The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1890.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5949, 30 September 1890, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1890.

! It is only just prior to a general election that the public take any interest in the purification of tho electoral rolls. Aβ it was in the boginuing of representative institutions, so it ie now, and over will be we suppose, until there is an entirely new system of registration. Tho last goneral elections showed tho necessity for a change. An angry roar of disapproval of the existing method rolled from end to end of tho colony. And no wonder, for tho voting papers disclosed the fact that there had been a general resurrection of tho dead, and that human nature had clothed itsolf with tbu attribute of übiquity. Wo do not wish to bo irroverent, but when the graves are opened, and meu living in England are found exercising the privileges of the franchise, it is time to speak plainly. Wβ havo no hesitation in saying that tho law with respect to tho purging of the rolls is a disgrace to tho colony ; and what was still more disgraceful was that tho House appeared to be only too grateful when the I3ill was dropped that would hare prevented the dead and absent from voting. Amongst others who mado themselves conspicuous In opposing a change in the inodo of registration was Mr W. C. Smith. Tho reason he garo for his action was that if personal registration became law, if people qualified to vote had to take out oleotoral righto, v large proportion of the voters in hie district would not know of the alteration, and if they did they would not take the trouble to re-register. This lame excuse for maintaining a mischievous state of things was accepted, by as rotten a Parliament as was ever elected, as an excellent argument for preserving impurity of election. The inference that can bo drawn from the anxipty to keep a system which enables tho inmates of cemeteries to go to tho polling booth is that if there wero such n thing as honesty of election only honest men would get elected, and that would not suit tho Liberal party. But the system of registration that wa havo in force not only allows corpses and absentees to vote, but it invites tho registration of hundreds of bogus names to bo put on tho rolls. There ia nothing to check it if it ie doun judiciously. Tho Registrars of lileotors may take ovory pains to ascortain the bottaJiiUs of applications, but bushels of bogus names can be put in at tho last moment, and if time will not allow of their verification they are inserted in tho roll. Take the Napier roll for instance ; one of the first names upon it is that of a man who has been in England for years, aud who has sold his qualification. Tho Registrar, apparently, has no power to strike tho name oif, unless tho purchaser of tho qualification makes objection to its retention. Again tho name of a deceased goDtleinan appears twico on tho old roll, but let us hopo it will bo rectified in the one now being compiled. But so far as wo can make out no attompt is being made, for no timo is being allowed for it, to purify tho rolls. The Registrars aro fully employed in receiving applications for Registration, and it would not bo ut all surprising if, in some districts when the election comes off, more people record, their votes than there aro male inhabitants. Although all this is very well known, tho Wellington Post complains that Registrars of Electors in some parts of tho colony have beeii much loss active in purging the rolls, by tho removal of the names of disqualified, deceased or departed persons, than might havo been expected, seeing that everybody know a general election must necessarily take place this year. Miniators have received information from several districts that it will not bo possible to complete tho purification of tho rolls so early as was anticipated. They aro led to believe that it will bo cither necessary to delay tho elections considerably beyond the time hitherto kept in view—the socoiid or third week in November—or hold them upon tho rolls as they now stand. It has not yet been decided which course is preforable. fSince tho abovo was in typo we have been shown an instruction received yesterday from the Government stating that the names of all persons improperly on tho rolls must bo •truck off. The official copy of the roll will

be in tho possession of the Registrar, and all persons who have bought rolls will have to go to him to correct them. An opportunity is thus given for striking olf the dead and absent.]