COUNTY REPRESENTATION.

Patea Mail, 19 July 1881, Page 3

COUNTY REPRESENTATION.

Mr R. Hokneh moved, “ That this meeting declares the right of a County constituency to have separate representation, in the event of its population being officially reported as sufficient to qualify it for separate representation under a Redistribution Bill ; and that this meeting protests against any sub-division of the County as an electoral district.” He said : It may be a moot question whether population alone ought to be a basis of representation. I don’t quite believe that is a proper thing, especially in a new country. The Government have prepared a bill in which they propose the unit for town constituencies shall be 6,661, and for country districts 4,993. The last census gives this County population as 5,970, or about a thousand more than the Government Bill requires as the unit for a country district. I don’t think it requires much argument to show that this County ought, upon that basis, to have separate representation. I don’t take a party view of this matter. It is not a question of a Taranaki member or a Wanganui member; but we here feel our strength, and we ought to be fairly represented in the Assembly of the colony. Therefore we ask in fairness, and not only ask, but as electors I think we ought to say, “ You have given us a vote, and we insist on your giving ns a separate representative.” One portion of our County is now in the Wanganui electoral district. I say in common fairness, if Counties are to be carried out in their integrity, those electors should he included in the Patea County electorate. Hating done away with Provinces, the County is the next natural boundary. Those Provincial lines might reasonably be abolished now, and the very name scratched out. Taking away the Waverley district, wo have only about 100 short of what the bill requires for a separate constituency. The fact may come before the House, and they may say there is not quite enough, and Patea County must grow before they can have a representative. That may mean seven or fourteen years before redistribution of seats comes up again. Our population is now increasing very rapidly, and as settlers are going on the Waimate Plains every day, and few of them could have been included in the census, we may naturally say we have in any case a sufficiency according to the Government minimum. However much .we value our representative the Colonial Treasurer, still we like our English independence by having a representative of our own. (Applause,). Mr Tablin : I have pleasure in seconding the motion, and I hope we will soon have a member.

Mr Houghton explained that a telegram received that afternoon from Mr Dale, who was in Wellington, conveyed the information that a meeting would be summoned at Waverley for Tuesday, to consider whether the debtors in the Waverley Riding prefer to remain in the Wanganui electorate, or join in a representative for Patea County. That meeting was probably convened as the result of an interview with Major Atkinson. It seemed a fair thing to consult the Waverley electors on the question, and Patea people could hardly object to that ; but was it putting the whole question fairly before the whole constituency when the issue was to be left entirely to the Waverley portion of the County? It was asking one-fifth of the County electors to say whether the other four-fifths should have their political rights or not. If the opinion of the constituency was to determine the question of County representation, let the opinion of the County as a whole be taken, to determine the question by a majority. The form of issue now proposed was to settle the political representation of a large constituency for many years by the vote of only a portion. -However, as the Waverley electors were to be asked to say which way they would go, and as they were entitled to be consulted, it would be the best course for the Patea people to cordially appeal to their Waverley neighbors to join in obtaining separate representation for Patea County. He would mention another matter which the meeting had not considered. Mr Dale’s telegram stated also that the Hawera petition for a separate County was to go before the House, and it was desirable to have a public expression of opinion on the matter.

[No anion in opposition to that petition liar] Incn thought necessary hitherto, because the Government could not prudently begin to alter County boundaries, or they would have appeals from all parts of tha colony. If the Hawera district desired a new County for the purpose of local government, there need be no political objection to that, as they were entitled to the best local government they' could get; but this should not be at the expense of sacrificing the political rights of the Patea County just when separate representation had become possible. As a public vote on the Hawera petition was now thought necessary, it would be as well for that meeting to face the new danger by passing a resolution against sub-dividing the Count}’ area. (Hear, hear.) The motion for Count}’ representation was carried unanimously.