THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1924, 1 August 1889, Page 3

THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

The country members of the House of Kepresentatives have issued a manifesto stating that as they could not explain their, views m Parliament on the quota' question without aiding the stonewallers they determined to do so through the medium of the Press. The manifesto sets forth—)j.(X) shey are introducing a Bill which introduces absolutely nothing that is new,, but which endorses a principle that, throughout the whole past history of the colony and up to N»fie present hour, has been recognised without dissent. (2) That even the main detail of the Bill, namely, an advantage to the extent of 25 per cent, of population given to country districts, has also been the rule throughout the past history of the colony up to 1887. The Representation Act of 1881, for instance, deliberately made the quota for country districts less than the quota for town districts by as nearly as possible 25 per cent., " this being the actual language of an official paper then laid on the table of the House to explain the operation of the said Act." (3) This allowance to country districts made by the Act of 1881 was universally recognised in and out of Parliament as just and reasonable. Two general elections were held under that Act. (4) From this allowance no departure in principle has ever been made, but in 1887 the extent of the allowance j was curtailed to nominally 18 but purpose of the Bill embodying this curtailment was to equalise representation as between the North and South Islands. (5) The true democratic principle consists in a fair distribution of power and influence in representation in proportion to population. The contention of the town members involves a very wide and most disastrous departure from that principle, inasmuch as it is recognised throughout .the world that' large cities, with their facilities for instantaneous organisation, their powerful municipal institu- ■ tions, their influential newspapers, and the close community of interests that exists through all their sections, have a power and influence out of all proportion to their actual numbers. (6) This inequality is increased by the facilities which towns afford for the exercise of the plural vote. (7) Further, in every 10,000 of city population there are 2000 male adults, ; who, it will be admitted, from the bulk of the taxpayers. On the other hand there are 2000 of the same class in every 7000 of the remainder of the population ef the colony, so that, without taking into consideration any of the numerous political advantages cities enjoyed over the country, 10,000 of city population should, oa a taxation basis, have only the same

representation in Parliament as 7000 in the rest of the colony. This at once justifies 30 per cent, out of the 33| per cent, of the nominal deduction from city population claimed by the country party. Their claim is, therefore, not inly supported by the constitutional maxim that representation should accompany taxation, but also by the fact that the Gonstitution Act requires that the representation of the colony be based on the number of electors, and not on the total population. (8) The statement that; the concession to country districts would mean throwing the representation into the hands of large land-holders is festly absurd. In the past with 25 per cent, it has never produced that result. "Why then should it do so now? (9) Sir George Grey in 1879 introduced and endeavored to carry a Bill conceding to country districts an advantage of 25 per cent. (10) The activity of the cities at the present time is an example of their power of swift organisation and; influence.

In view of all these facts the country members would regard it as a betrayal of their trust were they to recede from a position based upon justice and aiming at practical equality

of representative power.