THE ELECTORAL BILL.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 3, 12 May 1888, Page 2

THE ELECTORAL BILL.

One of the most important Governmeasures coming before the House this session will be the Electoral Bill, prepared by the Colonial Secretary, which provides for future elections being conducted on the Hare system. The 'Telegraph correspondent forwards a summary of the Bill as follows :— The first essential alteration will be in the qualification, all votes, except the residential qualifications, being abolished, which means that no person will be entitled to more than one vote. The Representation Act, 1887, will, I believe, still operate, and the commissioners Under it are authorised to divide the colony into seventy-one electorates. These divisions will then be grouped by the Governor for the purpose of the bill into electoral districts, comprising not more than eight nor less than three of the electoral divisions, such grouping to be subject to review by Parliament. It will be expressly provided, I am given to understand, that all cities and their environs shall, as far as possible, be grouped together. In accordance with a promise made by the Premier last session, the present absurd system of public nomination and show of hands . will be abolished, and in lieu thereof candidates are to be nominated by ten persons residing within the electoral district. In the work of grouping, attention will be specially paid to the community of interest. The present loose system of registration will also be altered, and eyery man wishing to be registered will require to sign his application, upon which he will have issued to him an elector's right. As these voters' rights are to be renewed every three years, the roll will practically purge itselt. Ballot-boxes will, after an election^ be returned un-op-ned to the Chief Returning Officer, and by him the returns will be made up, so that some delay must necessarily be occasioned before the result of an election can be declared. In this way greater secresy of the ballot will be observed ; indeed, the whole system will be completely secret. . As the Electoral Bill is a necessary adjunct to the Representation Bill of last session, it will be pushed through at an early stage of the.session. '