3

Rolls; I have the honor to state that, m the of any properly constituted machinery for conducting such scrutiny, the object of the resolution ffighjbe carried out by the appointment of persons competent from their local knowledge tp revise t}?e claims to vpfp actually received, as a|so to add thereto the names of persons entitled to vote, but who may have omitted to prefer a claim- ouch a scrutiny would, however, always be more or less open to suspicipn frovu its secret character, as well as from the fact that there was no provision to ensure due dilligence on the part of the scrutineer. 1 Should his Excellency be disposed to make any t such appointment in this Province, I would repojrimepd that Mr. John Sharp, the Registrar of the Supr,eipe Court and Clerk tp the Resident Magistrate, be appointed. For many years, the making up of the Jury and Militia Lists, as well as tlie formation of the existing Electoral Rolls, has gone through his hands, and from the general knowledge he otherwise possesses with respect to the population and statistics of thp Province, and the discretion and dilligence which guides him in the perfprmanpes of publip duties, I believe him to be well fitted for such an office. In consideration of the time, trouble, and expense incurred in acquiring the necessary information, I woujd also recommend that a sum of fifty pounds be allowed for the performance of the duties required. I haye, &c., (Signed) E. W. Stafford, W. Gisborne, Esq., Superintendent. Acting Colonial Secretary. Superintendent's Office, Christchurch, February Bth, 1855. have the honQr to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 22nd November, contmnmg a copy of a Resolution of the house of Representatives on the subject of the Electoral Rolls of the Provinces. ' I beg, in reply, to state that I am n.ot prepared to recommend any means to carry the Re.soLilion of the House of Representatives into effect. I would respectfully submit, that tne question involved is one of great political importance, which pjight tp be dealt with by Act pf the General ssembly, not by a resolution of the Lower tloijse only ; any advice giyen to his Excellency oug t to come fiom the Executive Council of the Colony, not from the Superintendents of Provinces. " 1 v-j ■ i - iiis Excellency will therefore pardon nie fqr pjost respectfully declining to make any report on the matter referred to. " ' *" ' ' >lf J h?ve, &c., .p. (Signed) James Edward Fitrgerald, Hie Honorable Superintendent of Canteibury. the Colonial Secretary. Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 18th February, 1856. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd November last, transmitting by direction of his txcellency the Governor a copy of a Resolution passed by the House 0 Representatives relative to the apportionment of the Representation among the different Provinces, and requesting that I would report what means I would recommend to be adopted to carry out the object of such Resolution. Ihe resolution purposes, Ist; the appointment of fit and proper persons to scrutinize the Electoral oils of the several districts ; 2nd; a return of the number of bona fide electors irrespective of the existing rolls ; 3rd, the preparation of outline inaps of the present electoral districts ; and 4th, Comparative returns of Population, Revenue, Imports and Exports, and extent of acreage of the several Provinces. v,' regards the appointment of Scrutineers of the existing roll, such a course would, I apprehend impose a very delicate responsibility on the Executive Government. The office would Cr "J 0131 materially from that of Revising Barristers in England, the latter merely constituting a nr Una f°i C e( i lt pon objections tendered by private individuals; while the duty of the Scrutineers p oposed by the resolution would be that of raising objections, and then deciding on the objections 1 iset >y themselves, a duty of an inquisitorial character, and one which it may be questioned whether any Government acting under free institutions ought to be called upon to execute. The provisions for preparing the Electoral Roll now in force, impose the duty of objecting on the Elep-