THE REPRESENTATION COMMISSION. Their Report to the Governor. Wellington, July 13.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 211, 16 July 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE REPRESENTATION COMMISSION. Their Report to the Governor. Wellington, July 13.

Ti,r following is a copy of the repoxt of Lhc Representation Commissioners, which wa^ forwarded by the Commissioners to the Governor, with the description of the ikw boundaiies :— " May it please your Excellency, — We, the undersigned, appointed by a Commission buaiing date the Bth day of June, 18S7, under the hand of the Governor, and sealed w ith the .seal of tlie colony, for the purposes >n tJie Representation Act, 18S7, do respectfully submit for your Excellency's con--ideration our report as follows : The in -L question we had to determine was v> hut, lor the purposes of the Representation Ali, 1867, was to bo considered the actual population of the colony, and acting under legal advice, we resolved that ' the total number taken at ihe ceiwis of the 28th March, ISSG, must be adopted, but that the persons returned as on boai d .ship or residing in the Chatham L-landa should not be placed in any electoral district. Having been furnished with n col tilled copy of "the census returns by the Ro-i-trar-General, we found that tho total population of the colony was 578,482. Of thc-e 205,540 poisons weie residing in thirty boroughs, each containing over •2.000 inhabitants ; 4,720 were on boaid rhip, and 199 at the Chatham Islands, leaving 0G5,012 residing in special districts. Adding 18 per cent, to these, we obtained a total nominal population for the purpose" of tho Act of 644,725, and dividing this by 01 (the number of Representatives) we armed at 7,083 as the quota for each elect'.ial di^tiict. We found the total nominal pomtlatijn of the North Island to be 277,453, and of tho Middle Island 307,272, entitling the former to 39 and the latter to 52 membeis respectively. We then proceeded to arrange the district-, taking into consideration, so far as the limits ot the population permitted, community of interest, facilities for communication, topographical features, and the ratio of adult males and females, and divided the colony into the following electorates : — Koi th Inland electorate : Bay of Islands, population actual, 5,378 — nominal, 0,34b' ; 3L'i-den actual, 5,581 — nominal, G,555 ; Rodney actual, S,GG8 — nominal, 6,687 ; Waitfinata actual, G,96G— nominal 7,700 ; AuovLmd Central actual, 7,626— nominal, 7.620; do. Xorth actual, 7,622— nominal, 7,622, do. West actual, 7,260 — nominal, 7.2w0 : do. Ponsonby actual, 7,B32— nominal, 7.S.°>2;Xe\\ ton actual, o,3lB - nominal,6,3lS; Painell actual, 7,572 — nominal, 7,715 ; Edi-n actual, 0,565 — nominal, 7,740; Manukcu actual, 7,os9— nominal, 7,814 ; Franklin 2sorth actual, 0,110 — nominal, 7,217 ; Fianklin South actual, 6,412 — nominal, 7,500; Coromandel actual, 5,544 — nominal 0,5*2; Thames actual, 6.746 -nominal, 7,159; Waikato actual, 5,395 — nominal, 0,306; Waipa actual, s,sl6— nominal, 0,504 ; Tauranga actual, s,392— nominal, (j.31/2 ; Ea-t Coast actual, 6,056 — nominal, 0,751. ' ' The report gives the figures for Southern di-cricU. ' ' We attach to this report seven maps, •-.'no-wing the several electoral distiicts, and a schedule containing a detailed description of their boundaries. We acknowledge and think it right to record the important a-- l-tance we have received from the Surv< yoi Gcneial and his Department, and v. ithout his personal knowledge of almost l\ cry part or the colony, his indefatigable indu-tiy, his ability and energy, and his ]iiv\iou» preparation of maps showing the population in every census sub-enum-erator » district, we feel that we could not --ati-factorily have completed the task remitted by the Representation Act. Given under our hands and seals this fourth day of July, ISS7." (Here follow the eignatures of the Commissioners.