THE DEAD-LOCK ON THE ELECTORAL BILL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5497, 8 November 1878, Page 6

THE DEAD-LOCK ON THE ELECTORAL BILL.

(From the New Zealand Times, October 29.) The managers of the free conference of both Houses of the Legislature on the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Electoral Bill have failed to come to a satisfactory agreement. The following report was presented to the Council yesterday : ' The managers of the Legislative Council, at tho free conference on the subject of the Electoral Bill, beg le*vo to report that, upon the subject of the clauses relating to the leasehold qualification, the miner’s right qualification, and the number of votes to be given by each elector, they offered to mahe such concessions as would meet the views of the managers for the House of Representatives. Upon the subject, however, of c ause 17, prescribing the qualification for Maori electors, they have been unable to arrive at any agreement. Your managers were of opinion, that this clause should remain in the shape in which it was originally introduced by the Government, to which the managers of the House of Representatives would not agree. , • . G. M. Warehouse John Hall' Mathew Holmes Geoeos Buckley. Ifc will be seen that upon all the points in dispute, except that of the Maori franchise as defined in the clause which now stands as 17 in the Bill as amended, the Council has expressed its willingness to give way. In the Bill as T ifc came to tho -- Council the Maori woujd have had the freehold franchise, thp household franchise, and tho residential franchise equally with the European. \ His special representation would be retained, and in addition it was proposed to enact—--17. Every male Maori of the faU age of twenty-one years shall (subject to the provisions of this Act; bo qualified to vote in the election of members for the House of Representatives, but shall only be so qualified if his name is enrolled upon a ratepayers* roU in force within the district in respect to which he clatwis to vote . Struck out. ' Vo.)Ho is seized at law or in equity ot lauas or tenements for his own life or for the life of v any other person, or for any larger estate of the clear value of tuxniy jive pounds at the least, and has been seized for six months previous to the .iato of his claim to vote; or if (h.) His name is enrolled on a ratepayers roll in force within the district for which he claims to vote on account of lands or tenements belonging to him, and shall have actually paid his rates for tho year in which his claim to vote is ma.de. Nothing herein shall affect any right or privilege conferred upon or granted to Maoris under the Maori Representation Act, 1567, or any Act amending the same. ... , . The words in italics wera not in the clause when the Bill was passed by the House of Representatives, but they were in the Bill when it was first brought in by tho Government. What the Legislative . Council have done is this : By inserting the words “ not being a Maori” in danse 114 they have confined the exercise of the freehold, household, and residential franchise, as defined in the clause, to Europeans ; in the clause 17, above cpioted, they havo restored the words in italics, and have struck out the sub-sections (a)_and (5). The Maori thus would have his special representation, and if, and whenever, he is willing to pay rates, from which he is now exempt, upon his freehold or upon his house, his name will bo placed upon the electoral rolls as a ratepayer in the same manner as the European names are placed, without giving him the trouble of making an application for the purpose; he would then be entitled to vote with the Europeans at every election in the district for which ha is enrolled. We have taken soma trouble to state the case clearly in order to avoid any misrepresentation of the action of the Legislative Council in the matter. It is rumored that the Government, if the determina- v: tion of the Council cannot be shaken, will drop the Bill. It will in that case be evident that the control of tho elections by means of the Maori vote was what the Government-'really sought, and that in -other respects the “groat” Bill is a sham.