The Southland Times. FRODAU. AUGUST 12 1870.

Southland Times, Issue 1292, 12 August 1870, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRODAU. AUGUST 12 1870.

The advantages to Southland of re-annex-ation to Otago already begin to flow in, and tbe first is the reduction of our weight in the House of Assembly by a half. Before tbe bill for reunion had even passed the House,_rti^dkauctiiasJaaes- ,-\ ;„ i .<■ i uir-TTr^Ttff representatives. On what principle, or by whom, the reduction has been effected, it is difficult to ascertain, but the facts, so far as yet known, appear to be that the total number of representatives of the colony remains as at present, but that two have been taken from Southland in order that an additional member each might be given to Auckland and Westland. Becognising the necessity of some, alteration in electoral boundaries, to meet the changes, which have occurred in the location * of . population" since the last amendment, the Government, through its head,'Mr Fox, moved, on the 28th ult., tbe following resolutions . — " (1.) That it is expedient that the boundaries of the electoral districts should be readjusted, and fresh provision made for the representation thereof. (2.) That within each province and the County of Westland, the number of members to be returned should be m follows : — Auckland 15, Hawke's Bay 2,' Taranaki 3, Wellington 9, Marlborough 2,- Itfelson (including Cheviot) BrCanterbury 12, Southland 4, and Westland 2."" In the course of the speech with which he introduced the resolutions, the hon. member said, speaking of the difficulties in the way of fixing she principle on which the representation thould be based : — It is. from a consideration of this sort that the Government, has been induced to propose to this House a solution which does not, in any way whatever, alter for the present -the number of representatives sent from each Province. It has been the fashion of certain honorable members to assume that every measure brought forward by the Government has for its object the undermining of. provincial institutions. I think it will be apparent, on the face of this measure, that its object is nothing of the kind. We have based our representation upon provincial representa : ; ___*wr- r -'«^fa*«o-eni3*Mvarea-to asßeas~that which *we conceive a fair proportion of members, not in each district, but in each Province, as it has always been; and I believe that it is, on the , whole, the fairest system wbich any House can possibly adopt. "~ <#.#.» # * # # # Another view I may allude to is this, that the Government felt that the representation having been conferred upon any particular Province or district, it could not, I will not say justly, but as a matter of fact, be withdrawn from tbem. It is stated tbat there are two notorious instances where the Provinces are over-represented — Taranaki and Wellington; but I do not think the House is prepared to take away from any of the Provinces any of their members; at all events, the Government do not think it is a wise thing to propose, and has not done so. From these quotations it would appear that the Government saw no necessity for disturbing what we may term the balance of power between the divisions of the Colony, while admitting the expediency of equalising the representation within those limits. Mr Fox, however, proposed to take the re-arrangement out of the hands of the House, and leave it to " those who are best acquainted with the particular circumstances of the particular districts, to endeavor to frame the representation in the fairest possible

manner," and moved at the same time the appointment of Meters W. Wood, Webster, Macandrew, Eeynolds, Driver, Bolleston, Studholme, Stafford, Curtis, Parker, Eyes, Harrison, Kynnersley, Taylor, Bunny, Ormond, Carrington, Williamson, Gillies, and Earmer, as a committee for tliat purpose. On the first iof these resolutions, however, Mr Gillies, of Auckland, moved an amendment in effect substituting the -words "representation of the Colony" for " boundaries of the electoral districts," thus throwing open the whole question. On the second resolution Mr Gillies also proposed an amendment as follows : — That as between the several political divisions of the Colony— that is, what are commonly called the Provinces and the County of Westland — representation, not exceeding the present number of members of the House, ought, as nearly as possible, to be based upon population. i The hon. gentleman very ably supported both amendments, and had the satisfaction of seeing the first accepted by the | Government. In speaking to his second amendment, he very forcibly advocated the principle of making population the basis of representation, while at the same time admitting that principle to be modified by other considerations, such as taxation, fixity of population,, &c. This amendment, telegrams inform us, the Government opposed, and it waa ultimately rejected by 43 to 17. Following that we have information that the resolutions have been carried with the alterations nbove alluded to. Unless subsequent intelligence contradicts what we have already stated, the people of this province, have suffered a gross injustice, for on all the principles on which representation is said to rest, Southland is entitled to at least 3 members — on population, taxation, and property. It ia therefore unfortunate for us that Mr Gillies's second amendment should have been rejected. The following: table, compiled by the Nelson Examiner, I will show the state of tbe case at a glance : — Nobth Tslxsd. Provinces. Population. Members, pj^jatfon. Auckland ... 62,000 15 Ito 4.133 Taranaki ... 4,800 3 Ito 1,600 Wellington ... 25,000 9 Ito 2,277 Hawke's Bay ... 6,000 2 Ito 3.000 Totals ... 97,800 29 Ito 3,370 Maori members ... ... 3 32 South Iblaxd. Nelson 24,000 8 Ito 3,000 j Marlborough ... 4,-700 2 Ito 2,350 ] Westland ... 13,500 2 Ito 6,750 j Canterbury ... 40,000 12 Ito 3,333! Otego & South- | 7o;ooo w lio 4 118 land ■) j Totals ... 152,200 41 Ito 3,700 j Maori member 1 • '■.«..* ' \ In defending Taranaki as an over-repre-sented district, the hon. the Colonial Treasurer used arguments whicb he might have with equal justice and truth applied to Southland, and it is extremely difficult to understand how, in the face of such championship of small and depressed provinces, Southland alone should have been despoiled. Mr Yogel said :r=z. -— j j,, TrTTtirm-j pnnpln thorn are in Taranaki, or how much cultivated land there iB in that Province, but if we look on TaranaM as a part of the Colony, it -is not unreasonable that it should have one-fifth of the representation that Auckland has. I take that as an extreme case, because if any Province is over-represented in proportion to its population, it is the Province of Taranaki ; and that Province is always cited as the favorite example if any member wishes to ghOw .the working of bur electoral systems I Bhould think it -would be very unjust to take away one member from Taranaki, simply because its population is, 1 for a time, under peculiar circumstances, diminished. It is one of the oldest Provinces in the Colony, and at some future period, when the present causes of depression have passed away, it will be capable of carrying an enormous population. Still, it would be unjust to take away a member from it, although I admit that the representation is large.