The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1878.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 193, 22 March 1878, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1878.

We last issue called* attention to the important subject of registration, and urged all who possessed the necessary qualifications to take immediate step's for having their names placed upon the electoral roll of their district. All such must understand that unless their application be lodged with the registration officer before theexpiration ofthe present month they will not be afforded another opportunity for twelve months, and cannot record a vote before October, 1879. At present there is every -indication that long before then a general election may take place, and now is the time — and it will expire in a few days — for qualifying for the privilege of having a voice, and an influence in determining the great political questions which will then be submitted to the country. It is fortunate that not only is the franchise within the reach of almost all but also that provision is made for the great body of qualified individuals having their names placed upon the roll by responsible officers. This is provided for by " The Registration Act, 1875" from which we quote the following clauses : — 3. On the thirty -first day in tha month of March in every year, or if that day fall on a Sunday, then on the thirtieth day of the s iid month, the Clerk nf every governing hody shall compile an alphabetical list of all those persons, being males of twenty-one years or upwards, who shall have been assessed to and shall have made payment of any rate struck hy such governing I body in respect ot rateable property situate ih an electoral distriot within the year ending on the ' thirtieth day of March than instant. - 4. Every suah list when so prepared shall be i signed by the clerk, and shall be countersigned by the Mayor, and shall be forwarded to the Registration Officer for the electoral district within which the municipality, highway or road district,* or other division of the Colony under the control of such, governing body shall be situate, on or before the seventh" day of the month of April in each year. Provided always, that when any municipality, road district, highway district, or other division of the Colony as aforesaid, is in part comprised within two or more electoral districts, then the Clerk to the governing body of such municipality, road district, highway district, or other division as aforesaid, shall, in preparing the list of ratepayers required to be prepared under this Act. make a separate list for each of such portions of the municipality, road district, highway district, or other division as aforesaid, and shah forward the same to the Registration Officer of the electoral district within which such portion of the municipality, road district, highway district, or other division as aforesaid is contained. 9. If the Clerk of any governing body shall wilfully or negligently fail to comply with the provisions of this Act, he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding one hundred pounds, tobe recovei-ed summarily under "The Justice of the Peace Act, 1866." We believe that hitherto the duties imposed by the Act quoted from have either been altogether neglected or only performed in a very perfunctory manneri As in several cases the penalties were last year enforced 'it is possible that the attention which was thus attracted to the matter may lead to greater accuracy this year. At the same time it would be well for every one to make this matter for personal attention, so as to make sure that, omissions do not occur. The following 1 are the qualifications : — The claimant must be of the full age of 21 years, and possess one of the following qualifications — Having a freehold in possession, situated in the distiict for which the vote is to be suve.n, of the value of £50 above sill charges and encubrances, and of, or to which he has been seised or entitled, either in law or in equity, for at least six calendar months next before the lasb registration of electors; or having a leasehold estate in possession, situated in such district, of the clear annual valve of £10, held upon a lease which, at the time of registration, shall have not less than three years to rnn ; or having a leasehold so situated, and of 'such va^e aforesaid, of which he has been in possession for three years or upwards next before such registration ; or heing a householder within such district, occupying a tenement within- the limits of a town (to be proclaimed as such by the Governor for the purpose of this Act) of the clear annual value of £5, and having resided therein sis calendar months next before such registration. . -*> The state trial against Mr George Jones, ofthe Omaru Mail, charged with libel against Mr F. A. Whitaker, late Attorney-General was brought to a close on Monday night, when a verdict of - tf not guilty" was returned, and Mr Jones was discharged. The trial lacked much of the interest which it was expected would attach to it in consequence of the plea of justification having been shut out, and Jones being obliged tc rely solely upon the plea of not guilty. The effect was that all evidence as tc the 'truth or otherwise ofthe allegations made in the article complained of as to ! Mr Whitaker's land transactions was • excluded. This certainly was not tin \ intention of the House of Representatives when it decided to prosecute, .noi will it be regarded as a satisfactory re suit by the public, upon whom the ex ' pense was saddled. As to who was re sponsible for the plea of jnstificatioi being excluded, Mr Rees counsel fo the defence explained in his ad dress to-the jury: — "That a grea public officer ofthe State — an Attorney General — in his place in the House o * Representatives, obtained an order c c the House, sending another person t '» trial who bad already been brought v L ! to the Bar of the House ; that the vot £ of the majority of the House of As ? sembly was obtained to send the perso ! to trial, the promise being made tha

. '' the whole facts should be made in issue ; that, indeed, the very object was to enable him .to clear himself of those charges; and that then, w'len the case was brought to the trial which was to bring' out the facts, he had absolutely advised with the solicitor fbr the Crown as to the very process which shut out the investigation. Whose hand was it that had closed the shutters and excluded the light of day in respect to this erse ? Tt was not the ,hand of the Crown Prosecutor alone, but was absolutely — and he would ask them to consider whether it be not so principally — the late Atterney-General's, who had prolessed himself in the House and again in the witness-box so very anxious to have all these facts 'brought out." There can be no doubt the Crown Prosecutor and Mr Whitaker got the question brought bpfore the Court in a shape which excluded the plea of justification, and the object of the trial has thus been frustrated. The charges published against Mr Whitaker remain upcontradicted or unexplained, and the jury have said Mr Jones was not guilty of libel in writing the article he did. The only object the trial has secured is the useless expenditure ofa considerable sum of public money — another monument to the recklessness of the late Government.