The Waipawa Mail WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1878.

Waipawa Mail, Volume I, Issue 10, 16 October 1878, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1878.

The Electoral Bill is now being discussed in the Legislative Council, and lias met with a better reception than might have been expected in the Conservative branch of the Legislature. It is true that it was not anticipated that the Council would reject the Bill; but that it would be passed with an expression of dissatisfaction. However, with the exception of the clause relating to the Maori dual vote, the majority of the speakers have expressed themselves favorable to the main provisions of the Bill, and the second reading has been carried by twenty-five votes to eleven. How far the Electoral Bill will extend the present .suffrage is a matter not easily calculated. The Hon. Hr. Pollen addressed himself to this part of the subject. He pointed out that out of 110,000 males in the colony who would be entitled to vote under the most extended form of manhood suffrage 92,000 possessed the franchise under the existing law. If such is the case, there is little likelihood of there beinoany substantial addition to the electoral rolls of the colony through the passage of the Bill now before Parliament. It must not be overlooked that the residential qualification required by the Ministerial Bill will debar many from being plaeed on the rolls who would be entitled to the franchise if the existing law remained in force. However, men of all shades of opinion are pretty well agreed that a residential qualification is a salutary provision ; and, accepting Dr. Pollen’s statement that there will be no actual increase in the number of electors, the question resolves itself into whether those who will be admitted to the rolls under the new Bill will be more fit to exercise the franchise than those who will be debarred through not possessing the necessary residential qualification. There is a large migratory population in this colony, who are loafers in no Bense of the word, but who, to earn a livelihood for j

Ithemselves and families, or to better Itheir condition, are obliged to move ■from one part of the colony to lanother. It is an apparent injustice Ito deprive these men of a voice in the making of the laws under which they [live; but, nevertheless, it is wise, in [view of the large migratory class of a IdifEerent stamp—a class of men who twill follow no settled occupation, no knatter what the inducements may be. lAgain, in all the large towns of the Icolony there is a considerable number lof persons who in all essentials come ■under the designation of loafers. For Ino consideration could those men be I induced to go into the country. I Tinder the existing law, many of them lhave votes, but a greater number of Ithem have none. If the new Bill beIcomes law, almost every individual of ■the class alluded to will be entitled to lhave his name placed on the electoral poll. If the principle is accepted that ■taxation and representation should go ■together, it may be wrong to prevent lany exercising the franchise; Ibut then that principle has not yet Ibeen accepted in its entirety in any ■country on the face of the earth. ■However, it is gratifying to feel that Ithe ignorant and the loafing classes in IN ew Zealand are not large in proportion to population, and that their in•fluence upon legislation will be exceedingly small. It must not be overlooked that there are a considerable number of highly intelligent men debarred from the franchise under the existing law. A man may be in good circumstances, and neither be a householder, freeholder, nor leaseholder, and except he is one or the other he cannot have his name placed on the roll. As for the lodgers franchise it is a mere dead letter. The Electoral Bill will enable the majority of those to be placed on the rolls, and they will doubtless neutralise the ill effects of admitting the obnoxious class to which we have alluded on the rolls. It may be safely anticipated that the Electoral Bill will make little difference in the character of the electorates—especially in the rural districts. It will not be till the next rolls are made up that one will be possessed of actual knowledge as to whether the franchise has been widened or not by the Ministerial proposals, which are now in a fair way of becoming law. We are glad to see that the clause conferring a double vote on the Maoris has been severely commented upon in the Dpper House, and if we are to judge by the opinions of those who have already spoken on the question there is every prospect of the clause being expunged. With the exception of the Colonial Secretary, no man of mark had a good word to say in favor of the dual vote. However, there is no telling of how the voting will go till after the division. The Opposition appear to be certain of victory; but Ministers are working hard to secure the passage of the clause. The Hon. Dr Pollen was particularly severe on this portion of the Bill. He said : —“ Past experience showed that the Maori vote could be sold, usually for rum. There was a gentleman at the Bay of Islands honored with the regard of the Premier, an aspirant for Parliamentary honors, but with no chance of gettiug into the elective House, whatever he in Id it have in another place, who had placed a number of natives on the roll, on the strength of their tribal rights, which was illegal. A number of natives had been made electors by the forgery of their names.” Colonel Wiirniopj; accused Dr. Pollen of stating that which had been proved not to be fact. However, whether the statement of Dr. Pollen was fact or fiction, if the clause passes the Legislative Council, the manipulation” of the Maori vote will be a stern reality in the future.