The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 276, 29 September 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1879.

During the last session of the sixth Parliament of New Zealand a Bill was introduced by the. Premier "to make provision for the representation of the people in the General. Assembly." The Chronicle presumes that a Bill substantially the same will be introduced during the current session, and gives the following outline of the Bill in qu es . tion:—lt provides that the duration of Parliaments shall be limited to three years. For re-distributing the seats it provides that " there shall be a Board, consisting of the persons from time to time holding the following offices: The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Colonial Secretary, the Chairman of Committees of the said House, the Comptroller and the Auditor-Gene-ral, and the Registrar-General. Such Board shall be called " the Representation Board," and any three of such persons shall form a quorum, and may exercise all functions vested in the Board, which is hereinafter referred to as the Board. Within three months after the end of the present session of Parliament, and within three months after the taking of every census under any law for the time being in force, the Board shall divide the colony into the same number of electoral districts by the number of members to be elected, exclusive of Maori members. The districts shall, as far as practicable, be so arranged that only one member shall be elected for each district. In the exercise of its functions the Board shall be guided by the following provisions: Electoral districts shall be of two classes, country districts and town districts. Every borough having a population of over six thousand five hundred shall either form one town district or be divided into two or more country districts. Where the population of a borough is less than six thousand five hundred souls it may be included in a country district, or with one or more contiguous boroughs. The remainder of the population of the colony shall be divided into country districts. The total number of members to be elected for country districts shall bear to the aggregate population of such districts a proportion exceeding by, as near as possible, twenty-five per cent, the proportion borne by the total number of members to be elected for town districts to the aggregate population of town districts. The Board shall divide the aggregate population of the country districts by the total number of members to be elected for such districts, and the result so obtained shall be called "the normal number for country districts." It shall similarly divide the aggregate population of the town districts by the total number of members to be elected for such districts, and the result so obtained shall be called «the normal number for town districts." The division of the colony into electoral districts shall be effected in such manner that each country district shall contain a population as nearly as possible equal to the normal number for country districts, and that each town district shall contain a population as nearly as possible equal to the normal number for town districts. The Board may carry out the division of the colony into districts in such manner as it thinks fit, having regard to the provisions of this Act; and the division into districts made by it shall be final. The ceusus last taken before the Board makes such division shall be sufficient evidence as to the population of the colony or a district, but the Board may take such other evidence as it thinks reliable.