The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 726, 7 August 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1878.

While the Electoral Bill which has been J introduced into the House of Representatives by the Hon. the Attorney-General may fairly be accepted as the embodiment of the views of the united Cabinet upon the general principles of electoral reform, the measure contains many minor points, the authorship' of which cannot be mistaken. No one will for one moment imagine that such a clause as that which provides for the closing of all ptibliehouses in a district during the hours fixed for taking a poll, and for the infliction of a fine «<7 not less than Lf>o and not more than LIOO for a breach of the elaune, could have emanated from any other soi'.rce tiian the fertile imagination of the Hon. Mr. Stout. None but a disciple of temperance, and that too of the rabid class, could have propounded such an absurd proposition. We need not pause to consider this question, however, for it is scarcely likely that the House of Representatives will agree to such a proposition. The Bill in all its principal points is a highly satisfactory measure, and will tend to remedy many of the notorious defects in the present electoral iaw. The firat part of the Bill is devoted t.. repealing several existing Acts, including the Miners' Representation Act, while a few more shreds are tern from the already ragged Constitution Act of the ! Imperial Parliament, several clauses of : which .ire repealed. The first, and one of the most oe«ej;cial, changes made in the present law is the abolishment of the i multiplicity of existing franchises, and I the substitution in lieu thereof of three qualifications—viz.. aL 25 freehold, a LlO household, and a residential, which will embrace every male of twenty-one years a<»« who has resided for two years in the Colony, and for six months in the electoral district in which he claims to be registered, provided he i* possessed of no other qualification under the Act. Attached to this residential qualification is a very mild educational requirement, the applicant being merely called upon to be able to si:.'!i hiown name. It will thus be seen thai "while the law has been greatly relaxed in to persons possessing J neither of tfie pre-wnt qualification.-*, the freehold franchise is ' reduced from I L:"0 to L 25. and the household fixed jat LlO. The present leasehold, miners'. I and lodgers' qualifications are abolish-d. j but under the Bill other provisions are apparently made for the registration _ot those who were previously included under these heads. It is true that there does not seem to be any way for a leaseholder to have his name "placed on the Electoral Roll save through the medium of th" ratepayers' roll of a Municipal Colouration* County Council or Road Board, and unless he were entitled to claim under the residential qualification he would have no direct means of obtaining a vote. Now. seeing that the ratepayers list is only to be made up annually, while claims to vote under all the qualifications may b • lodged at any time during the year, and Revision Courts are to be held and the mils prepared twice a-year, this can scarcely »e considered altogether satisfactory ; for the leaseholder, if we r. ad the Bill ariu'htly. would be aitogether disfranchised if he neglected to pay hi* rates in time to have his name inserted on the ratepayers' roll, and would not, as a leaseholder simplv, be able to get his name placed on the Electoral Roll for twelve months, while all other qualified poisons are enabled t-> do so every' half-year. There is a special provision in the Ait with regard to holders of miners' rights and business licenses, it being provided that all holders of miners' rights or busine** iuwuscs on the Ist January next are entitled t'> huve tlieir names placed upon the list of voters to be made out in the succeeding March: i'Ut olteiwanis it would be necessary for all persons to possess one or other ot the qualifications named. The clause which provides for tlu- insertion of ail names on the roll which are on the ratepayers' lists leaves mom for doubt rc to whether or not it is intended to bestow tii.e franchise upon j female ratepayers, although jvooieii are excluded from the enjoyment of the other [ franchises. There may have been an I oversight in drafting this portion of the I Hiii. "itiut before the measure is finally f naso-ed thi* point wiil probably be attended 'to. We can hardly think that it is intended that female ratepayers should be enabled to vote for members of the House of Representatives, and consequently become eligible for election to thp House, tor if such was the intention why ar P they not accorded the right of enjoying the privileges appertaining to the freehold or leasehold qualifications. The powers ot Maoris to be placed on the rolls liave been curtailed to sonic extent, for it js Bpecially | U t-lai-ti: t :ar. the}' shall only be quail- .! ! to vote at elections for members of Par I ''anient by virtue <>? having their names on the ratepayers' roil, it in expressly declared that no person possessing ;uori ! than one quaiificasiou in the same electoral district shall exercise more than oiuvote. Several'alterations are made in the forms in which claims to vote and objections to persons on the roil are to be made, but we need not enter upon th,ise at present. Alterations are also made in the mode of revising and preparing the rolls.

Tl>e T.ni al?o rffccts sev.ral alterations it; {':.• molf of coiulnoMr." <>!fctions. in the tirst place nominations of candidates arc t<>. !'<-■ made in writing bcfiv.v o'clock on the evening th..' day of nomination, and.nojoinatum papers are to be signed by not less than five cjualiht.d

I electors, accompanied by a declaration by -flfejCandidate that he accepts the nomina'tion. '-Why the nnmber of nominators is fixed afriive instead of two as at present, we are ajflafcdoss to understand; but it is probabjjva"fanciful idea of Mr. Stout's,! as is aiari'the clause relating to the closing of public-houses during polling hqurs. One of the most welcome provisions ander the heading." Regulation of is the •clause winch stipulates thatythe; polling-booths shall be kept open between' the hours of nine o'clock in the morning and eight o'clock in the evening. '-This will be a boon indeed to the laboring classes, who are often, xvnder the existing arrangements, debarred from exercising their privileges owing to being unable to afford the time or to leave their work during the present hours of polling. The provisions in the Bill against personation, double voting, &c, are sufficiently stringent, but the precautions against improper registration are scarcely satisfactory. Altogether the Bill is a very satisfactory one, and will, we feel sure meet with the approval of the Legislature and the people of the Colony.