WEST COAST TIMES. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1805.

West Coast Times, Issue 66, 4 November 1865, Page 2

WEST COAST TIMES. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1805.

The boon of " Representation " in tho Provincial Council of Canterbury, so grudgingly granted to the West Coast Electors, will surely bo rejected with scorn by the people of this district, now that the degrading, and most insulting conditions upon which it has been offered are made known at the last hour. Formal intimation has been given that nothing less than a gross political fraud was designed and has been practiced upon the Hokitika settlers. It may be assumed that tho interpretation of the law which has been furnished to tho Returning Officer is strictly correct, and that no ono is entitled to sit in the Council whoso namo is not on tho " Electoral Roll " of tho province. But the provisions of the law in this respect must have beon perfectly familiar to thoso who proposed m the General Assembly to give representation to tho miners and holders of business licenses on the West Coast, as a distinct political section of the community, exercising a special privilege, and possessing political rights not in any way affected by the " Roll." What is « representation," in the only legitimate and rational sense of which tho term is susceptible ? It is of its essence, that the class represented shall have men of their own order, chosen from amongst their own number, to bo their spokesmen and tho guardians of their interests in tho Administrative Council of tho State. That was tho old Constitutional system of tho Mother Country ; and, although for a timo its action was suspended by the operation of partial reforms which failed to move all parts of tho machinery onward simultaneously, tho old landmarks of tho Constitution have now been restored. Tho system of ono qualification for tho elector and another for tho elected has been destroyed ; and largely as tho suffrage has been oxtondocl in Groat Britain there is not a man entiled to voto at tho polling booth who may not equally claim tho right of sitting in tho llouso of Commons, provided ho possesses tho confidonco of a sufficient number of his fellow-citizens to return him there. Throughout tho Australian colonies this principio has been ombodiccl in tho Constitutions, with only ono partial and temporary exception in tho case of Victoria. Tho doors of tho legislature aro open to all avlio aro entitled to vote. Tho " mombcr" is a man chosen by tho people from amongst themselves, and ho is thus really thoir " representative." Such is tho true and natural moaning of tho term. Wero it othorwiso, tho people, instead of having tho right of choosing representatives of thoir opinions and interests, would possoss only tho very dubious privilogo of nominating agents. Not merely in Australia, but in Now Zealand itself, tho goneral priuciplo is recognised that all qualified voters shall bo eligible to sit in the Legislature, both General and Provincial. Wo havo on a

former occasion quoted tho clauso of tho Act bearing on tho qualification of members, which declares brielly that any person within any province, legally qualified and "duly registered" as an elector, shall bo qualified to be elected. Did it never occur to thoso most kind and considerate friends of the West Coast, at whoso instance tho right of sonding additional members to tho Christchurch parliament has been conferred, that electoral registration is not an incident of the electoral right in the caso of miners aud licensees, and that, therefore, unless somo special provision wero mado to amend this anomaly, the West Coast electors would bo deprived of tho very essence of representation ; that thoy would bo driven to chooso their members from the old Canterbury roll, and that thus tho boon bestowed on them with so much flourish of trumpets and so many expressions of affection, would amount to nothing but a delusion and a snaro ? It is idlo to say that tho anomaly could not havo been corrected and a bona fido representation given to tho West Coast, had there been an honest mind to do so. It was competent to tho'same power that claimed and exorcised the right to amend and oven to repeal tho now Provinces Act, and that created a now electoral district and added two now members to the Provincial Council of Canterbury, to make legislative provision by which tho enfranchised miners and licensees might either havo boon included in a supplementary " electoral roll," or entitled to choose for their representatives any men possessing tho same electoral right as themselves. This net of manifest justice wns left undone ; and now, tho people, instead of being summoned to tho dischargoof a great political duty, and tho exercise of ono of tho proudest privileges of Englishmen, aro called upon to take part in a solemn farce !

For a farce assuredly it will bo ! What does Hokitika want with two Canterbury members? What interost has it in swelling the number of petty statesmen who sit in solemn conclave at Christchurch ? Is there any ncccssai y or oven natural identity of interost between tho enterprising' settlors by whom tho wealth of this great district has been developed, and tho very men from whoso selfish and grasping policy they suffer daily, in tho clearness of food ; in tho neglect of public works; in tho want of roads penetrating into tho heart of tho auriferous country ; in tho diversion of tho natural revenues of the West Coast to the aggrandisement of distant interests ? No doubt thero aro men on tho old Canterbury roll disposed to]do us justice as far as they see how, and who who aro not altogether insensible of tho enormous advantages which the squatting and trading monopolists of Canterbury havo reaped from tho Western goldfields. It would bo strange indeed if thero were not somo, grateful for tho wealth that has been poured into their lap. But it is not this sort of mild sympathy and kindly but gontlo interest, that tho diggers of tho West Coast and tho merchants and traders of Hokitika require. They need tho services of men who understand their wants because they havo felt them, and "who will demand in loud tones tho redress of grievances thoir own experience of which has been bitter. It was to havo tho power of sonding such deputies to tho Council that tho people of this district demanded representation. It has been denied them. Tho thing offered in its stead is not worth tho picking up, It is worso than valueless. If wo accept tho gift it will givo us the reputation of being represented, whilst in reality wo nro not.

There is but ono policy thoreforo for the people to pursue. If they havo any self-respect, or any political earnestness, they will rcfuso to tho Roturnlng Officer tho opportunity of making any " return" upon his writ. In other words, lot thero bo no olection. If wo could dcpoml not only upon a 2 )or^ cc t unanimity of sentiment, but a perfect firmness of purposo and fidelity to engagement on this important occasion — wo would say, let tho wholo body of citizons stand aloof in dignified roscrvo, and tho Returning Oflicer havo tho field to himself, with no " sweet voices" to respond to his invitation. But tho crisis is ono to be dealt with in a practical spirit, and wo aro awaro that such couusol would bo perilous. It ia impossiblo in a larg-o community, enjoying unbounded freedom of individual action, to restrain ovory hand from mischief. But there aro courses open to thoso who feel how deeply they aro wronged ; and it will bo tho duty of tho popular loadors during the briof interval now allowed thorn, to determine what lino of action thoy will take in order that the political rights of the district may not be sacrificed. This day ought not to bo allowed to pass by without a full consideration of tho wholo subject, in ordor that on Monday tho crisis may bo mot in a spirit of prcparcclnoss. It is on such occasions that tho valuo of practical counsels is folt. Wo trust thoro aro men amongst us equal to tho omergoncy. If it should bo found impossiblo to avoid somo return being mado to tho writ, this must at least bo accompanied by such a formal demonstration of public fooling as will lot tho public and tho Government sco, that tho pcpplo as a body ropudiato this farce of an oloctiou — in which thoy aro allowed no freedom of choice, aud denied tho right of Bonding to tho Legislating members of thoir own body as thoir representatives.

Tho steamship Albion, is advorlsod to sail on Monday noxt, iho Oth instant, carrying tho English mails en routo for Molbourne. Tho Chiisty Minstrols gavo a very successful ontoitaininont to a crowded house, at the Corinthian Hal), )««t evening. Thoy will repeat

their performance to-night, and wo must defer a lengthened notice in consequence of tho lateness of tho hour at which tho entertainment closed, and the prosure on our space. Members of tho Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows, nro invited by advertisement to meet at Cone's Marino Hotel, at 'eigU o'clock, this evening, to take tho ncccssai y steps to form a lodge in Hokitika. , There was no business of any kind in the 'Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. Wo regret to say thafa very melancholy accu dont occurred on the wharf at about 1 o'clock yesterday morning, by which tho second engineer of the ateamor Star of tho South lost his life. Tlio unfortunato deceased was named William M'Crac, was 21 yours of ago, and was a native of Liverpool. Tho t^tar of tho South arrived in harbour on Thursday morning, and tho deceased spent tho evening on shoro in company with a fiiend, tho chief engineer of the Wonga Wonga. After that, tho latter invited M'Crao on board tho Wonga, and it was on his quitting this steamer, which lay somo four foot from the wharf, and attempting to step on shore on his) way to his own vessel, that tho unfortunate man missed his footing and fell into tho rtvor. A life-buoy was immediately thrown to his asststanco, but nothing could bo seen of him, and it is supposed that ho was swept away by tho current, which was running very rapidly at the time. No traces of tho body havo been discovered. Tho Gothenburg has brought from Melbourne a- largo troupe of performers in various of tho arts that minster to tho amusomont of communities not nblo to command regular theatrical entertainments. Mr Stevens' company comprises Mr and Mrs Pablo Franque, old favorites of tho Australian circus. Mr Raynor (also a name well remembored) and other negro melodists,and sovoral very accomplished trape/.isls and gymnasts and other artistes. Wo believe they aro, ono all, exceedingly clevt-r in their sevoral Hues, and tho variety of tho entertainment they are about to ofl'or will constitute an additional element of attraction. Thoy annouueo their first appearance for this evening.