The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5503, 15 November 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1878.

Everywhekb throughout the Colony in the local journals we note expressions of curiosity as to the reasons which induced the Government to withdraw their Electoral Bill after it had passed the House of Representatives, and when the Legislative Council had agreed not to insist upon any of their proposed amendments except that one regarding tho Maori vote. This amendment, as was said, had only the effect of restoring clause 17 of the Bill to the shape in which it was originally introduced by the Government. No satisfactory explanation has been, or perhaps could have been given by the Premier of his eccentric proceedings in this business, but wo have had from the North an oracular telegram intimating that the policy was reader pour mieux. sender, and that, like Mr. MICAWBEE, the Premier having only retired for a spring, the “Ministerial policy of the “ next session would be of a character, for “ boldness, wholly unprecedented in.tho “ history of the Colony.” Thus we shall see what we shall see. As there may be what Mr. Dkansfield calls ‘ ‘ an economy “ of truth” in what wo may hereafter hear from Sir George Geev directly on the subject of the Electoral Bill, jve desire io place clearly on record some of the facts connected with that great measure and with its withdrawal.

The stump policy of the Prime Minister, in electoral matters, was manhood suffrage with one vote, and one vote only for each individual; redistribution of seats so as to secure equality of representation; and a shortening of the duration of Parliament. Ho was passionate in his denunciation of the oppressor of tho “poor man, who could exercise forty-five votes when that ill-used individual could give only one. The terrible consequence of allowing men “to walk about with forty-five voices in “ them” were thus depicted to an afflictad audience in Auckland in December last by Sir Gbokge Grey “ Whatever they “ may say about those 45 votes, here is the “ case of a man who walks about with 45 “ voices in him. If the property had been “ acquired by honest labor, by prudent “living, and self-denial, no one would ob- “ jeot, but to take from us that which be- “ longs to all of us, to give it to one or two “ favored men, that I say is a monstrous “ thing; and making property out of the “ public estate to give it to men with 45 “ votes— surely a greater injury was never “ done to any people in the world 1 “ (Cheers.) Do not you believe that such “ wrongs have not still more serious evils. “ They influence the human mind ; they “follow men to their homes ; they de- “ prive men of hope ; they tend to make “ men improvident; to make tho drunk- “ ard and the criminal, embittering the “ lives of those who would otherwise be “ employed in the true interests and for “ tho benefit of society at large.” Nowhere do we find any mention made of tho wrongs suffered by our fellow subjects the Maoris owing to electoral disabilities. But the Premier “ gangin roon the « country wi’ the gong”—to borrow Sandy Macuperson’s phrase—is not tho same person evidently as tho Premier in the Cabinet. We know that tho Electoral Bill as introduced by Mr. Stout made the smallest possible pretension to carry out the policy of the “stump.” It was a secret tolorablywoU known at the time that there was a “ difficulty” amongst Ministers about this Bill, and that tho coach was not then upset only booauso tho Premier was not physically in a condition to “ fight” his colleagues. Nevertheless he was able to make a “ beautiful” and characteristic speech in favor of this Bill on tho occasion of its second reading. Having been taunted by tho honorable member for Geraldine with having in tho speeches which ho made to tho people bf Now Zealand placed in the very front of his policy one principle—“that is, that “ all free men shall be placed on a com- “ mon basis with regard to the franchise, “ and that no man shall have more votes “ than another”—and with having been

especially eloquent upon this point at , Timaru, Sir George Grey was able to declare “that ho had made no such “pledge, that ho had never had any “ intention of making a plodgO of tho “ kind, and that 1 tho lion, member for, “ Geraldine hadfallon into a misfcakoupou “ the subject.”; Ho thou wont on, after ! an eloquent apostropho “to tho , few “ sheets of paper oovorod with l printing” which he held in his hand, to show that by the means of that “document” sovonty thousand adult males who wore without electoral rights and deprived of the privilege of being elected, a member of tho House, would bo enfranchised. “What “you will do,” ho said, “ if you adopt “ this measure is to say to those 70,000 “of your fellow-countrymen, 4 we give “ you the right to chooao your reproseu- “ tativo in Parliament, and we confer 14 upon you the privilege of sitting la this 44 House of tho Assembly, if your follow- “ citizens doom you worthy to represent 44 them.’ I say that is an admirable ro- “ suit for so trifling a thing as a few 44 sheets of paper to accomplish. Can 44 honorable gentlemen think that, if they 44 do this, they will not gratify many 44 hearts ? Can honorable gentlemen 44 think that, if they do this, thdy will 44 not fill many youthful breasts with 44 hopes and aspirations now shut out 44 from them? Because it is not only 44 these 70,000 who are now shut out who 44 will feel this benefit, but it is also those 44 youths of sixteen, eighteen, or nineteen “years of age—aye ! and even those of 44 twelve or thirteen —who will feel that 44 a now field is open for them ; and not 44 only for them, but for their parents, 44 and all who take an interest in them. 44 I ask, is not this a thing worth doing ? 44 Is not this a valuable privilege to add “ to the charter of rights which you have 44 already given to tho people of this 44 country P The power of doing this great woric’ was not taken away from the Premier by any amendment .or change in tho Bill made in the House of Representatives. On the contrary, when it passed it was even more complete as regards the 70,000 voteless ones than when it was first introduced. All tho amendments made by the Legislative Council which in any way affected, the European electors the Council expressed their willingness to withdraw. Why, then, wo hear it asked; was the interest of the seventy thousand males sacrificed or postponed ? And why were their hopes. and aspirations, and tho hopes and aspirations of the juniors over twelve, who could feel that there was a new field opened for themselves |and their parents, blighted, and the great charter of their rights pub into the waste paper basket by Sir George Grey ? This is tho riddle of the Ministerial Sphinx which our contemporaries in so many places are now vainly endeavoring to solve. On another occasion wo may be able to present additional facts that may aid in its solution.