TOWN EDITION. Evening Post FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1884.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 48, 26 August 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. Evening Post FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1884.

THE POPULATION BASIS OF REPRESENTATION.

Resuming our consideration of the Representation Bill now before Parliament, it may be worth while to devote a little more attention to the " population basis " on which the Parliamentary representation provided by thiß measure is supposed to be allotted. It may be accepted at starting as an axiom needless to be argued, that population must be the chief basis, because it is the people, and the people alone, who are to be represented in Parliament. The question is how to adjust this representation ao as to ensure that every part of the country has a fair voice in its government, that no place shall be rendered powerless in influencing the course of political events. The answer, in general terms, is, of course, that it should be distributed according to the distribution of population. But nobody pretends to argue that the allotment shall be in exact arithmetical proportion, because that is obviously impossible to compass and absurd to attempt. No human ingenuity could devise any scheme of arithmetically exact distribution. No one even imagines such a feat to be possible. It is Bimply maintained, that tho distribution shall be aa fair an approximation to equal sharing aa can reasonably be devised. This, of course, is a position which can easily be comprehended, and to the equity of which no just exception can be taken. Only the point to which we desire to deal espec'al attention is this — That if the principle of allotment in absolute arithmetical proportion be once conceded to be impracticable, and its modification according to circumstances inevitable, then the question of modification becomes merely one of degree. Admit the imposaibility of allotting exactly one member to every 5399 persons, and the only question which remains is what degree of approximate equality can be attained. It will be seen that this leaves a very wide field of debate. The Government in framing their bill seem to have tak«n altogether the narrowest view of the question, and have evidently expended an enormous amount of labour in striving after Chinese exactness in making all the districts of equal numerical strength. The way they have gone about the task is very well illustrated by the case of the two districts adjoining Wellington. Let us take the Premier's own words in moving the eecond reading of the bill. He said : — "The present Hutt electorate has been inoreasod by the addition of the suburb of Kilbirnie. Upon a population basis, it was found that neither the Hutt nor the Wellington Country District had nearly the necessary quota to remain single electorates, while together they would be entitled to more than one member. The arrangement, therefore, of combining the coastal portion ef the Wellington Country District with Foxton was unavoidable." The irrepressible merriment which this singular plan not unnaturally exoitad, waa so marked that Mr. Hall broke off in his speech, and noticed it as follows : — " I gather, sir, that this arrangement has a tentency to amuse hon. members, and I admit that it appears a very inconvenient one ; but the population of Manawatu has so largely increased that in no other way oonld we find it possible to frame anything like equal electoral districts." Now, does not this exhibit tho whole plan of operation? The Government have under consideration the two districts just named. 'Ihey find neither has its full arithmetical qu«ta of population, but. that united they would have too much. The Surveyor-General and Registrar-General are summoned, and instructed — the former to sketch out little bits of country here and there that might be tacked on to the deficient districts, and the latter to compute the population in each of these fragments. On receiving their reports, it is found that if Kilbirnie were tacked on to Hutt and Foxton to Wellington Country, both would be brought up to the requisite standard. And this is actually done utterly regardless of whether there be any community or antagonism of interests, or whether the proceeding may not necessarily have the effect of disfranchising one or tha other. A very amusing parody of this system of distribution could easily be constructed. It would be quite as reasonable to tack Sir George Grey's island of Kawau to Mr. Hall's district of Selwyn, or to throw Akaroa into Taranaki, as to send Kilbirnie to the Hntt and Kaiwarra to

Foxton. Or, to borrow another home illustration, on Mr Hall's calculation, Wellington will have nearly half a member too little, and Nelson nearly half a member too much. According to the principle of this bill, a part of Nelson ought to ba tacked on to Wellington, and an additional member given to the latter. Thiß would in reality be no more ridiculous than many of the forced partnerships proposed in the schedules to the Repreaentation Bill. We ah all no doubt be answered that these awkward complications are unavoidable in carrying out the population basis. Then does not thia prove clearly it is impracticable to carry that out with the rigid uniformity which is being strained , after ? The attempt breaks down on tha ' threshold. Absolute equality ia admittedly impossible; but even relative equality is voluntarily abandoned by the distinction made — and properly made — between town and country districts j and still more by the glaring inequalities among these districts themselves in each class. The principle, as a hard and fast rule, is rightly and necessarily departed from, in the letter, by the Government in framing their scheme, and the blunder they made is in endeavouring to force its application in particular cases until a reductio ad absurdum is arrived at. As Mr. Gisbornb very forcibly and truly said in his speech on the bill, " a population standard should not be a rigid, inflexible rule. It should be capable of modification; it should be capable of adaptation as Parliament in ita wisdom might think necessary to meet the special requirements of different parts of the Colony. Uniformity ia not always justice^ If it is applied to different circumstances and to different conditions it may be, and often is, the height of injustice. It is a mistake to imagine that the _ utility and permanence of political institutions must depend altogether on some mathematical system or some uniform rule." And what did the Premier himself say two years ago in announcing the policy of the Government on this point ? He said :— " We believe that population should be the first consideration, but it should not be the only consideration ; and therefore we object to the plan laid down in the bill introduced by the Government last session, by which representation was to be readjusted by a mechanical process, because that would prevent fair and legitimate consideration being given to those other elements in the matter of readjustment which ought to be considered. We propose, in the bill which we shall endeavor to pass, to have it effected in such a way as will give to all portions of the colony the rights to which they may fairly Jay claim on the ground of population ; but we do not approve of any scheme which sh»uld go the length of practically disfranchising some portions of the Colony, as would have been done by the bill brought in by the last Government." Such was the theory of this Government two years ago ; such is not the practice to-day. The sooner they rsturn to their original views the better, both for themselves and for the Colony. There is no justification for the wholesale manner in which all the reßt of the colony is being sacrificed at the ehrine of Canterbury and Otago ; for the reckless dißfranchißement of whole districts for the sake of adding to the spoil to be offered up to those great powers. The present scheme of redistribution if carried out will exercise a most prejudicial effect on the interests of this Island and of a portion — by no means inconsiderable — of the other. It will prolong and exacerbate the old provincial jealousies, and seriously endanger our colonial unity. All these disadvantages are to be incurred for the sake of a very lame and imperfect attempt to carry out to extremity a rule which was never meant to be pushed to such lengths. Population must bo the main but not the whole basis. .We don't want the so-called " rotten boroughs" of old English times, and we are never likely to have them. All we want is a fair and equitable distribution of representation on that main basis, but having due regard to all the circumstances of the case. It is herein that the present bill fails, and the sooner it is "killed" the better. Those memberß who are endeavouring to defeat it have our hearty sympathy, and we hope they will receive cordial support from all the representatives of the Wellington provincial distriot.

The San Francisco mail arrived this afternoon at 12.30 by the steamer Wanaka. In the House yesterday, Mr. Andrews asked the Government if they would procure information from Sydney as to the number of persons affected with small-pox during the last 12 months, distinguishing between the persona successfully and those unsuccessfully vaccinated ? Mr. Dick said he had no objection to do so. Mr. George is to ask the Government this afternoon, if they intend taking steps in regard to bringing to justice certain Maoris who are supposed to have set fire to the wreck of the schooner Rona, which vessel was recently lost on the coast of the North Island, between the Kaipara and Manukau harbours ? This afternoon, Mr. Swanson will ask the Colonial Treasurer, whether it is the intention of the Government that the pensioners of the Imperial Government shall continue to put a stamp on the receipts given by them when their pensions are paid in the colony ? Mr. Barron has given notice of his intention to move next Thursday, for a return of the number of persons appointed to any office in the Public Service sines 30th October, 1876. who have not been vaccinated, as provided by section 163 of the Publio Health Act. 1876." The Mayor last night laid on the table of the City Council copies of amendments to the Municipal Corporations Act which he intended to propose in the House. The first amendment was to repeal the clause which prevented the City Council from setting up pas-works without first obtaining an Act of Parliament. He (the Mayor) proposed that if they made a reasonablo offer to the existing Gas Company, and the latter refused it, the Council should then be enabled to start gas-works of their own. The Corporation, at the present time, had to pay far too much for their gas, the lighting of the streets costing about .£2OOO per annum. The next clause which ho proposed was one giving power, if the ratepayers approved, for the Council to establish fire insurance for the c'.ty. Councillor Stafford expressed a doubt whether the clauses would legally have the effect intended by the Mayor, but no discussion took place on their merits. This afternoon, in the Legislative Council, the Attorney-General will move for leave to introduce a Bill entitled " An Act to provide for the Settlement of the Thermal-springs Districts of the Colony." Mr. Bunny is to ask the Minister for Public Works this afternoon, " Whether wages payable to the platelayers on the railway lino 3 will be, in future, paid at the same rate as previous to the deduction of 10 per cent ; also, whether the Government will recommend a refund of any deduction that may have been made from the wages of the persons referred to?" It appears that we have not yet heard the last ot the eccentric Magistrate at Kumara. This afternoon Mr. Finn is to ask the Minister of Justice, "If it is true that the Resident Magistrate and Warden at Kumara, on the Wesb Coast of the M iddla Island, opened his Court there for the despatch of business on Monday, the 15th instant, at the hour of eight o'clock at night, and sat until after midnight ; that such Warden opened hiß Court again at the same place on Monday, the 22nd instant, at the same hour, notwithstanding an intimation forwarded to him that the Government did not approve of him holding Courts at such hours ?" A letter was read from Mr. Morris, undertaker, at last night's meeting of the City Council, referring to the ramarka made by a Councillor at the previous meeting, and indignantly denying that he had ever used an express for funerals from the Hospital or allowed his men to smoke on Buch occasions. Council or Maginnity said he was sorry any remarks of his should have called forth the indignation of Mr. Morris. He simply wished to draw the attention of the Council to a paragraph which appeared in one of the newspapers as to what had taken place in connection with a funeral from the Asylum, and he thraw out a suggestion that a hearse should be used for both institutions. He intended no reflection on Mr. Morris, who, he had every reason to believe, conducted the Corporation funerals in a way that did him credit. The following tenders have been received at the Publio Works Office, Wel.ington, for the Albury Downs contract, of the Opawa branch railway : — Accepted — J. and M. Coskery, Timaru, J63338. Declined— O. R. Bracefield, Timaru, .£4024; H. M'Kenzie and Co., Dunedin, .£4159; Fraser and Co., Dunedin, .£4421 ; Davidson and Conyers, Dunedin, .£4530; J. Whitaker, Dunedin, ifi4534; Grigg and Guild, Chriatchurch, .£4696 ; J. and A. Anderson, Christchurch, JM&24; D. Anderson and Co., Dunedin, £4975. " Lyons' Tourista " brought their season to a close last night at the Academy of Musio, the occasion being for the benefit of Master J. S. Parlato. The company were to leave for Napier tc-day. At the last session of the Perseverance Tent, 1.0. R., at the Primitive Methodist Schoolroom, Sydney-street, the Chief Ruler having resigned, Bro. Clare was duly elected and installed in that position, and at once entered upon his duties as presiding officer. On Monday evening the Juvenile Temple Crystal Spring held it 3 weekly session, when an official visit was paid by the officers and members of the Karuri Lodge, Knights sf St. John. It will be seen by advertisement that the young Good Templars will jive an entertainment next Tuesday evening it the Athensßum, and it is anticipated that ihere will be a large attendance.

Some pnblic correspondence relative to the Inscription of Stock was presented to Parliament yesterday. The greater portion relates to matters already published. It is stated that the half-yearly charge for management made by the Bank of England is at the rate of J6600 per £ 1,000,000, equal to £1,611. A pnblic meeting is convened to be held at Newtown on the lßt prox., for the purpose of forming a " Workingmen's Insurance Company." The promoter announces ho has a scheme to place before the public for insuring house property alone, no capital being required. Mr. Hutehens requests us to state that he intenda to have the accounts in connection with the recent benefit to Mr. Jesse White audited by two duly qualified accountants. One he suggests should be appointed by himself, and one by Mr. Whit*. With one exception, the whole of the seven samples of milk collected for analysis a short time ago have been pronounced to be of "good quality" by Mr. Skey, the Colonial Analyst. The exception in question consists of the sample obtained from a milkman named Scaramelli, who, as previously reported, will be prosecuted under the Adulteration Act, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday next. The remaining Bix simples were collected from W. Moxham, P. Trotter, D. Bnick, A. Fitchett, G. George, and J. Tarr. The result of the analysis of spiritß has not yet been received. A return has been prepared of lands purchased and leased from natives in the North Island. From this we learn that negotiations have been completed for 1,982,324 acres in the Auckland District, and negotiations are in progress for 1,740,537 more, the cost being £494,024. In the other districts the figures are as follow : — Wellington — completed, 735,754 acre 3; in progress, 1,208,153 acres; cost, £222,089. Taranaki — completed, 559,087 acres ; in progress, 264,570 ; cost, .£86,238. Hdwke'a Bay— completed, 140,852 ; in progress, nil ; cost, £34,202. Total, 3,418,017 acres completed ; 6,631,297 in progress ; cost, £836,555. " Cosmopolitan" writes to us as follows: — "It is gratifying to see the Wellington Guards, at their meeting on the 24th inst., alluded to the subject of the memorial to the late Dr. Harding, and I would maka the following suggestion for their consideration :—: — Should the company not wish for a particular purpose that the whole of the memorial should be entirely from their own subscription, I am fully aware that a goodly sum may be raised outside in Is subscriptions by many hundreds who would wish to give their shilling for such a purpose." Mr. J. L. Kimbell, President of the Wellington Working Men's Club, writes to us : — "At the meeting of the Wellington Guards, held at the Empire Hotel, it was mooted that a club should be formed by tho members, and in reply thereto one of tho officers, I believe Lieut. Young, recommended the members to join the Working Men's Club on the opposite side of the street Now, sir, I would ask you to grant me a little space in your columns to thank that officer for his kindly and honest opinion of this our institution, and I may also mention that it i 3 with thankfulness I can stato on authority that the kindness and support we have met with from all classes of society, and particularly publicans and hotelkeepera, out3ide the institution, 13 most flattering to the management of the offioers of the Working Men's Club." At a meeting of the parishioners of St. John's Church, Johnsonville, held on Wednesday evening last, for the purpose of electing a synodsman to represent the Porirua district at the approaching sitting of the Diocesan Synod, Mr. William France, of Ohariu, was returned unopposed, Messrs. H. Lowe and A. Dowdeswell being proposer and seconder respectively, and Mr. Orbell acting as returning officer. We are requested to state that the entertainment announced by the choristers of St. Paul's, 'Ihorndon, in aid of the fund for prizes for attendances, &c , which was postponed owing to the very inclement weather on Tuesday last, .will be given to-morrow evening. An excellent and varied programme will be presented, and several ladies and gentlemen connected with St. Paul's will give valuable help, under Mr. Parker's direction. The Wellington Guards assembled at the Drill Shed last evening, when Staff SergeantMajor Bell examined aeveral candidates for the position of Corporal, and will forward his report to the officer commanding the Company in due conrse. Several iiew candidatea were proposed, and the evening's drill terminated with single-Btick practice, which the men thoroughly enjoyed. The meeting of the Building Regulations Committee of the City Council, last night was merely of a formal nature, the object being to appoint a day for a subsequent meeting of the committee. It was decided to hold the meeting on Monday afternoon next, at 4 o'clock. Mr. E. Shaw, R.M., proceeded to the Wairarapa district yesterday afternoon for the purpose of presiding over a aitting of the District Court at Masterton. He will return in time to resume duty at the R.M. Court on Monday morning. There was another approach to a small " scene " at the meeting of the City Council last night. Councillor Brown, referring to some remarks made by Councillor Danka at the last meeting, aaid that the notices closing the Basin Reserve were formally signed by him, at the request of the City Engineer, after he (Councillor Brown) had consulted with the other trustees. He (Councillor Brown) would not have referred to such a simple matter — the councillor who brought it up being co well-known for his propensity to find mares' nests — bnt for the unmanliness of that councillor in making an attack upon him in his absence— an act which he believed no other councillor would have been guilty of. Councillor Danks replied that he was quite delighted with the noble speeehof Councillor Brown. (A laugh.) If the latter knew all the remarks which had been excited by the notice to which he appended his name, he would have a copy of it framed and hung up in his parlour. He (Councillor Danks) had searched through all the by-laws and books of the Corporation without finding any power given to the trustees to put their names to suuh a notice, and he would like the Mayor to point out where they got their power from. (Laughter.) He agreed with the Mayor that whoever was responsible for the levelling of the Reserve, it didn't do them much credit. The Mayor said he himself waa to blame for allowing the question of the Reserve to come before the Public Works Committee. The trustees should have the sole control over the ground. The discussion then dropped. Councillor Logan was elected a trustee in place of Councillor Fisher, resigned. The newlyelected trustee expressed a hope that if his name should happen to be affixed to any public notice, he would not receive such a castigation as had been administered to Councillor Brown. (Laughter.) The Public Works Committee recommended that the right of way opposite Yorkhouse be called " York-lane." His Worship the Mayor took exception to this last night, and suggested that it should be called " Danks-lane." Councillor Daaks modestly declined tha "honour," and the recommendation of the committee was adopted. A correspondent writes to ask us the character of the localities in which smallpox is raging in Sydney. In reply, he is informed that Lower George-street, where the disease first originated, is in the Chinese quarter, and Sussex-street, where the greatest number of cases appear to have occurred, is one of the lowest and most filthy thoroughfares in Sydney. Dirt and disease generally go together, and it is always in the overcrowded, badly-drained portion of a city that an epidemic, such as small-pox, is most virulent and most difficult to at amp out. "A Working Man" writes under date August 23rd :—": — " The item you publish tonight that the aession will probably extend to the end of next month, may be very diaagreeable to some honourable members whose only object appears to be to earn their handsome honorarium as easily and quickly aa possible, that they may return to their pleasant country residences, frienda, and occupations, and get away from Wellington and its disagreeables ; but it will carry joy into the boaom of many a working man's family, whose principal depeudence through the year is unfortunately the money earned during the session. A short or a long session is of great importance to hundreds, perhaps thousands, in Wellington." Gifts of various articles for the use of the Hospital patients have been received from Government House, Meedames Whitford, Gabey, and Mackey, and Mr. M'Clelland. The members of the Gardeners' Mutual Improvement Society held their usual fortnightly meeting last evening, when the subject of fruit-pruning waa discussed. Mr. M'Kay'e exhibit, consisting of a basket of tomatoes, was much admired. The Star of Wellington Lodge held its weekly session last evening, at No. 9 Room, Athenaeum, when Bro. Thompson, W.C.T , occupied the chair. Several candidates were received into full membership. Bro. Donoyan, of Taranaki, gave an amusing and instinctive address, in which he declared that had the colony as a whole been given to total abstinence, the cases of distress would be nothing like so numerous as they are. He also showed that a great and good work had been done throughout the colony by the instrumentality of the Order, and added that the temperance element in the House of Representatives, together with eminent members of the Order, had passed through Parliament a bill which would have a strong tendency to check intemperance. A vote of thanks to the brother for his visit and address, and to all the visiting members, brought a pleasant meeting to a conclusion.

During the week, at the Lower Hutt, the Perseverance Lodge, 1.0. G.T., held its usual session, when there was a good attendance. Several addresses were delivered, bearing on the subject of intemperance, by Bro. J. Hall and others. On Wednesday the Band of Hope gave an entertainment at the Wesleyan Schoolroom, when a maeic lantern was exhibited by Mr. Georga Hall, assisted by Mr. Domett. The Rev. Air. Cannell presided. At last evening's meeting of the Wesleyan Mutual Improvement Society, Mr. H. J. Barnard read an essay on " Shelley," which wa3 of a very interesting character, and excited considerable discussion. The Rev. W. Kirk presided, as usual. Messrs. Croskery, Hasell & Co. will sell to-mjrrow, hams, bacon, &c. Messrs. Laery & Campbell will sell tomorrow, a large and varied assortment of flowering bulbs and plants. Ihey will also hold their usual market sale. Mr. George Thomas will sell to-morrow, at Mr. Coffey'B Slip, the iron yacht Templar. Messra. W. M'Lean & Co will sell tomorrow, furniture, glassware, tweeda, &c.

On the last day of the year 1880, the ship Berwickshire left Greenock for Wellington, but after being a month at sea had to return to port owing to the damage caused to ship and cargo by the shifting of the large pipes for the Wainui-o-niata water supply. Among the cargo were several packages containing Scotch Winceys shipped to the order of James Smith, Te Abo House, and as a considerable portion of these were damaged, it is intended to offer them on Saturday at such prices as will render an early visit that day to Te Aro House exceedingly advantageous to all purchasers. — [Adv r. The new waltz, " Flirtation," has had an enormous run throughout England and America. In New Zealand over 1000 copies have been sold. A third edition has just been published, and copies may be obtained at Mr. D. Reichardt's Musio Warehouse, Wellington. — [ADyr.] Preparatory to receiving large consignments, Graves & Fleming wish to call the attention of their numerous customers to the balance of tho Uoods as advertised for Saturday next, after which they will offer the Goods to arrive at prices lower than has ruled during their unprecedented successful sale.— fADvr.J