ONE MAN ONE VOTE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 430, 21 December 1889, Page 5

ONE MAN ONE VOTE.

The new clause moved by Sir George Grey on the sth August last, to be inserted in the Representation Bill, and which wag carried on a division of 55 to 18 votes, runs as follows :—": — " From and after the passing of thi3 Act, no olector shall at any election of members for the House ot Representatives vote in respect of more than one electorate, and any person voting in re3{)ec6 of more than one electorate &hall bo guilty of an offence under the Act." And in this simple manner the perfecting of our elec tonil system on clear democratic lines was accomplished. We have scanned Hansard to discover the debate which of necessity took place on this important occasion, but only the bald resolution is given, with the members' names who voted for or against the resoliijion. This is duo to the fact that during the stonewalling which took place on the Bill, the ropoiters were excludod. We think the exclusion was unfortunate, for embodying as the clause did a highly important democratic principle, and finishing and making complete as it did our now perfect elcctoial system, it would have been well if the utterances of those who spoke as well as the names of those who voted had been handed down to posterity, for those gentlemen then and at that time were establishing a principle not adopted in any other English-speaking country. There was notmuch comment made by the press in New Zealand at the passing of this clauso by which plural voting was for ever abolished, and its full importance does not appear to have been thoroughly lecognised. The general opinion appeared to bo that it was a matter of no particular importance, and some went so far as to assort that tho result of establi-hing and legalising this> great Liberal principle would recoil upon the heads of those who advocated it, and thatitwas really detrimental to the interests of the working classes The London "Star" has an article on this question, in which it highly praises and congratulates this colony for being tho first portion of the British dominions to legislatively adopt "the great democratic principle ot ono man one vote," and it gives all honour to Sir George Grey for his determination "to insert this keystone in the democratic arch of (heater Britain," though it entailed yeais of labour and much bitter hostilicy. No one imagined that the clause passed by the House of Representathes would ever get through the Council. Again and again the principle involved has been endorsed by the House, only to bo thrown out higher up, and the Conservative members of the House of Representatives, in deference to the wishes of their constituents, could always support the passage of this moa&ure with porfect equanimity, feeling satisfied the miserable radical bantling would be quietly suuffed out in "another place." But the triumph, though long delaj'ed, was at last secured, and New Zealand has tho honour of leading the nations in laying down the broad principle which must sooner or later obtain recognition by every enlightened State, that human beings, not land or houses or bullion, is the thing represented in tho selection of the representatives of the people, whatover \ie\v we may take of the utility or proper constitution of that second chamber which so effectually represents property inteiests under our Constitution.