout when address* ing their respective constituents,' but can hardly be said to bear more than the very faintest, if any, trace of tho great stump policy of the Prime Minister. There is in it an appearance of grand action, but in reality no “go,;” and if _it wore not that there existed a necessity for doing something, after all that has been said, there would be no other excuse for the production of a measure of sham reform such us this which is now laid before tho House of Representatives. Tho only changes which have any pretence to bo regarded, in tho litoral souse of tho word, as radical, aro that there shall be no hustings and no beer, aud that tho DistrictUourt Judgoshall be the Revising Officer. The nomination of candidates is to bo in writing; and tho public-houses, under penalties of not loss than fifty or more than a hundred pounds are to he rigidly closed during the hours fixed for the pull; that is between nine o’clock in the morning and eight o’clock in the evening. Wo should have gladly reprinted the Bill for the information of our readers, notwithstanding its length, if there had been anything new or real in it; but it would bo simply a waste of space to do so. Wo quote the clauses defining tho qualification of electors:—

15. Every male person of the full ago of twenty-one yean, not subject to any legal Incapacity, and belli* a natural-born or naturalised subject of her Majesty, shall (subject to the provisions of this Act) bo qualified to vote in the election of member* of the House of xtepsesontatlves for the electoral district In which his irnaliSeatibos are situate, II— (n) he Is seised at law or In aqultr of lands or tenements for his own life, or for the life of any other person, or for any larger estate, of the clear value of twenty-flye pounds at the least, and has been seised of such estate for six months previous to the date of his. claim to vole; or If If (W he Is a householder within the electoral district In which he claims to vote, occupying a tenement of the clear annual value of ten pounds at the least, and has reeidod therein six months previous to the date of his claim to vote; or If (c) he has resided for two years In the colony and for six mouths in the electoral district for which the vote is to bo given previous to the date of his claim to vote, and la possessed of or entitled to noother qualification entitling him to vote nnder this Act la respect of the district for which he claims to vote, and such quallHoatlon Is hereinafter referred to a**" residential qualification." . •16. For lb« purposes of the last preceding section, the expression “ date oT hb Claim to vote M shall be

taken to ra«nn the day on which the person making a claim to vote gives or lodges the same to or with the registration officer an hereinafter provided.

17. Every person who is enrolled on a ratepayers' roll within tno electoral district where such roll may be In force shall (subject to the provisions of this Act) be qualified to vote In the election of members for (ha House of Representative* (or such electoral district. ''l'' s *'

18. Every Maori shall (subject to the provisions of this Act) be qualified to vote in the election of mom* bars for the House of Representatives, bat shall only bo so qualified if hli name la enrolled upon a rate* payers* roll in force within the district fx respect of which he claims to vote. Nothing herein shall affect any right or privilege conferred upon ,or granted to Maoris under the Maori Representation Act, 1807. or any Act amending the same. . 19. Ko person who is an alien, or who at any time theretofore shall have been attainted or convicted of any treason, felony, or infamous offence within any part of her Majesty's dominions, unless he shall have received a free p«rdon, or shall have undergone the sentence or punishment to which he shall have been adjudged for such offence, shall be qualified to vote at such elections. 29. .to trustee or mortgagee shall be deemed to be qualified as a ftceh rider at such elections in respect of any trust or mortgage estate (as the case may be), unless he be in actual possession or receipt of the rents and profits of the estate, but the cestui trust or mortgagor (as the ease may be) in such posse salon or receipt shall be deemed to bo qualified In ro«pect of the same estate notwithstanding such trust or mortgage, WIOTIBION AB TO MINIS It*' RIGHTS AND BVMINBR3 X.ICEKSB*. 151. Until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, and until the electoral rolls to be made under this Act shall come into force as hereinbefore provided, it is enacted that, where a person claims to vote ai the holder of a miner's right or bus : n#« license under the provisions of sections fifty-four to fifty-six Inclusive, then in 'addition to the third, fourth, and fifth of the pro* scribed questions, the following question may be put to any such persons, that is to say: "Are yea the person whose .name appears *e(A.B.) on the miner's right (or business license) now presented f* And such quest!"* may be put in like manner and under like rireumstancee as any other of the prescribed questions ; and if any person, having tendered his vote as the holder of a miner's rigjit or businem license, shall omit er refuse to answer such queetion absolutely la the affirmative, he shall be subject to the (Usabilities and be liable to the penalties prescribed by the one hundred and forty-first section of this Act.

152, At any election where aay person shall vote ae the holder of (a miner's right or business Ueense, the returning officer or deputy returning officer shall Ira* press upon such minor's right or buslnesi license such distinguishing mark or rt&mp ae the Governor in Council shall heretofore hare appointed under any Act empowering him to do so in that behalf; and, if for oar electoral district no such mark or stamp shall have been appointed, then the Governor in Council may direct what mark or stimp shall be used for the purpose aforesaid.

The qualification of electors under the Constitution Act, which Governor Grey described as being extraordinarily liberal, waa the possession of a freehold of the clear value of £SO over and above all encumbrances, or the occupation of a house in a city of the annual value of £lO, and if in the country of the annual value of £5. The General Assembly has from time to time extended the franchise, so as to include all ratepayers, all holders of miners’ rights and business licenses, and persona living in lodgings. This would appear to be a scheme comprehensive enough to include almost every man, except station and farm servants, who did not roost in a tree, a la belle etoille, or live in a diving-bell. _ Lest there should be any man who is not a freeholder or a ratepayer, or who does not occupy a house worth £5 a year, and is not a lodger, or the holder of a miner’s right or of a business license on a goldfield, there is to be the residential qualification as it is defined' in sub-section 0 of the clause 13 above quoted. For him specially, however, there is what we presume is intended to bo an educational test. In clause 39 it is provided that, —

Where any person cl films upon * residential qualification, every such claim shtll be sig »ed wllh the actual sign manual of the person making the claim, unless ho shall at the date thereof be physically unable from any cause to write his name, in which case the fact and nature of the inability shall be stated in the attestation as the case may require.

If the education of the claimant had been so neglected that he did not know how to write his name, wo presume that he would be thus as unable "physically” to do so as if he had no hands, or had lost the use of them. Sir Georob Geev thinks, an elector with that kind of " physical” disqualification very valuable, for the reason that he would follow him or some other leading man in whom ha had confidence.

It may fairly be questioned, wo think,' whether the electoral basis of our institutions would bo widened at all by the changes which this Bill purports or is likely to effect; the number of persons on the roll would not, we think, be appreciably increased. ’ If it were increased, by the merely manhood sufrage, to that extent also would be increased the unfairness of the existing system which deprives tho minority of any voice in the making of the laws by which they are to be governed, or_ in dealing with the burdens which are imposed upon them. The true democratic principle seeks for the representation of tho whole people in Parliament, and not the representation of majorities only in the respective electoral districts; all being represented, the majority in Parliament then fairly rules. If we cannot amend what we have, it had better bo let alone.