The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5463, 30 September 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1878.

The interest in the electoral privileges of the Maori people which Sir Geoiioe Grey has so suddenly developed begins to alarm the more thoughtful and experienced of the chiefs, and to revive the old suspicion of some sinister purpose. The “Kiore (the rat) is burrowing’"' as they can see, but they do not know whereabouts he wants to come up. The excessive kindness on the part of Sir Geoiioe Guey and Mr. Sheehan in the matter of the native franchise is not, to use their own expression, “clear;” it is for the use of the Government they think, and not for the benefit of the Maori, that the power of controlling elections for the House of Representatives in the North Island is sought to be obtained. They can see that if the Maori votes were used, as they might be, to swamp those of the European electors, ill-feeling would be engendered, which might have very unhappy consequences for themselves, ns a people, as well as for the public interest. It may be asserted with truth that what the Maoris desire is such an addition to the number of Maori members in the ffouse as will give them a just proportional representation in Parliament on the scale pf population ( and as they would resent any interference by European voters in the election of members for the Maori districts, so they are fair and reasonable and politic enough not to desire to interfere with the election of the European members. Ah llf e , petitions presented to the Parliament give expression to this sentiment. They wish for, and they have a right to, additional members, but they do not want the double vote which it is the desire of Sir Oeokok Geey and Mr. Sheehan to endow them with. Wo have seen how in the Bay of Islands district the Maori vote maybe manipulated by such “friends” of the ruling powers as may be made always at election times, and wo may take warning from that celebrated example as to the length to which an unscrupulous Government will go to attain its ends. No one would reasonably object to any Government using its legitimate influence legitimately to secure the return of its supporters ; but no one will pretend that to dismiss a public officer at a moment’s notice, as was done in the ease of Mr. Williams, in order to secure the falsification of au electoral roll, andgivqthe privilege of the franchise to unqualified claimants whose very names wore forged to the applications for registration, was not a legitimate exorcise of Government in--

finance. The apparent condonation of that most reprehensible proceeding into which the House has been surprised by adopting the principle'; of the tribal title to land as a qualification for the franchise, will take away none of the opprobrium which is attached to the Government for that very disgraceful procedure.

There has always been a' natural jealousy of the unreasonable exercise of the power of the Government in determining elections, and it has long been a rule of the Civil Service that no employe of the Government should take any active part in electioneering contests, or do more than record his vote in the polling booth. We have seen how this rule has been observed by Sir George Geey’s Government in the recent elections, and notably in that for Waipa. There a native officer of the Native Department holding an appointment of great trust on our frontier, who of all others should have kept himself clear of electioneering operations, marched to the poll at the head of a native contingent of voters, and by so doing gave offence to the Maori King on one side, and to the majority of the European settlers in Waikato on the other ; this proceeding violated an established rule of the Civil Service, and was impolitic in itself,’ as tending to create ill feeling between the races in a frontier district, where general good-will should be assiduously cultivated. That the Government will not hesitate to exercise all the influence that it can bring to bear upon tho coming elections there can be no doubt; as a specimen of the way in which that may bo done we give a copy of a printed circular, which ought bo preserved along noth that gushing appeal to ‘ 1 my dear friend Hbta tb Hara,” which we have already so often quoted:— 1 ' Auckland, July 18, 1878.

‘ Sir, —Sir George Grey's Government aro very anxious to see Mr. McMinn, one of the candidates for the representation of. Waipa, returned for that district, and many friends of tho present Cabinet are equally desirous to sea this desirable result accomplished. A committee has been formed in Auckland to assist our Waikato friends, and it is proposed to engage a special train to convey the electors resident in ami about this city to the polling-place at Mercer, on Wednesday, tho 24th instant, the day of election. The train will leave the Auckland station at eleven o'clock on that morning, returning tho same afternoon. The local I ody appointed to assist Mr. McMinn’s election would feel much indebted to you if, even at inconvenience, as au elector, you. could make arrangements for recording your vote for tho Government candidate, and would therefore request tho favor of a reply as to your intentions about proceeding there, addressed to tho secretary of the committee, Mr. John King, No. 37 Insurance Offices, Auckland, as quicky as convenient. Tho train will reach Mercer in less than two hours from starling, remaining (say) one hour, and returning in another hour and three-quarters. The cost of ronveying the electors will be borne by Mr, McMiun’s local committee.—Yours, «S:c., John Kino, Secretary to Mr. McMinn's Committee. It will not be difficult to imagine what an operator so skilful as Mr. Sheehan might effect with ten thousand Maori votes on tho European rolls of this North Island; we therefore hope that before the Electoral Bill of the Government becomes law, provision will be made for giving the Maoris additional members in the House of Representatives, with a separate roll of electors, and that the power of the double rote will be taken wholly out of the hands of Ministers.