The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5450, 14 September 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1878.

Next to Sir George Guey’k interest in, and care for, the whole human race and the countless millions of the future inhabitants of these islands is, apparently, his desire to have Mr. Jmix Lundon returned to tho House of Representatives as member for the Electoral District of* the Bay of Islands and Mangonui. “ My “ dear friend Hbta.Tjs Haka,” wrote Sir George in 1875, “ I have given this letter “ to John London, that you may show “ kindness to him, because 1 wish this “ man to ba a companion for me. From “ your loving friend G. Or.ey.” It is but just to say that there is a mutual ardor, and that Mr. John London has exerted himself greatly to promote the desired union. The most direct and simple process by which this great end was to be accomplished was to stuff the electoral roll of tho district. Accordingly four hundred and odd claims to vole were sent to the returning officer by or on behalf of Maoris in the Northern district. At . the Revision Court hold in June last at Kororaroka, in the Bay of Islands, tho Government, by a skilful lour de force, were able to assist Mr. John ’ Lundon in placing more than four hundred bogus Maori voters on the • electoral roll. This was effected by tho simple process of dismissing the registration and returning officer on the-day before the sitting of the Revision Court, and thus preventing him from prosecuting tho objections to these claims of which he had given tho usual official notice. Native petitions addressed to the. Speaker of the House of Representatives have shown that many of tho names attached to tho claims to vote were forgeries. The petitions were referred in duo course to the Native Affairs Committee, and in. our issue of the Gfch instant we printed the report, which recommended the issue of a commission of enquiry “without delay, “ and if possible during the present ses- “ sion.” Of course no such commission will bo issued in time for any action to bo taken upon its report in this session, and consequently, if there should be a dissolution, as is threatened, the European electors of tho Northern district will be practically disfranchised. Naturally the Government would endeavor to extricate themselves from this very grave difficulty into which tho affection of the Premier for Mr. London has led them, and they are said to have advised their friends to' make a counter movement and a demonstration. This appears to have been done. A meeting was held as wo learn from tho “-Auckland Herald,” at tho Harp of Erin Hotel at Hukianga on tbs I7th ult. Mr. Lundon is, wo believe, tho landlord of the hotel, and a' gentleman named Bates, who officiates as barman, was chairman of the'meeting. The “electors” present were about 200 of the Maoris whoso names had recently been placed on the roll in tho wuiy wo have mentioned. Mr. Lundon is reported to have made a speech, in which ho defended tho rights of Maoris to bo put upon the electoral roll, and moved * by way of resolution—“ That this meeting “ fully approves* of tho natives having “the full rights and privileges of the “ franchise, as guaranteed to them in the “ third article of tho Treaty of Waitangi “ by liar Majesty the Queen, which pro- “ vidos that ‘in consideration thereof’her “ Majesty tboQueon extends to tho natives “ of Ncw iicahind her royal protection, and

“ imparts to them all the rights and “privileges of British subjects. Signed, W. Hobson, Lieutenant-Governor.” In support of this resolution Mr. London appears to have made a rambling oration in which ho abused his neighbors just as Sir Geoeob Guey does, and amongst others strange things he is reported to have said that, “Many wore under “the impression that the . natives had “ double representation. He disagreed “ with this;’ they had only the re- “ presentation conferred on them by the 1 ‘ treaty of Waitangi. Ho quoted from “clause 7 of the Electoral Law to prove “ the above, and also from the Maori Re- “ presentation Act, to show that much of “ the land belonging to the natives had “ not a Crown grant, and ns the Govorn- “ ment wore borrowing upon the security “of this land, they wisely allowed four “ native representatives.” The chairman was-instructed to telegraph the resolutions to the Hon. Native Minister at Wellington, and then, wo are informed, a vote of thanks to the barman “brought the most important meeting “ which had ever been hold in the “ district to a close.” What is called a “ spree ” followed, of which we have a description that we do not care to repeat. Wo give both sides of this business, on principle and in fairness. In the claims to vote which-were sent in the qualification of each claimant was described as “ freehold and household.” The Treaty of Waitangi is not at present recognised by law as an electoral qualification anywhere, except at Hokianga and by Mr. Lxjndon. It was not pleaded'by Mr. Tole, the solicitor for the claimant, before the revising officer ; their rights were established by the absence of the returning and registration officer, Mr. Wiliiams, whom the Government, just in the nick of time, cleverly dismissed from his office. : ■

The European electors of the district have petitioned Parliament for,redress. It may bo hoped that their prayer will not be met by such a report as tin t -presented by the Committee on Native Affairs. There can be ho doubt that, designedly or .otherwise, they have suffered an atrocious wrong at the hands of the Government ; and pending inquiry by commission or otherwise, justice requires that an Act shall bo passed by the Assembly disqualifying all those Maoris whose- claims wove officially objected to, and thus restraining them from voting until their rights have been determined in the manner provided by law. The business is very grave; if the rolls can*be safely stuffed in one instance, the operation may be repeated and extended. The control of every electorate in the colony might thus be obtained by an unscrupulous Government having at any time a particular object to attain.