THE ELECTORAL BILL.

Evening Star, Issue 4965, 31 January 1879, Page 1

THE ELECTORAL BILL.

Taking the cue from the Attorney-General, the Ministerial Press, and ' notably. that divinely-inspired organ the 'New Zealander,' have shuck out. a highly-original line, of defence in the matter of the abandonment of the Electoral kill. It is now asserted that the provision in the original draft, approved by Cabinet and submitted to the House of Representatives, to the effect that Maoris should only have the privilege of the ordinary franchise when they; Were bond Jhle ratepayers, was contingent upon the passing pari jxissu with the Electoral BiU,or\EUp>esentation Bill, under which it was intended to grant a increase of representation to the ,Maoris ..under.their, special- franchise. Cpnsequently,, .when the passing \of- stich a.. Bill was found to be" hopeless, ; Mihi&ters were constrained .to lamend :the Elepttiral Bill so far as to restore ,the Maoris Somewhat iito' their present 1 ' corfdijiion under existing laW/'" This is very specious and remarkably ingenious, but unfortunately is unsupported by .a shadow of evidence. MrISTOUT, in hiß recent address to the electors, committed himself to tire statementthat when he found '.' it wag impossible to introduce, a Redistribution of Seats Bill he urged that it would be monstrously unfair to pass a liberal BiU providing for'the European franchise, while the Maori franchise was almost- swept .away."" The. * New Zealahder' takes up the parable, ami holds up those conscientious political martyrs, Sir .George , Grey and his colleagues,: to public admiration for. their high-principled and noble conduct iu aacrificing a pet measure—a complete • • plank," indeed, of their policy—sooner than that the aboriginal race, who have such correct ideas in matters political, should be deprived of the opportunity of filling the North Island'seats' with nominees of Mr Sheeiiak. . Of course .the fact is patent that the original Bill restricted the Maori franchise in European election's, to what is known as the ratepayers' franchise. This cannot well be denied, for the Bill is in print and distributed broadcast over the country. Unfortunately Mr Stotjt forgot that his speech on the-second* is embalmed in ' Hansard * and to those bold spirits who venture to 'grapple with that interesting work of fiction. Now, when the 'Attorney-General introdiiced and moved the second reading, the. measure embodied the " monstrous unfairness " which he now denounces, and that' this was intended to be perpetrated for some occult reason we confess ourselves unable to divine, and.that there was no mental reservation'or intent to remedy the by collateral and coterminous legislation, 'is clear and evident. This is what he says re the redistribution of seats: "The distribution of seats according to population isaprinciple laid down in our Constitution Act, ■"• and is a principle. that I believe now ought to be approached, if not carried out in full';I but the Government-believe that if : we'at ouce introduce a Bill, dealing with .the*.redistribution of seats it would mean all immediate dissolution, and if so, it" would mean that the elections would have to-take placeunder the existing rolls, and not under thS newrolls provided for by this Bill . .-. and we do not think that would be fair to the people of New Zealand."'_ Not only, therefore,.had the Government no intention to introduce such a measure, but Mr STorrrhiinself gave excellent reasons why [such not advisable. This was. on-August; S, : sticl**r.ot until September 26, when passed through ; Committee, did" he "move on behalf of the disfranchised'. Maoris, it no doubt,, in.; the meantime forcibly impressed itself upon Ministers that thty were cutting their own throats by limiting the political usefulness of the Pakeha-Maoris and other hangers on of the Native Department. The credulity of the public may be, and no doubt'is, very great, but this dose is altogether too difficult to swallow, although,, if ..the premises could be acceptedas; fbunded even remotely on fact, the baseniiade. out is a fair, andtenable one. As it is, all the high-flown, rhetoric of the Premier and Mr Stoitt about, the inalienable rights of the Maoris under the Constitution Act, ;the T univ.ersal. man, etc., tells very strongly against their own ppliisy... It was their own proposal —not even suggested from■: ; the ratepayers'. franchise: ■ alone should be conceded; and because, no doubt for good and obvious reasons, they thought fit to chahgb their mindsj-they turh'-round-ind abuse the Legislative-Council in no set tains ior insisting on keeping them to their word. Does not the cry of the do>v'n-trodden, 70 0$) Europeans, deprived of a voice in the affairs of the country" through the abandonment of this Bill, haunt the Ministerial couches,? —that marvellous army of non-electors who are yearning and. praying for the franchise preferring so great • a privilege to any oth'|r temporal blessing. Will; these 70,000 (?) —when found make a note ■ of.'• them be satisfied . with. this new set" of plea-* ? or. will they not >' demur in' their own minds as to the matters' of fa«.t alleged? Never mind, there is a good time coming, not exactly the millennium, but next door, to that blessed period. A spick-and-span new Liberal policy is being prepared. Everything 1 is to be equalised, political rights, social and pecuniary conditions. The. land is to be redistributed as well as -the representation, and we presume, following but the polity, of Sparta, common, .tables will be established, and a maximum of working fixed by .law.. Sparta, with' these inconceivable anil much-to-be-desired social advantages, . was 1 ruled by a tyrrahous ; oligarchy. The people whom Sir George loves so much had better take heed lest, under the name of "liberty, equality, and fraternity," somh such result . comes. about in New Zea-< land. An elective Governor, so strongly advocated by the Premier and his AttorneyGeneral, is but a step towards an independent President; and the present Ministry are quite rash enough, had they tbeir own sweet will, to push off from the grand old Imperial hull and tempt the waves in a cockle-boat,, not troubling about compass or provisions so : long as they are monarchs of all they survey.