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Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 76, 19 June 1852, Page 6

Copt op a Letter addressed to the Resident Magistrate of Canterbury, on the subject of the Proclamation of June 3rd, 1852, relating to the Division of the Province of New Munster into Electoral Districts: — Civil Secretary's Office, Wellington, June 3rd, 1852. Sir, —In forwarding to you a copy of a Proclamation which lias just been-issued to constitute Districts for the Election of Members of the Provincial Legislature, to be established under the provisions of the Provincial Councils Ordinance, Sess. XI. No. 6, I am directed by his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief to furnish you with the followlowing explanation connected therewith : — You will observe that the Proclamation makes no provision for the number of Members to be returned by each Electoral District. The circumstances .under which this omission has been considered advisable are these. The Provincial Councils Ordinance was originally framed in contemplation of ihe subdivision, at an earlier date than the present, of the Province of New Munster into several provinces of minor extent. The expediency of such a subdivision was recognized by Lord Grey as long ago as February 1851. And, in a despatch of that date from his Lordship to the Governor-in-Chief, his Excellency was informed that he would be empowered to create such new Provinces by fresh royal instructions to be issued in that behalf. The Instructions alluded to have, however, not yet been received. It appeared then to his Excellency and the Executive Council, that the utility and efficiency of Institutions like the Provincial Councils, framed with special reference, in the words of Lord Grey, to their subordinate character, would be so greatly augmented by their application to districts of a comparatively limited extent, that ifc was deemed desirable to defer, if possible, any decision upon the number of members to be chosen in each Electoral District until such decision could be so made as to accord with the establishment of the several Councils intended to be created. This, of course, could not be done until the number of Provinces was determined, and the powers to establish them were received. The latter may now be daily expected to arrive. The present Proclamation therefore has been confined in its object to the division of the existing Province of New Munster into Electoral Districts, which may be available after the creation of the Provinces it will eventually comprise. But while this object has been strictly kept in view, all that was necessary at present appeared to be, to include only the inhabited portions of the Province in such Districts, leaving the Electoral Division of the almost uninhabited tracts of country lying between the Settlements to be determined upon when the boundaries of the Provinces shall have been definitively settled. As, moreover, these Provinces are to be constituted, according to the received intimation of the intentions of Her Majesty's Government, without reference to any particular regulation regarding the sale of land which may prevail in some portions of, them, it is hardly necessary to state that the Proclamation does not preclude the extension of the limits of the Province of Canterbury, as it may be ultimately defined, beyond those of the Electoral Districts now proclaimed for that Settlement. On the receipt of the instructions above alluded to, his Excellency will proceed to fix the boundaries of the Canterbury, as well as those of the Nelson and Otago Provinces, in a manner which he trusts may be satisfactory to the great majority of persons interested in the question. It has been further found necessary, within this Province, to extend the period at which Writs are made returnable to ninety days, in order that due time may be allowed for their conveyance to the more distant Settlements, such as Otago, and for the adoption therein of the steps necessary to be taken upon their being received. By the above arrangements you will perceive that the only object at present contemplated, namely, to secure the formation of the Electoral Roll, and to give all persons in each Settlement, entitled to such a privilege, an opportunity of having their names placed upon such Roll in time for the approaching Elections, has been ensured ; and every requisite arrangement will have been made, to prevent delay in the introduction, on the arrival of the instructions before alluded to, of Representative Institutions in the precise form which Parliament will have decided upon giving them. '

It now only remains for me to request that you will be good enough to state for his Excellency's information whether you consider additional Polling Places necessary in any of the Electoral Districts mentioned in the Proclamation.

I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble servant, Alfred Domett, Civil Secretary, To the Resident Magistrate, Canterbury.