Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, MAUCH 8, 1879.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5325, 8 March 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, MAUCH 8, 1879.

TjrEiiE arc perhaps few of our readers Avho aro unaAvaro that the present month is tho last during which claims to vote can bo sent in to tho Registration Officers, to enable tho claimants to bo placed on tho rolls for tho year ; but though almost all aro aAvare of the fact there aro many Avho require to bo reminded of it. Wo therefore iioav take up our annually recurring task of calling tho attention of persons qualified to A r ote, but whoso names are not on tho rolls, to tho necessity of sending in their claims before tho last day of March. The procedure is quite simple. Forms for making the claim aro easily procurable — they may bo had at the office of the Herald free of charge — and. instructions for filling 1 them in Avill bo found on tho forms themselves. The signature of the claimant must be Avitncssod cither by a Justice of tho Peace, or by a person Avho is an elector, and, Avhen this is done, the form must be loft at tho office of the Registration Officer. In this district the office is at tho Court-house, whore a box is lccpt into Avhieh the claim papers aro dropped. There arc many persons, wo regret to say, Avho aro careless or negligent about having their names placed on the electoral roll, and only haA'o its A r aluo brought homo to their minds Avhen an election is about to take place in which they probably feel deeply interested. Then they Avake up to the disagreeable knowledge of their enfranchisement. They see strenuous endeavors being made to get this or that candidate returned, but they have to stand aloof from the contest because their OAvn negligence has stripped them of tho right to take part in tho affray. The franchise, as avc havo it in this colony even now, is exceedingly broad, and if all thoso Avho aro qualified under it Avero to avail themselves of tho privilege it confers, the number excluded from voting would be .vory foAv ; but that number is largely increased by thoso Avho either do not caro about tho privilege or who Avill not take tho trouble to acquire it. The matter is, hoAvevor, too important to bo so dealt with. EA r ory citizen Avho is qualified OAves it to himself and to his felloAV-citizons to get his name placed on the roll and to exercise his A T oto Avhen tho occasion for it arises. Each citizen should regard his vote not as a mere unit included in a largo number, but as if it Avcre tho vote Avhich decided tho election, and if all electors avovo to so regard their votes,- not only Avould tho value of tho privilege bo more correctly esteemed, but there would be more caro taken in giving the vote at an election than avo fear is the case at present. Just now there is, wo think, special reason for making it desirable that every man in this district avlio is qualified should have his name on the electoral roll. Tho coming session threatens to bo a stormy one, and it is more than probable that before it closes there will bo cause for a dissolution of Parliament. Then, besides, it must bo remembered that there aro many Maori names on tho roll of this district, and it therefore becomes tho duty of all qualified Europeans to claim the privilege to Avhich they are by hvw entitled.