The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5469, 7 October 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1878.

The Government haring declared their determination to stand or fall by their fiscal policy, they fell;, but they appear determined valiantly to lie where they have fallen. Under these circumstances, as noone can wish them politically any greater harm or disgrace than that which their own idleness, conceit, and obstinacy have brought upon them,, there is a very general desire amongst the members of the Assembly that Ministers should now collect together the shattered “planks” of their imposing platform, and betake themselves to reconsideration and tho reconstruction of another policy during the recess, if they can by any moans agree amongst themselves as-to the conditions. Smarting under the sting of failure and tho contempt of the House, it would be unfair to expect them now, at this late period ef the session, to attempt the feat which Sir Gborcb Grey, on a memorable occasion when in opposition, boasted his ability to perform, viz., to alter the incidence of taxation so as to free all tho necessaries of life— tea, sugar, clothing, Ac., Ac. —from duty, and to secure at once the happiness ’of the'human race, and provision for the exigencies of tho Public Service, all “in half-an-hour.” Wo do not suppose that there is in tho Cabinet a bottle of “policies,” out of which doses may be administered to the suffering House, pro re nata (occasionally), or that Mr. Ballange can bo permitted to play the part of Mrs. Squeers, and do tho brimstone and treacle business with tho boys just at his will and pleasure. A financier, unlike a poet, is not born ; he is made by training and experience. Mr. Ballanoe’s coup d’essai has been a dismal failure. He may bo more fortunate next time, and there is a fair disposition to let him try again. _lf the Government now accept the situation with all its disagreeable surroundings they will have the additional claim of having subordinated merely personal considerations to their sense of what is good for the people, and of having broken another pledge in order to keep their places and to save the State. Under these circumstances we think the Land Tax Bill, the Customs Tariff Bill, and the Electoral Bill should follow the Beer Tax Bill and the Companies Income Tax Bill into tho waste paper basket, and a clear field bo thus left for tho fiscal policy of the future. Tho estimates for public works and for the establishments having been agreed to, the passing of the Appropriation Bills may end the labors of the Senators and bring the session to a close. As there is no desire on the part of Ministers to go to the country, and, in their present shattered condition, to meet their constituents, there appears no pressing need for the passing of the Electoral Bill. The Premier described it as being “ one of a consecutive series of measures relating to the representation of the people, to the perfecting of which the efforts of himself and colleagues have been directed.” The redistribution of seats, alteration of electoral districts, and some provision for the representation of minorities would necessarily be measures belonging to the series ; the whole question could be most conveniently discussed at once as a complete scheme. In the meantime no harm can come of its postponement for a season. Its true purpose is said to be an extension of tho franchise by the introduction of manhood suffrage under the residential qualification. It has been shown, wo think, in tho debate which has taken place upon the question in the Legislative Council, that the franchise is already pretty nearly as widely extended as under tho proposals of the Bill it could be, and that the assertions that have been made by the Premier regarding tho number of persons in this colony who arc suffering taxation without representation are pure rant and gross exaggerations. This is tho view which Sir George Grey takes of a question upon which it was his duty to bo himself well inforired, and to convey accurate knowledge to,the representatives of the people in Parliament. In his speech on the Electoral Bill he said ;—“ The Hon. “ the Attorney-General told the House “ the other evening that the Begistrnr- “ General estimated the number of adult “males in New Zealand at 123,000. I “ believe that to be an under-calculation. “ I have myself hitherto put it at 150,000, “ and that, I think, will be found nearer “ the mark. However, I think it will bo “ found that the number of adult males “in tho country is at least 130,000. Of “ these 130,000, 60,000 are, the Peglstrar- “ General states, on the electoral roll. “ These 60,000 are made tip in great part “ of persons who have votes in the vari- “ ous electoral districts, repeated, per- “ haps, four or five times over. I have “ heard of gentlemen having qualifications “ in almost every electoral district in tho “ colony. Then there are a largo number “of persona who have left the country, “ and many who have died, so that I do “ hot imagine that the absolute number “of electors exceeds 40,000. In addi- “ tion there are a largo number of per“sons who are entitled to have their “ names placed on the roll, but who, “ from idleness, indifference, or some “ similar cause, have failed to place them “ there. There are, therefore, at least, “ 70,000 adult males at the present time “ in New Zealand who are not electors ; “ and I have no hesitation in saying that “these 70,000 adult males contain in “ great part what I may call the pith and “ marrow of New Zealand—the sons of “ our country farmers, tho sons of our “ merchants, the clerks in offices, young ‘ ‘ men in various situations in life —young “ men qualified in every way justly and “ well to exercise the privileges proposed “to be conferred upon them. Wo can- “ not then shut our eyes to tho fact that “ there are at present probably 70,000 “ males in New Zealand who have no “ electoral rights ; and not only that, but “ wha, from the peculiar Constitution of “ the country, are not qualified to bo “ members of this House.” The franchise which now exists is classed as freehold, leasehold, • household, ■ ratepayers, lodgers, and miners’ rights. A tolerably broad basis, which succeeding Parliaments have shown n disposition to extend whenever tho desire for such extension found expression : oh tho part of the people, or of their representatives.' It was loft: for Sir : George Prey to discover , the unfelt oppression which the people were suffering, and to reveal tothem that 70,000 adult males in this colony wero without votes.

On the 3rd ! of March last our colonial census was taken, and in tho published tables tho whole number of tho population in New Zealand, including Chinese and half-castes, is ,414,412 souls. Of- these, 231,000 in round numbers, wore males. The exact numbers are not yet found, but it may bo assumed that ono-half of these males are adults, 21 years of ago and upwards, say 115,500, who, theoretically, would have a claim to bo placed on the roll'of European voters. But from that total must be deducted 4424 Chinese and 068 half-caste males ; 581 males in the lunatic asylums ; a greater number, say COO, in prison ; 767 men of the New Zealand Constabulary ; and an estimated 1000 for tourists and travellers, who, not being residents of Now Zealand, wore yet CaughV in the ' not ot the Census, returns

on tho 3rd March. These several numbers, amounting to 8342, being deducted from 115,500, -leave ~ a total of possible adul t electors - for the whole colony of 107,158. i. ' The new electoral rolls for,this year are not, we believe, completed, but, a good rrany of them have, been;sent in,- and it appears that the number of electors now on the rolls maybe about 76,000 iivrpund numbers. Holders of minors’, rights are not registered as voters upon that qualification. .The Secretary of the'Goldfields in the report laid before Parliament gives the mean number of miners at workduring the past year throughout the colony as 16,180.’.- -Under - the Miner’s ■ right franchise these men would be entitled to vote at tho election of members of the House of Representatives for tho electoral districts in which they may bo. That number added to the 76,000 registered electors -would give a total of 92,180 qualified voters out of a possible total which we gave above as 107,158. The difference would be 14,978. Now, under the new Electoral Bill a certain term of residence, first in the colony and next in an electoral district, is an essential qualification for registration as an elector. Tho floating population in the colony is large. Great numbers of men are employed on the public works who have no permanent residence; great numbers of men are constantly changing their abodes, moving from one electoral district to another, and from one Island to the other. There are also large numbers of men who, from indifference or from dislike to electioneering worry, do not ever seek to have their names put on an electoral roll at all. These are unknown quantities; but it would not be unreasonable to estimate that the total of their number would be sufficient to cover the 14,978 above given, and tho result would then be that there are at this moment as many qualified electors in 'New Zealand as there would probably bo under the new electoral law if it were now passed. It is even possible that as the necessity for registration would limit tho exercise of the franchise in mining districts the actual number would be less than it is now. Victoria has manhood suffrage. There is no more democratic or demagogueridden community in the world ; nowhere is the “political education” of tho people, in the worst party sense, more advanced. The registration of electors there wo may assume has boon carefully attended to. Tho total male population of Victoria by tho latest statistical returns is 461,541. The adults, 21 years and upwards, are 214,543. The number on the roll of electors for the members of thoLeglslative Assembly is 184,406. , The total of our mule population, 230,998, is very nearly equal to one-half of the male population of Victoria, and our 92,000 qualified electors is nearly equal to tho half of the registered electors there. The x ; olative proportion of voters to population in both colonies may thusbesaid tobealmostexact. It is worth noting here that at tho last general election in Victoria only 62 per cent, of the electors on the roll' recorded their votes. The 70,000 sufferers of Sir George Gxey’s imagination havethus no existence in fact; they are a part of the machinery of his stump exhibitions, which, with characteristic recklessness, he has reproduced in Parliament. There can be no urgent necessity to legislate for them. There is a provision in the Electoral Bill for swamping the European electors in the North Island by means of the Maori vote to which we must take another opportunity to refer.