The Waikato Times. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 953, 1 August 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1878.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. * - * .:*; * : ♦ Hero shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

The mischievous tendency of the electoral law of New Zealand, which permits aboriginal natives to be registered on the electoral rolls of the colony, and to vote conjointly with Europeans m the return of European members to the House of Representatives, has made itself so patent m the recent action taken by certain electioneering agents m the Nerth that it can no longer be winked at. When we hear of no less than 400 native names being added m the present year to the Hokianga roll, we can easily understand that there is "considerable feeling among a section of the House on this matter." The tryth is, the evil has grovrn so great that *i< threatens, if not at once checked, to undermine and destroy the political freedom of the people. Fancy a block vote of 400 natives exercised m deciding an election of the Bay of Islands constituency. The power that could wield it— and the native vote is never independent and self-acjincf, influenced by reason conviction oxperience and thought, but a machine m the hands of one party or the other (more frequently of the Government of the day) — the power, we say, that can secure a block vote such as this must necessarily be supreme. It is a power which, m the hands of individuals, may be used for most mischievous purposes, and which, used by a Government, may be made Bubversive of the veiy liberties/of a people. In . any. future measure of electoral reform, it is the first matter that demands . attention, and we cannot, therefore, but feel thankful that those who songht m the ! case of the Hokianga roll to make so great a political lever of it, have just taken " rope enough," while they were about it. A fourth ©f the number added to the roll might have been productive of great mischief, but the attempt to enrol a number sufficient to swamp the whule Europeau electorate will, m the end, saVe uot only the Bay of Islands but other districts m the colony from ,\ like disfranchisement. In some constituencies m Hawkes Buy, aud notably m that of Clive, this disturbing element ■of Maori electors, Hwamping the political privileges of the European voters, has been keenly felt, and there is not indeed a constituency in] the North Island which has not felt it m a more or less degree. Even those who have used and enjoyed it to their own political benefit cannot but admit its mischievousness, for, like a two edged sword, it cuts both ways. The party that wins with it today, may have it successfully wielded against them on the next occasion. The native votes, indeed, bring into New Zealand elections the evils of the old close rotten borough Bystem, which has been swept away I m England nearly half a century ago. They make, as we have poiuted out, pocket boroughs, either for some pdkeha patron or whatever (joverntnent may "be m power a» the time. The natives themselves, we bolieve, cate little oy nothing for the privilege, Jf any franchise h&s *

an interest for them, it is tliu^. which entitles them to return a member v pfs.th.eir -.own race to tho Assembly. [mrifV herein consists the glaring injustice of the preset] t stuto of lUlings^fur the natives really enjoy a double representation. Not only is an individual native holding a Giown giant euti:led to register »;nd votejwitli Europeans at ordinary elections, but he enjoys m addition special representation m both tl*e Upper and Lower Houses mF Parliament. To do awiy with Maori •^presentation altogether would be , an injustice, and at first sight it ' would seem an injustice if the natives who take up Crown grants for their laud were not allowed the right to vote on such qualification, as a European settler would do. But m practice ik'is found to be exceedingly , mischievous, and a mischief which j .may grow to large proportions. The , alternative is to increase special Maori representation m Parliament. And here, too, care heeds to be exercised lest by creating too large a number of Maori representatives, the chiefs would be able m the House to swamp European membeis just, as m the other case, the mass of their followers are. too often able to swamp European electors m those particular electoral districts m which native rotes abound. The whole matter of native representation needs readjustment and reform. The first thing to do is to settle the proportion of native members m either House that it would be advisable to allow and then confine the natives aDd Europeans to voting for their respective representatives. We should have then, as we now have, a mixed Houbb of Representatives, but we should do away with the possibility of having ordinary constituencies swamped by Maori votes, and if the subjects on which Maori representatives are allowed to vote were circumscribed within reasonable bounds to mat-, ters directly or largely affecting native interests, or if Maori representatives were specially excluded from voting on party or Ministerial questions not coming within such range, there would be no danger of *;thei ", ;Ma ? ori representation iri the ! House" Being 'handled for party questions, just as. now the Maori elector outside the House is polled for party purposes. That the matter will be fully taken up by the House this session we make no doubt. The evil has grown to such an extent that it imperatively calls for legislative relorm. Mr Ormond, m the last session of parliauieat, drew special attention to the working of tbe system m Hawke's Bay, which was bad enough then, but which, with another period of registration since passed, is, doubtless, worse now. There is scarcely an electoral district m the North Island, but more or lessj at an election, experiences the unfair and disturbing element of the Maori vote.