Sketch Plan or Reform in the Representative System of New Zealand.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 242, 18 February 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

Sketch Plan or Reform in the Representative System of New Zealand.

[By Dr, Kilqour.]

1. The colony to be divided for the present into two electorates, viz., the Middle and North Islands of New Zealand. 2. The number of representatives tor the <solony to be 90, viz,, 60 for the House of Representatives and 30 for the Legislative Council, each electorate to send 30 members (to the Lower House and 15 members to the Upper Chamber. - 3. No person , to be eligible! to either Chamber unless he be an elector pf the electorate for which he stands, and no woman tto be eligible to either branch of the Legislature. 4. The time for which a member of the House of Representatives may be elected at .any general election to be four years, and the time for which a member of the Legislative Council may be elected at any general -election to be ten years. 5. The duration of the Legislative Council to be ten years, that of the House of Representatives to be four years, but liable •to be dissolved by the Governor prior to the expiration of that period. 6. The members of the House of Representatives to be paid £100 for each session of Parliament attended by them, the members of the Legislative Council to be paid £50 for each session of Parliament attended by them. 7. The finances of the colony to be under the control of the two Chambers, that in to say, that money bills are to be treated like other subjects of legislation, requiring the assent of both Houses of Parliament. In •order to facilitate agreement between the two Houses upon this subject, a joint committee of recommendation may be formed. 8. Every elector shall have the right to vote for 30 members of the Lower Houso, -and for 15 members of the- Council. 9. Electors may be of either sex, but each elector must be of the age of 21 years, must be able to read and write, and must have .resided twelvemonths in the registration idistrict in which ho claims to be registered before being so. 10. No perfcon can be registered as an •elector of New Zealand who is supported by public charity, who, within three years from the date of his claim for registration, has served a sentence for (a) robbery with violence, (b) breaking and entering, (c) burglary, (d) highw ay robbery, (c) assault I *pon a girl of tender years, (f) bestiality, (S) perjury, (h) forgery, (i) personation at -elections, (j) fraudulent bankruptcy, (k) breach of trust as trustee of any estate, .guardian of minors, custodian of public moneys, (1) embezzlement, (m) infraction of faming lawe, (n) public prostitution, (o) abitual drunkenness, and upon a conviction for any of the above-named offences the name of the convicted person to be -struck off the electoral roll by the election officer. 11. No elector to be registered on more than one registration district, but any elector may vote in any registration district of the same electorate other than his own by procuring a certificate from the election •officer of his registration district, stating particulars of his qualification, which, being presented at any polling place in the electorate, will entitle the holder to vote there, •after identification— said certificate to be then given up to presiding officer for verification ; transference from the roll of one ■registration district to that of another in the same electorate to be effected by a •similar certificate subject to verification. 12. There shall be appointed a returning ■officer for each electorate, whose duty it shall be to publish the date of elections, the ■time of closing for registration of claims, the date of homing revision courts, to receive the returns from the registration districts, and determine according to section 15, the members returned to make a declaration thereof, and to communicate the same to the election officers in order for publication. In order to give confidence in the enumeration •and consequent authenticity of return, one agent of each candidate may be present •during the enumeration of the votes carried out under direction of the returning officer. 13. Each electorate shall be divided into 30 registration districts, which shall also be voting districts to each of which shall be appointed an election officer, whose duty it> shall be to register (place on tho electoral roll), to object to, and to remove from the roll all names which should be placed on the roll, or objected to, or removed therefrom j to make all arrangements for carrying out elections in his district, to preside at the chief polling place thereof, and to transmit the returns from his district to the returning officer of the electorate. 14. In each electorate shall be constituted a chief polling place, to vrhieh the returns from each registration district shall be sent for enumeration by the returning officer of the electorate. 15. The mode of ascertaining the members elected at any election shall be to find out the names of those to whom a sufficient number of votes has been given, such number being that of the whole of the votes recorded at any election divided by the number of members to be returned, the enumeration to be made by adding the (superfluous votes of him who has received the largest number to the votes of him who has received the Becond largest number of votes, the superfluous votes of the second on the list *to those of the third, and so on, until it shall be necessary to apply the votes given to the candidates lowest on the poll, who have no chance of election, to those of the candidate or candidates, next in number to the last member elected, beginning at the lowest number on the poll, and going upwards until the whole^number'of votes cast shall have been exhausted, and the necesr sary number of members chosen. ' 16. The declaration of the poll shall be made at the principal polling place of the electorate by the returning officer, who shall thereupon wire the same to the election officers for publication. 17. The offices for registration of electors ahall be open daily at all times during office fcours except during the time required to revise, make up, and publish the rolls prior ■t* elections*

18. The electorate roll for each registration district to be made up on the dissolution of the House of Representatives by eftluxion of time or at the expiration of four years, as the case may be ; but no roll shall remain in existence for more than four years, the compilation of the roll to be completed in six weeks, and when signed to be exhibited for three weeks. 19. A court for the revision of the electoral rolia shall be held prior to every election by the Resident Magistrate, who shall be ex officio revising officer of the registration district in which he resides, and if in any registration district there be no Resident Magistrate, then a revising officer to be appointed by the returning officer of the electorate. 20. The correction of the electoral rolls by the addition to or subtraction from them of names to be performed^by the election officers, who in cases of dispute as to competency of claim, identity of person, or any other cause, may refer the matter for the decision of the revising officer. 21. For the purpose of compiling new rolls or correcting rolls already existing, tho offices of registration shall be closed for seven days prior to the holding of any court of revision. 22. After the rolls have been revised by the court of revision they shall bo signed by the revising officer, after which signature no new namea shall be added, nor any alteration of any kind made before the ensuing election, but the revised rolls shall be open for inspection for three days prior to the election.— Auckland Star.