NEW BILLS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1014, 21 July 1879, Page 2

NEW BILLS.

(From Oxaoo Daily Times' owx f . RESPONDENT.) * 011 THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

h- The Representation Bill is printed t 3d provides that after the dissolution ~f a or present Parliament the House shall r n.- sist of members, and each Hoiko"' ir- to last three years from the date of tlf p- first writ, unless previously dissolved 7 is Board is appointed, to consist of *1 sr Speaker and Chairman of Committee'* e, the Controller and Auditor-Gencril' I and the Registrar-General. This i s \' }» be called the Representation Board, and it three are to be a quorum. Within il three months after the end 0 f t.h le present Parliament, and within three •y months after the taking of every sub se . n quent census, the Board is to divide the Lf Colony into the same number of electoral -t districts by the number of members t 0 e bo elected, so that as far as practicable ;c only one member shall be elected for eaelv ir district. In the exercise of its functions >r the Board is to be guided by the following tl rules ;—(l) Electoral districts shall be n of two classes, country districts and > town districts. (2) Every borough o having a population of over 1)500 •, souls shall either form ouo town djs. 0 trict, or be divided into two or more y town districts. Where the population of II a borough is less than 0500 souls, it may e be included in a country district, or with e one or more contiguous boroughs. (3.) if The remainder of the population of the e Colony shall bo divided into country t districts. (4.) The total number of meme bers to bo elected for country districts .shall bear to the aggregate population of such districts a proportion exceeding by as nearly as possible 25 per cent, the proportion borne by the total number of members to be elected for town districts to the aggregate population of the town 1 districts. (5.) The Board shall divide the n aggregate population of the country g districts by the total number of members e to be elected for such districts, and the s result so obtained shall be called "the normal number for country districts." Ii (G.) It shall similarly divide the aggregate i, population of the town districts by the 0 total number of members to be elected e for such districts, and the result so üba tained shall be called " the normal lnnnbcr for town districts." (7.) The division , of the Colony into electoral districts shall i' be effected in such manner that each s country district shall contain a population i- as nearly as possible equal to the normal , number of country districts, and that each . ; town district shall contain a population as ;i iiioarly as possible equal to the normal s number for town districts. (8.) The g Board may carry out the division of the 1 Colony into districts in such manner as it 1 thinks fit, having regard to the provisions. . of this Act, and the division into districts; I made by-it shall be final. (0.) The census; Q list taken before the Board makes such , division shall be sufficient evidence as to the population of the Colony or district, but the Board may take such other evidence as it thinks reliable. The Board is to. report to the Governor, and he is to gazette its decisions. Provision is made for the formation of new electoral rolls. The Maori represenA tation is not affected by the Bill. If y necessary, the Governor reserves powerf to summon a new Parliament without g reference to the provisions of this Bill, x, in which case the operation of it is post- . ! poned till the expiry of the new Parliag mont. a PLURALITY OF VOTES IULi. ii The Plurality of Votes Bill is a short measure, simply providing—" That hereafter no person shall have or exercise more than one vote at ar.y election for any local governing body which receives or is paidi .- any subsidy out of the general revenue- of s the Colony, or receives any other moneys J or revenues under or by virtue of any Act r 1 or Ordinance which but for such Act or e Ordinance would Lave formed part of the . general revenue of the Colony."