THE ELECTORAL BILL.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 958, 13 August 1878, Page 3

THE ELECTORAL BILL.

The Electoral Bill contains 169 clauses and 17 schedules.' The following are the main provisions:—Clause 15 : Every male person of the full age of 21 years, not subject to any legal incapacity, and being a natural born or naturalised subject of her Majesty, shall (subject to the provisions, of this Act) be qualified to vote in the election of members of the House of Representatives for the electoral district in which his qualifications are situated, if (a) he is seized at law or in equity of lands or tenements for his own life, or for the life of any other person, or for any larger estate of the clear value of £25 at the least, and has been seized of such estate for six months previous to the date of his claim to vote ; or if ((>) he is a householder within the electoral district in which he claims to vote, occu pying a tenement of the clear annual value of £lO at the least, and has resided therein six months previous to the date of his claim to vote; or if (c) he has resided for two years in the colony and for six months in the electoral district for which the vote is to be given previous to the date of his claim to vote, and is possessed of or entitled to no other qualification entitling him to vote under this Act in respect of the district for which he claims to vote, and such qualification is hereinafter referred to as a " residential qualifition." Clause 16: For the purpose of the last preceding section, the expression " date of his claim to vote" shall betaken to mean the day on which the person making a claim to vote gives or lodges 'the same to or with the Registration Officer, as hereinafter provided. Clause 17: Every person enrolled on the ratepayers' roll- within the electoral district, shall be qualified to vote on the election of members of Parliament. Section 18 is important, and disqualifies any Maori from voting in an European election unless he is a ratepayer. It says (18): Every Maori shall (subject to the provisions of the Act) be qualified to vote in the election of members for the Hotise of Representatives, but shall only be so qualified if his name is enrolled upon a ratepayers' roll in force within the district in respect to which he claims to vote. No person shall be entitled to vote unloss registered. Every claim shall be attested bafore a J.P., th © registration officer, o an elector of the district. Between the 11th and the last day of August every year, clerks of County Councils and Town Councils must send in a copy of t?;e rato

payero' roll to the Registration Officer of the district. The voter lists are to be made up half-yearly, in the first weeks of March and September. Holders of miners' rights or business licences on the Ist January, 1879, shall be entitled to be enrolled as voters on a roll made up in March, but he must lodge a claim, and his claim must be enrolled in a special list of claimants.