The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3965, 13 September 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1881.

" Nothing- succeeds like success," is a well worn saying, and it would appear as if Mr Hall and his colleagues were quite aware of its significance, for not content with the victory over the Opposition which resulted in the . passing of the Representation Bill, they are making another attempt to furlherthe interests of the wealthy, to trample upon the right of the poor, and to defeat the Liberal party, in the Bill to extend the franchise to leaseholders. We cannot characterise the proposal of the Premier in introducing the Leaseholders' Qualification Bill as anything but a monstrous abuse of the power secured to him by his large majority, and we find with pleasure that sufficient men were found in the House last night to follow Sir George Grey into the lobby on his motion to limit the number of rotes to two, which any man should be able to record at any one election for members of the House of Representatives. The majority was certainly a small one, btit. the result of the vote has been a repulse to the Government, and as such cannot fail having a beneficial effect upon future actions. An overwhelming majority is ah evil, and frequently leads statesmen to force upon a legislature or a country measures which if fairly and temperately considered would have appeared in different dresses. Surely the franchise is wide enough, quite too wide in our opinion, when it enables the rich man to secure as many votes as he secures freeholds in different electorates; but not content with such a power, the Government attempted to save the wealthy man even the trouble of buying freeholds, by allowing him to rote upon leaseholds : such is the object of the new bill debated last night. It is unnecessary for us to point out how such a power could be abused ; how faggot rotes could be manufactured.; whole electorates be manipulated, and placed at the mercy of a few rich, but, unscrupilous] men. There is no necessity for such an,extension of the franchise, for^tlie residential qualification, which may be called manhood suffrage; secures /or every man a vote in his electorate, and if property is thought deserving of representation, make the Upper House elective, and allow property-holders only to vote for the members of it. We are not so illiberal as to . denjt^jthat property has claims for recQ^nitiooia^feg^jg^slatureof the colony, M it does not follow that it should''beT o^er-represented, which would be the case if the present Government were avowed to carry out their latest pros' «.