Evening Post.

Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 104, 29 October 1884, Page 2

Evening Post.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1884. AMALGAMATION OF CITY ELECTORATES. ♦ Howeveb brief the duration of tho present session may be, wo trust that, if there is any probability of a dissolution during the recess, time will be found to pass into law tho Bill which it is undorstood the Premier intends to introduce for tho purpose of reuniting tho city electorates. It was one of the greatest of the many mistakes made in tho last Electoral Act to split tho cities up into ward electorates. Theoretically, there is nothing to justify such divisions, and practically they have been found to be most injurious. Taking Wellington for instance, it is absurd to suppose that there is, so far as general politics are concerned, any diversity of interest between the threo districts into which tho city is divided. If the city, as a whole, had to roturn threo members as it used to do, thero would be far more chanco of the real feelings of the electors of the city being fairly represented in Parliament than there is under tho present system, where tho elections are practically decided on grounds very little wider than thoso on which Municipal elections are determined, and on personal rather than political reasons. We have no doubt that the same thing holds good in tho other cities of the Colony. Tho splitting up into small ward constituencies has destroyed all healthy public political feeling, and has greatly reduced tho influence which tho cities should properly have in tho Legislature. In Wellington, tho feeling is, we know, very strong in favour of tho three districts being merged into one, as was formerly the case. At the last general olection, and at the Thorndon election which preceded it, this feeling was unmistakably evinced by the electors, and, if wo mistako not, the whole of iho candidates wero more unanimous on this point than on any other which was raised during the campaign. In Dunedin, also, tho feeling in favour of a united electorate is very strong. Christchurch and Auckland are said to be less unanimous in favour of the change; but if thoy prefor to retain their present divisions, by all means let them do so. Wo should be very sorry to forco the inclinations of tho electors of either city in such a matter. Wo would, howover, appeal to their representatives to act towards us in tho same manner, and to allow of our city electorates being united, in compliance with the desire of tho electors, tho same priviloge being accorded to Dunedin, if Uuncdin also wishes it. In a matter such as this local feoling should certainly be consulted; and it should not bo sacrificed, as it was most ruthlessly by Sir John Hall, in order to gratify some fad of his about single electorates. If the present Parliament runs out its natural life, we hope to soo tho whole Representation Act reconsidered before the noxt gonoral election. Fow, if any, of the present electoral divisions in this Provincial district are satisfactory, or what they ought to be. The Foxton district is certainly one of the most absurdly bounded districts in the colony. Thero is no intercourse between its several centres, and no possible community of interest. Somo of its boundaries wero, wo believe, specially arranged in ordor to render socuro the seat of a representative of another district, the disaffected portion of which was cleverly tacked on to tho Foxton district, with which really it has nothing to do. The division of the Wairnrapa into two districts was also a mistake, and ono which we hope to see rectified in the next Representation Act. Thoso errors, however, will require time to set right; but under no circumstances should another general election be allowed to take place while those citios which desire to bo reunited remain split up into singlo electorates. We regret that the list of Bills which it is stated tho Government intend to try and pass into law this session docs not include the City Electorates Bill, which proposos tho reform we desiro. It is to bo hoped, however, that tho Premier, seeing the necessity for an alteration of the law on this subject, may yet introduce tho Bill, and that it may be sanctioned by Parliament this session.