The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1884.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4325, 26 March 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1884.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance. For the future In the distance, And the good that we can do.

We give in another column e,b interesting account of an interview by a Star reporter with Mr Macandrew. The opinions of the member for Port Chalmers on the question of financial separation of the two islands havo undergone no change, and he appears still to entertain hopes that the colony will be forced to adopt this remedy for centralisation. On- tha subject cf federation, Mr Macandrew is in harmony with Sir George Grey, and we have no doubt the session will find the Opposition united in refusing to ratify the action Of the New Zealand delegates &t the Intercolonial Conference. No doubt the Government, discerning the Bigns of tho times, will plead the South Australian precedent for treating this question as outside the sphet. __ party, and will get rid of it with the least damage to themselves that circumstances will permit. The Premier will conveniently forget the statements made through his semiofficial mouthpieces that the Ministry considered that a grave political responsibility attached to the appointment of delegates, and We do' not Delieve that the Opposition will succeed in forcing a patty hght. on thb issuo.

Mr MacandSßW declared that the Opposition have no desire to oustth.e Ministry In the closing session of Parliament. and if bis augury should provo eotT-0., the approaching meeting of the Oeneral Assembly will bo comparatively uneventful, It is probable, however, that ho lays too little stress upon the possible changes in the Canterbury support consequent upon the alteration in the railway tariff, although we judge that the firmness of the Government in _ taking this question of administrative reform in hand should gain support from other quarters that will more than compensate for any deft ctions of former supporters. The chief hopo of the Ministry is in administrative re - organisation, and if the resolutions carried by the Canterbury members the other day describe the method and object of the attack to be made upon the Cabinet, we do not hesitate to say that it will be the duty of every North Island member to cast in his fortunes on the Government side.

We are not surprised to find Mr Macandrew an advocate of the amalgamation lof oity constituencies, because the pressure ;to secure tho passing of this measure is understood to have emanated from Dunedin. We should have been pleased, -however, tv hear a fuller exposition ot' the reason- alleged in favour of this change in the electoral system of the colony, which was only settled within the last few years after a fierce conflict and general election. It is a peculiarity of the two arguments advanced by Mr Macandrew that one exactly neutralises the other, for if it be true that the larger electorates will place greater power in the hands of minorities—that is to say, that by blockrvoting a small faction of the electors can secure one out of a number

of candidates—then it cannot be true that the amalgamation will produce unanimity among the city members. As a matter of experience, we know that this supposed unanimity is simply bunkum. The lato Mr John Williamson and Mr T. B. Gillies, two consistent and inveterate opponents, sat together as representatives of City West for many years; and more recently, at a timo of great popular excitement, Christehureh returned, at one poll, Sir George Grey and Mr Stevens, his bitterest political antagonist. Instances of this sort might be given by the dozen. We have seen nothing as yet to alter our opinion that the proposed amalgamation is a change in a wrong direction. It means weakening the power of the electors, opening avenues for wholesale corruption of the rolls, the creation of electioneering agents, increasing the power of money on the elections, and destroying the chance of any candidate who is not either well supplied with funds or backed by a strong political ring. As to the unity of the city constituencies, the electoral boundaries cannot create artificial divisions in the minds of the people. If a great question is swaying tho minds of the electors, they will record their votes for the candidate who expresses their views just as readily in four electorates as in one, and we have an assurance that the vote which is recorded represents the actual mind of the people. The experienco in Auckland, where It lias been found ncssible to carry sixteen electorates scattered throughout the province on One ticket, should give assurance enough of that, Electoral divisions are mere conveniences for registering the vote. Something has been said in favour of the amalgamation on the ground that it Wilt neutralise the dual property vote. We 1 elievc that an exaggerated importance has been attached to the power of this vote, but if it be desirable to get rid of it, tho direct course, by abolishing the property qualification, is the right one. These continuous manipulations of the representation, of the country for party purposes are pregnant with danger to tho commonwealth. The representative system should form an integral part of the Constitution of the country, and should only be disturbed by a plebiscite. Tho action of an expiring parliament in tampering with it preparatory to a general election is a courso which, however well it may seem to suit tho immediate wishes of existing parties, embodies tho exerciso of a power Which any Government commanding a temporary majority may hereafter use to the damage of tho country. It is within the power of such a government, backed by a venal parliament, to abolish the present franchise, and deprive a largo portion of the people of their electoral privileges.