THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 133, 13 March 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1872.

Au persons desirous of having their names placed on the Electoral IJoil must send in their applications to the Returning Officer before the end of the present month, and it will he well to bear in mind one fact in connection with this subject to which we briefly called attention in a recent issue. The Returning Officer for the Electoral District of the Thames resides atCoromandel, and has no office here. This is certainly an inconvenient arrangement, as hv far the larger portion of the electors reside at the Thames,and Major Kcddoll should have a deputy here who could receive applications. Bad, however, as the present arrangement is, it is no worse than it was before, when the returning officer lived at Onclmnga. It certainly seems an odd thing that when that official resigned, some person resident at Grahamstown, Shortland, or in the immediate neighbourhood, was not appointed in his place, instead of the Coromandel Warden. As however, it is too late just now to remedy the evil, all who desire to be registered will do well to send in their application filled up in the proper form and duly witnessed, as soon as possible, addressed to J. Kcddell, Esq., Returning Officer, Coromandel. By de- j ferring this until the last moment it may happen that the letters do not reach Coromandel in time. They must be in the hands of the ReturningOfficcr on or before the last day of this month, which this year falls on Easter Sunday. To prevent any mistake letters should he posted here not later than the Thursday previous, and if before that so much the better. There is no reason why anyone qualified and desirous to vote should delay at all in the matter. The returning officer himself tells us that letters addressed as above, and marked

“ On Her Majesty’s .Sgrv ice Only,” will go post free; therefore/if any qualified elector not already on the roll remains without a vote for another twelve months, it will not be from want of having his attention called to the subject. It is ,-probable that before another year expires another election will take place, and no one should from apathy or carelessness omit to sei.d in his name. People in the old country arc still agitating for extension of the electoral franchise, vote by ballot, and so forth. Here we have what is practically almost universal suffrage and vote by ballot, although the . New Zealand ballot is not altogether the genuine article it is in some of the neighbouring colonies, where it is impossible to trace how a man has voted. Nevertheless, it is a great step towards secret voting, and is a privilege which should be estimated accordingly. Many residents here probably are only temporarily so. and therefore do not attach the value to a vote which they would do were this their permanent home. It is so in all digging continuities—probably less so here than in many other goldfields: but be this as it may, they ought to exercise all the rights of citizenship which the Legislature confers upon them. Indeed, the possession of a franchise is a trust to bo exercised for the benefit of the nonelectors as well as of the voters. The increasing importance of Coromandel will tend to create a considerable increase iu the number on the roll for that portion of the district, and in the event of an election, it is likely that Coromandel would again turn the scale, as it did before; but this we look upon as an additional reason why every qualified resident here ought to take care to have his name registered as an elector, during the present month. The Thames is a most important district. It is so far very inadequately represented in the Legislature, having but one representative in the General Assembly, which is certainly little enough, contrasted with the number returned for Auckland city, from which we think one might very well be spared and given to the Thames, especially if Coromandel is to remain included within the limits of the electoral area. Of this, however, wc may have more to say on a future occasion; our present object is to call attention to the desirability of no time being lost in having the names of all qualified persons, not already enrolled, sent iu to the the lieturning Officer immediately.