The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1889.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5568, 4 July 1889, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1889.

The Registration of Electors' Bill is tho best measure of its kind that has ever been introduced to the New Zealand Legislature. The interpretation clause sets forth that a claim to vote means a claim by any person to have an elector's right issued to him. A " person" does not include female. Registered elector means an elector whose name is entered on an olectorul roll by virtuo of being the holder of an elector's right. An elector's right means a printed certificate issued under this Act, entitling tho holder thereof to exercise his right of voting at elections, and to hnvo bis name entered upon an electoral roll. So long as the " Maori Representation Act, 1567,".0r any Act nmending or perpetuating tho same, continues in force, and Maoris aro elected under tho provisions thereof as members of the Houso of Representatives by a special representation, no Maori shall be entitled to be registered as an elector under this Act, and no elector's right shall be issued to any Maori in respect of any qualification under this Act. Aii elector may have issued to him a right to vote as a resident iv one district, and also a right to vote on a property qualification in some other district. No elector's right shall be issued to any person who shall at tho timo be receiving charitable aid as an inmate of or from the funds of any eleemosynary or charitable institution. This section does not seem to us to go far enough. There is nothing to prevent tho inmates of a Refuge leaving tho institution for a day or two, applying for their elector's rights, and returning to the Refuge when they have become enrolled as electors. We believe the inmates of the Refuge at Napier to a man voted at tho last election. There should bo Bomo clause inserted to the effect that a person entering a charitable institution should deliver up his electoral risrht to the master thereof; or no electoral right should be iesuud to a person who has been in the receipt of charitable aid within six months of his application to bo enrolled. Section 12 provides that no elector's right shall bo issued between tbo thirty-first day of March and the first day of July in the same year, except in respect of claims delivered to tho Registrar on or before March 31st. Elector's rights have to bo renewed every threo years. Application for an elector's right has to bo made in person, and the applicant must sign his namo in full, together with his place of abode, on it, and on tho butt of tho certificate. The Registrar need not issue tho right till the expiration of thirty days, to enable him to ascertain the validity of tho claim. On tho issue of a right tho applicant hae to pay to tho Registrar tho eura of ono shilling , . Whenever any person possessing , a right in respect of ft residential qualification removes to another district, he can obtain, after a month's residence in his new homo, a fresh right, on delivering up his old ono, which has to bo forthwith ciniGelled. Substituted elector's rights may bo issued if tho originals are lost, torn, or defaced. The Governor is given power to appoint Resident Magistrates to revise the lists of electors, and to hear and decide objections. Tho namo of any person on the roll who is absent from the colony for more than twelve months'at any one time, and is not objected to, shall nevertheless, by reason of such absence, be expunged. Under the Act tho Registrars are empowered to purgo the rolls from time to time, but email encouragement is given to outsiders to make objections. For instance, section 53 providee that, " If the objector be other than the Registrar, he shall, at the timo of giving notice of objection to tho Registrar, deposit with the said Registrar the sum of one pound in respect of each objeotion made by him, as security for any oosts that may be awarded by the Resident Magistrate against him," &o. And no notice of objection shall be entertained if tho deposit is not made. Further, if the Resident Magistrate shall find that the objection is frivolous, he can award extra costs not exceeding five pounds. This is, of course, a safe-guard against such practices as used formerly to prevail, when it was the law to publish as advertisements the lists (if objections; but there is no temptation nowadays for unscrupulous newspapers to employ a dummy to object to overy namo on tho electoral roll. On tho whole, wo think every one who desires to see purity of election will hail the Registration of Electors' Bill as a measure that was sorely needed.