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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1050, 1 September 1879, Page 2

Some persons have of late endeavoured to call into qaeat.on the patriotism of a majority of the House of Repreaentativea who last session voted themselves the ordinary honorarium, notwithstanding that the session was a very short one. Those who have blamed members for doing so have not apparently considered the expenses attending an election con'cat during these times of political corruption ; nor have they taken into consideration the expense of living in Wellington for some three or four months during the year. To us the amount seemed absurdly high for so little service. But who are responsible for this ? Those who endeavor to make money do the work of political excellence during election contests. Many a man will he returned to the new Parliament who will have got there because he had the command of money. Such men compel the poorer competitors to spend money too ; and unless they were placed io a position to do so by a liberal allowance for their Parliamentary services, the government of the country would be left mainly in the hand* of the rich, whatever might be their political character. What will those who complain of the action of members with reference to the honorarium question say to the annoocement made by Mr. Driver the other day at Roalyn to the effect that his last election cost him L 250 ? It would take the surplus remaining, after paying expenses, from many honoraria to balance an account opened with such an outlay as that. But we have every reason to know that Mr. Driver's expenses were very small as compared to those of many other members. Mr. Driver's is a district of small area, if important in regard to population, when compared with hosts of others, Waitaki amongst the number ; and an election contest there would not necessitate the constant travelling and long absence from business that an active political campaign in this district entails. Why, the election context now going on here must entail a very heavy expenditure upon the candidates, and it isonlyto be expected that they will not allow themselves to be out of pocket when they arc called upon to vote "aye" or "nay" upon the question of the annual honrarium. The fact is that, after all, the expenses of elections must be borne by the country. The poor man himself cannot afford to defray the expenses consequent upon seeking the suffrages of the electors under the existing state of political matters, and the rich man may be lavish in his personal expenditure, but in many instances in the end the country indirectly pays his expenses over and over again. It is the duty of every elector to insist upon getting from every candidate a pledge that he will if elected snpport a Bribery Bill. As Mr. Shrimski pointed oat at the nomination of candidates on Saturday, if triennial Parliaments become an established fact, the Bribery Bill, which was in. treduced the session before last by the present Government put an end to half the cost of an election contest, and leave the electors free to vote as they desire without being driven half crazy by the importunities of must also become law. If triennial Parliaments arc adopted, and w-e hope they may be, and the law does not interfere to put down the very large expenditure of money to secure election, a poor ma, however great his talents and however popular he may be with the electors, will

not dare to aspire to the honor of a seat in Parliament. Shorter Parliaments, with the Mine expensive mode of carrying on elections, would undoubtedly mean the payment of much larger honoraria, or the exclusion of all save the wealthy from the work of legislation, and it would not be difficult to predict in what direction that legislation would go.