“DOWN WITH THE PAKEHA.”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5459, 25 September 1878, Page 2

“DOWN WITH THE PAKEHA.”

TO THE EDITOR OP TUB NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sir, — I see in your paper of toe 23rd inst., in an article headed “Mr. John Lundon’s Native Policy Adopted,” that the clause in the Electoral Bill which has reference to the native votes has been altered in committee, and now reads as follows:—“Every male Maori of twenty-one years of age shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be qualified to vote in the election of lumbers for the House of Representatives, but shall only if (a) he is seized at law or in equity 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 £25 at least, and has been seized for six months previous to the date of his claim to vote, or if (/Aids name is enrolled on a ratepayers’ roll in force within the district for which be claims to vote on account of lands or tenements belonging to him, and shall actually have paid his rates for the year in which he claim to vote is made.” The effect of this will be that in every district where the natives are numerous the electoral roll will next year be crowded with Maori voters ;—say, for instance, in Wanganui, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, East Coast, Taurauga, Bay of Islands, and other native districts; in fact, I may say throughout the whole of the North Island, the principal towns excepted; and which will have an important influence on the next elections, in some instance swamping out the European electors altogether. • This state of things has been mainly brought about by the votes of Southern members, and I would like to ask those honorable gentlemen who supported the Government in carrying this unjust clause, how they themselves and their constituents would like to be placed In the position in which they have without hesitation helped to place the European settlers in native districts in the North Island, who will, under this clause, in certain districts especially, bo completely outvoted by the Maoris, who not being liable to rates themselves will at the same time override the unfortunate settlers who are taxed, and will be taxed, not only under the Ratepayers Act but also under the Land Tax Bill now before the House. They (the settlers) will have to make roads and keep them in repair for the natives to cut up and destroy with their horse and dray traffic, who, while free from taxes themselves, .will have it in their power to return their own candidate in spite of the European settlers, and aho spend their taxes for them. This is justice with a vengeance. The only hope appears to be that the Upper House may see the injustice of this, and so alter the Bill that the Europeans may have equal rights with the Maoris. No one, I take it, wishes to deprive the natives of any privileges they are justly entitled to, but for the life of me I fail to see why they should have two votes and the Europeans only one. The fairest way, to my mind, of solving the difficulty is, let tlje number of native representatives in the House be increased, say to eight members, and do away with the double vote. If the native wishes to register on the European roll by all means let him do so, but with the clear understanding that in doing so he forfeits his claim to his Maori vote and pays his taxes the same as Europeans. Should this clause be allowed to pass as it is, it would not surprise me to hear that in some districts the Europeans have thrown up the whole thing in disgust and let the Maoris have it all their own way. Trusting the importance of the question will be accepted as my apology for taking up so much space in your valuable paper,—l am. &c., A North Island Settler.