Memorial to Parliament.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume X, Issue 640, 16 August 1853, Page 3

Memorial to Parliament.

Subjoined will be found a copy of the Memorial which has been transmitted to Parliament, relatiye to the peculiar exercise of the electoral franchise by soldiers permitted to reside out of barracks. We never entertained any question with respect to the spirit or interpretation to be put upon the Constitution Act. The answer to be given to this petition will show in what light garrison voters are to be regarded at home ; and whether the Imperial Legislature will tolerate the soldiery of a marching regiment in exercising to the prejudice of pnqjide electors, a pmlian privilege no-

where accorded to them in any other possestion of Groat Britain.

To the Honourable the Commons House of Parliament. The Eumhle Petition of the Undersigned Inhabitants of the Province of Auckland, JVew Zealand, Sheweth, That by an Act of the Imperial Parliament, 15 and 16 Viet. Reg. cap. 72, Kepresentative Institutions were conferred upon the Colony of New Zealand. That any Officer in command of the Troops in New Zealand has power to affect the Constituency by allowing. Soldiers under his command, to acquire the elective franchise, through residing a certain time, out of Barracks; while, at the same time he retains the power of hindering them from voting, should he think proper so to do, by confining them within Barracks, on the Polling days. That the power of creating votes has actually thus been exercised by Lieutenant Colonel Wynyard, commanding 58th Regiment, stationed in this Province; which votes have been made to contribute to his own election as Civil Superintendent. That your Petitioners cannot suppose that it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government, when granting -Representative Institutions to this Colony, that the votes— not impossibly of a whole Regiment, and under the natural influence of the Commanding Officer, should be allowed to affect Colonial Elections. That no power of disfranchisement exists within the Colony. Your Petitioners therefore pray that Your honourable House may enable the Colonists to enjoy the full benefit of their Representative Institutions, by amending the Constitution Act in so far as to withdraw the power of interfering with our Provincial Elections from Military men in active service. And Your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.