The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 778, 18 February 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1871.

The -general election, now nearly ended, has served to bring prominently forward the fact that numbers, who might have availed themselves of the privilege of exercising the franchise had they taken the precaution to put forward a claim to be placed on the electoral roll, have omitted to take the necessary steps, and, as a consequer.ee, they have been unable to vote during the past election. We would remind the public,.and, more especially, those .who, during the last month, must have t regretted the fact that they were not on the roll, although possessing the necessary qualification, that the time is fast slipping away during which they send in applications to be registered during the ensuing year. It ■ may also be mentioned that the fact of the general elections being over, should be no excuse for neglecting the requisite precautions to have {their names ■at once placed on the roll. No one can possibly tell how soon or under what circumstances the electors may be again called upon to elect a representative. There is the fact that the goldfields, and more especially those on the West Coast of the Middle Island, do not enjoy a representation any way proportioned to their population or importance, and as it has been the task of previous representatives to endeavor to remedy this anomalous state of things, so will it be, doubtless, ;the aim of those returned by the various constituencies to obtain such an alteration of the representation of the colony as may secure fur the goldfields a larger share in the legislation and government of the colony. Should they succeed in this course the electors will be called upon once more to exercise their franchise. Other

causes may, however, operate to bring about a new election; a simple accident might cause a vacancy in any district at any time, and long before the term of the present Parliament will have been completed an extra seat may have been allotted to the Buller district, or the present seat may have beeu vacated. We would recommend the electors at once to exercise their privilege as the time is .fast arriving when regret at the delaj will be useless. Up to the 31st of March any person desirous of being placed on tin electoral roll may lodge his claim in a box at the Warden's Office, W ; ort; .or at the Warden's Courts at I .:\-- tou and Brighton, and we >p< do person will delay in exercising his privilege. In conformity with our usual custom we purpose printii g the necessary forms of application which may be shortly obtained at this office ; And we shall also endeavor to distribute them among the population in the

outlying districts, so that all may have au opportunity of lodging their claim. More especially will this be requisite in the Upper Buller and lnangahua districts where a large population has gathered with every probability of being permanently settled. Wo may add, that in the event of any applicant not feeling satisfied that he understands how to fill up the form correctly, he cannot do better than to apply to the nearest magistrate or clerk to the Court, who will, doubtless, lend any assistance in their power.

While referring to the Biibject, w e may mention that the present system of registration appears to us open to considerable objection. The public want to be able to claim the franchise at any and all timea, and they also want to feel assured, at the time of making their claims, that the) are valid and capable of being sustained. The existing system, however, does not fulfil these requirements. A claim to vote must be registered at a certain time of the year, or it is void, and, again, the form in which the application must be made is sufficiently complicated to very easily lead to a mistake in filling it up, and as a consequence the vote would be forfeited. Another grave objection is that the applicant has no means whereby he may learn the fate of his attempt to secure registration at the time of making the application. The first intimation of his failure, under the present system, is to find that the name has been omitted from the roll, and, that the privilege of exercising the franchise has been lost for another year.