The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1238, 6 April 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1880.

It is surprising how little appears to be known of those electoral measures -which were passed last session and which are said to widen the franchise. Year after year the cry was raised inside and outside of Parliament for manhood suffrage. But no Government appeared willing to jeopardise its existence by introducing what would be viewed—perhaps unfairly—as a too radical ; reform. But there was amongst the other liberal notions which the present Administration adopted as a means of ' attaining popularity one by which the [ Grey Government proposed to liberalise the franchise. One electoral measure, however, was not sufficient for the - newlv-polished-up ingredients of historical Ministries. They must needs have five The Qualification of Electors Bill, The Registration of Electors Bill, The Regulation of Elections Bill, The Corrupt Practices Bill, and the Election Petitions Bill. For this mass of ingenious, intricate, and confusing electoral machinery the Colony owes the Hon. Mr. F." Whitaker another debt of gratitude. He exhibited a ; fatherly care for us all by re-establish-i ing the principles of Conservatism. Crooked courses are generally deprecated. But had the hon. gentleman pursued a straight course he would probably have been foiled in his attempt" to introduce an electoral svstem more in harmony with the requirements of a Colony whose people were so rapidly imbibing democratic ideas that the" ascendancy of the old ( governing families was in jeopardy. The people clamored for a liberal franchise. Mr. Whitaker and his friends said, " Very well; you shall have what you want. To show you that we are in earnest we will reduce the amount of property qualification from LnO to L 25." The sails of the - Literal'' ship at once flapped. She was in the doldrums. The auspicious breeze that had sped her on her course was at once diverted. It was the old hulk's turn now, and the- public gave her a shove on her way. "We have said that the Attorney-General did not pursue a straight course. This may be 1 no news to most people. But what we mean is that his course was more tortuous than usual. At one moment it appeared that he was going one way. but he tacked, and speedily went in the opposite direction. Such backing and filling'' has seldom been witnessed, and even members of Parliament were diimbfoundered. " What are the intentions of the Government regarding plural voting ?' asked one. " Oh !" said another, " that will be dealt with in ' The Regulation of Elections Bill.'" Tims, by guile, the Government scored ]>oint.s, and turned the laugh against their opponents. But what is the fact 1 ? Plural voting is, nevertheless, the order of the day, and the reduction of the property qualification from LSO to L 25, will facilitate it. Had the Xi-50 qualification been maintained, capital' ists would not have been enabled to appear on the electoral rolls of all the districts that might be available to them during elections, without making a greater sacrifice. It is quite possible under the present electoral laws that a capitalist may, by the expenditure of a few hundred pounds, vote in 15. or 20 places during an election, the limit being fixed by Lis ability or inability to be present at the polling booths to vote. One thing the Government have omitted to do, and we suggest that thev should attend to it next session. They should either legalise voting by proxy, or so arrange the dates of elections that their friends may be able to vote in every election in the Colony. Such an act of legislation would render their electoral scheme perfect, and effectually prevent the people from again d rift ing i nto thequ icksands of democracy. But there need be no fear on this score even now. It is a fact that a farmer who owns a property worth LSOOO in any one district can exercise but one | vote. He may be a useful colonist and may put his capital to the most highly reproductive uses, but all his capital is in his farm—he has not a shilling to divert to other purposes. His wealthier neighbor has a little spare cash, which Jie devotes to the ptirpo.se of buying propcrtix-s of the value tJf L 25 throughout tlio Colony.. He does not view these as speculations, nor does he particularly care whether they air, reproductive or not. They are only acquired for the purpose of taking advantage of a "liberal" Act and obtaining more political influence in the affairs of the Colony. A man who has L2OO to throw away may secure eight votes against the one of the legitimate settler. A few thousand such men could swamp tlje rolls of the Colony, and hold sway over its elec-

ticms. It behoves every colonist -who disapproves of this, relegation ;of superior power to the few to j take every care that their names are .•placed on the electoral rolls. |They have an equal right with their richer neighbors to say who shall manage . the affairs of the Colony—they have a right to demand that they shall be placed in such a position that class legislation unfavorable to 'them should not be inevitable. In order that the settlers : of this district may comprehend the position "they occupy, and how to proceed to secure the rijght of voting, 'we Extract the following two clauses from " The Qualifications of Electors Act" : (1.) Every man of the age of twentyone years or upwards having, of his own right aud not as a trustee, a freehold estate in possession situate within any electoral district of the value of twentyfive pounds, whether to incumbrances or not r and of or to wnich he has been seized or entitled either at law or in equity for at least six calendar months next before the registration of his vote, is entitled to be registered as an elector and to vote at an election of members for such district for the House of Representatives ; or (2.) Every man of the age of twentyone years or upwards who has resided for one year in the colony and in the electoral district for which he claims to vote during the six months immediately preceding the registration of hi 3 vote, and is not registered in respect of a freehold qualification under this Act for the same district, is entitled to be registered as an elector and to vote at the election of members for such district for the House of Representatives.