The Patea Mail PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 175, 13 December 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1876.

As niiglit very naturally be supposed, the impending County election is now the theme of pretty well all tongues, and there cannot be a doubt that, on the choice.the electors now make, the gravest results will hang. At the present time, before candidates have declared themselves,' before they have given any expression of opinion, no criticism can bo offered. At the same time there are many things that may possibly guide electors in the forms to be pursued—not in the persons to be elected, that we may furnish. Wo may premise, in the first place, that the day of nomination has been changed from the 15th to the 18tb, from Friday to Monday next. According to the Regulations ox Local Elections Act, nomination is to bo by nomination paper, signed by two electors of the district, and by the candidate, in token of his assent to such nomination. At noon on nomination day, the "Returning Officers arc to post the names of the candidates on some conspicuous public place. In case of a disputed election, which is pretty certain in our case, a poll opening at 9 a.m. and closing at G p.m., is to bo taken, but in no case is a publichouse to be a booth. The usual provisions are made for voting papers, objections, &c., all voting being by ballot. Other provisions in this Act are made, ol no special interest, excepting as far as carrying out the Act goes. Passing on to the Coantics Bill itself, we find much of interest. Wo have already given an abstract of its provisions, but on the evo of an election like this, it cunnot be out of place to in some measure repeat them. Wo now make an abstract from the Act, clause 51, which defines who is entitled to vote. That clause says that the •following are qualified to vote at the '.firstelection': —.Undersection J, “Every person who is entitled for the time being to vote at a Road Board election in any .road district in the riding. Section 2 Every person not so entitled, who is for the time being entitled to vote at an election of the House of-Representatives, upon a qualification hi any outlying district in the riding.” The third section applies to miners rights, which do not ■ affect this district. Power to the Governor to make all arrangements ami for the expense to be paid out of the Con’solidated Fund is then given. But the question comes yet, who are the persons entitled to vote, what rolls, if any, are the Returning officers to be guided by, and arc not the first elections likely to bo as great a muddle as possible ? The qualification of electors would, in vulgar phrase, . puzzle the sagacity of the ■historical-' Philadelphia lawyer. Without being manhood suffrage, the qualification for electors scorns to be exceedingly like it. Every person who is entitled to vote at a Road Board election, or for a member of the House of Ropreseutatives can vote. Now the latter qualification is clear enough, for there the elector must bo on a roll. The other is, however, exceedingly .indefinite, ami will tax the perspiciidy of the Returning officers.

According to recent Raid Board ruling, any person liable to be 'rated Inis been a.'lowed .to'vote, and we should like to know, if the same rule he carried out at the coming eloction, where the distinction is to stop? Tiiore is scarcely a human being in the place hut is “ liable to be rated,” and the brains of those entrusted with carrying out the eduction will be sorely racked, we fancy, in deciding points that must arise. There is just a doubt as to whether the ratepayers within the limits of Carlylc.aud Hawera are entitled to vote. Thai these Boards arc now de facto Road Beards there cannot be a doubt, but that they are legally Boards, within the meaning of the four Acts bearing on the question, is altogether another tiling. They almost seem to occupy the position of the old indescribable, that was neither fish nor flesh, nor good salt herring-. They are of course recognised under the TaranakiOrdinance that constituted them Town Boards, but they are not under the Counties Act, which specially says that electors shall be only those who arc entitled for the time being to vote at a Hoad Board election. This complication came under the notice of the authorities here, and they telegraphed for instructions. Those resident in Uk> township who are on the electoral roll for Egmont will of course suffer no inconvenience, but those not so circumstanced, ratepayers or not, may he debarred from voting. Again, another question has arisen as to whether recent land purchasers came within the meaning of tnc 51st clause. Whether they are “ entitled to vote for the time being” is at least questionable, and if not, a largo number of enterprising settlers will be shut out of the election. The Ret irning Officers will no doubt have full instructions on both heads ; at present the constituencies seem likely to be limited. We sincerely hope that matters may bo arranged satisfactorily, and that on- this, our first County elections, no section of the public fairly entitled to vote, may bo fairly entitled to vote, may bo disfranchised. There will be no lack of candidates, men from whom an excellent selection can bo made. It will be for the electors, wc hope, to chose wisely and well. As we have stated already, the nomination day is Monday next, and all proposed hare to bo nominated on a form to be supplied by the authorities, with above conditions attached.