HARE'S SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATTON.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4578, 6 September 1883, Page 2

HARE'S SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATTON.

(To the Editor of the Kvening Star.)

Sib,—l am a member of the Mutual Improvement Association, and was present last Monday evening when the Parliamentary discussion came on upon the above subject. I listened attentively to the speech of the Premier, and to the discussion which followed, the leader of the Opposition breaking the ice. But I must confess I could gather nothing that would prove to be much better than the present system of election of members of the House of Representatives, but I thought I saw something ia Hare's sys' tern that would certainly prove to be infinitely worse. It was this: Hare's system altogether destroys all responsibility in any of the members elected to those who elect them. Constituencies or localitities are nowhere, so' responsibility is cone entirely. The members therefore elected could and would no doubt all say and do just what they pleased, no one daring to say them nay. Now, sir, I find in society generally that there is an acknowledged principle of responsibility or accountability. The husband is responsible to his wife, and the wife to her husband; the children also are responsible to their parents, or they ought to be; this, I think will be acknowledged, is a very reasonable responsibility. Then, again, the debtor is responsible to his creditor, and so is the creditor to his, debtor, to I supply him with goods in a merchantable I condition; likewise the servant is respoaa sible to his master, and vice versa, and so I might proceed in this new line ad infinitum. Our responsibility to one another is a marked feature in human life; break this up and human affairs would become unworkable and impossible—in fact confusion, chaos. Once destroy the responsibility of members to -their constituents and what follows ? Why arrogance, insolence, and intolerance. This would very soon take the place of the fawning hypocrisy now so often witnessed under the present, certainly not very perfect, system of election and representation. Which, how;e?er, would be the worse of the two systems ? It is not difficult to see through a thorough hypocrite, not difficult to denounce and reject him, but when the arrogant, the insolent, and the intolerant become the masters—well, then fighting and bloodshed are not far off. Democracy, it appears to me, is fast degenerating into downright absolutism; the old adage "Extremes meet" will bo a manifest fact ere long. Indeed, if I mistake not they have already met in an alliance of France with Russia, which, will bring about tremendous results in tho old world, perhaps before many months are over our heads. Things look very dicky just now among the crowned heads of Europe and Asia. We have a democratic constitution in New Zealand, but it seems to me that nothing would so much please our present iniquitous ministry aud their I supporters as absolute power to do just as they please without let or hindrance, not accountable to any one. Hare's system of representation therefore would suit them to a tittle. Few people understand! the nature of this system, so I should like to see a rattling paper contioversy on the question, and as your paper circulates among the labouring classes, those most concerned in any change, I have chosen it as the-medium of such controversy, of course with your permission* —I am, &c,

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