MRMACKAY'S SCHEME OF NATIVE REPRESENTATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5539, 17 November 1879, Page 2

MRMACKAY'S SCHEME OF NATIVE REPRESENTATION.

The -Wellington . correspondent of 1 the Wanganui. lierqld. says :— Commissioner j( I James Mac,kay-r-whether at the request of the Government or not, I can not say— » has lodged with the Hon; the Minister for^ Native . Affairs a scheme By which' two* native members will be added to the four at present holding seats in the Houbo of Representatives, and, at the same time will secure more uniformity of represents-; ■tion,-both on, the basis of population and of community i . of . tribal interests. The; scheme has not yet been discussed in Cabinet, but -.1 am in a position, to lay it .before your readers somewhat in detail. If the reader will take a finap of the North Island and draw a atraigh line from ; the- mouth , of. the Wair katd river through the 'watershed ot the Manukau and Waitemata to the ' West Coaafc, all North of that line will be the Northern Electoral District, embracing the Ngapuhi, ; Karawa, and Ngatinhatua tribe 3. A lino starting jfrom the mouth of the Mokau, River, and passing witfi a' bold sweep below . Lake Taupo and up to. Katikati, will embrace between the Southern bpuridary of the Nothern dis'i trict the North-weßtern district, containing the Waikato, Thames, , and Ngatamanio T pot 6 tribes.^ Another line > drawn ; from LakeTauppwith a similar southerly sween, andthen up to Whangapaora, will defiqe therJSfxtrthreastern district, inhabited bj the A'Tawa, IJriwere, Ngateranga, andEasi Coast Ngatirwa. ' Then a line drawn straight downfrbm Lake Taupo to WeT lirigfcon will divide the South- westerafrom the Southern-eastern districts— the firsj Mentioned peopled by the West Coast Ngatiawa, iTaranaki, Ngatioamana, Ngamuru, Whanganui, and Rangitane ; auic the latter by the Ngatikahungu and Ngati poroti. All, with the exception of the South-western district, will form distinct Maori Electoral Districts, each returning a member. .To the South-western district — that in which you are - more particularly interested— will ' be allied the western portion of the South Islandj divided, from, the remainder by a HniE drawn from Rocks Point, on the Wesl Coast, to the mouth of the Clarence River on the East. Coast. All south of this luu will form a sixth Electoral 'District^alsc returning Vone native menibW. S Tfi< appears to me just to thenativi .race, , and altogether a feasible one. ■ ,