Marlborough Express Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1892. THE ELECTORAL BILL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVIII, Issue 224, 21 September 1892, Page 2

Marlborough Express Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1892. THE ELECTORAL BILL.

THE ELECTORAL BILL. * . The delays that have taken place ia the advancement of the policy measures of the Government is not m any great way attributable to the Opposition, but almost wholly due te the Government who have put forward petty measures m place of coming down early with those of importance. The talk now is that the session is only to last two weeks more, yet the Public Works Statement is not down, and the only measure of any value that has been through both Houses is the Elsotoral Bill, and it is not yet done with. This Bill will slightly alter the existing law, but its main feature will be the introduction of female electoral rights, m other words women will vote by letter and not at the polling booth. For some reason or other this proposal is said to meet with the disapproval of the Government, and the Evening Post on this occasion sides with the Government. It almost goes into hysterics on the matter, and lets out m this fashion : — " It would be difficult to conceive anything more absurd or uncalled for than the method of voting evolved for women by the Statutes Revision Committee of the Legislative Council. It is complex, ' and practically unworkable, and it is entirely opposed to the whole Bpirit and practice of the ordinary electoral institutions of the colony. It would, if adopted, be productive of absolute oonf usion m every election. Its being optional, and an application of machinery devised to meet the case of voters absent from the districts m which they are registered, does not remove the objections to its adoption to facilitate women voting m the diet' iot of which they are electors. The women of the colony do not demand any such special protection m the matter of recording their votes. They ask for the same

electoral privileges as men — neither more nor less. They are willing to vote as men vote if given the right to do so.; If they required i special protection m voting the fact would supply a strong argument to show ; that th^y are not fife to vote at all. But they not only do not require it, they have protested against it." Tha Post is a day behind the fair, and is making members like Mr Fish a peg to hang a hat on. The principle of voting by letter ia one now. acknowledged by the granting of the privilege to seamen, tbe Act this year will extend it to commercial travellers and shearers, and why not to women ? The time is not far off when it will be optional whether a voter goes to tho booth or not. The first thing to be gained is the female franchise, and that they are not to be required to go to the polling booths, this being optional, is not only not a detraction but rather ths reverse. It is moreover the only condition on which the Legislative Counoil will grant /the franchise. We notice that the protest which the Post refers to came from the Dunedin Female Franchise League, but it was not so blunt as the Post would have us believe. They wired to the Hba. W. D. Stewart asking him riot to stand out unduly for tha electoral right, as they weirs prepared to vote under tbe ordinary, system if they could not get it. Let us quote a special correspondent on the answer sent :—" Mr Stewart m reply says that he must stand by this proposal because it is the only ohance of getting female franchise carried m the Legislativa Council. If this olauae ia carried allowing women to vote by electoral rights Mr Stewart believes that the bill will be carried by a majority of three or four. If not the clause will almowt certainly be thrown oufc. Mr Stewart is of opinion that the Council will insist on tho femaio electoral right clause as a means of ensuring for women ireedom from annoyance m voting, and enabling women m the country to vote without baing obliged to travel long distances to do so. The feeling is-, that this provision is essontial to the exercise of ths feminize vote and that the Counoil Will insist on ifc as the condition upon'whioh women's franchise shall be purchased." Another matter whioh will caufia a ripple m tha Lower House is that .while they will agree to : tho one-man-on&---roll principle, the Legislativa Council also insist that the ona-ruan-onc-vote shall be adhered to m oitisa aa well as m towns and m • the • country. . In other words m plase ' of electors' m Wellington, Auckland, Ohristchuroh and Dnnedin having tha privilege of voting for three candidates thsy will have to: ?ote for the one who represents the district they reside m, unless, of coarse, they eleot to nse their property qualification elsewhere,. The Ministry and the Counoil v^ill m all likelihood came to close quarters on these matters, for the loss of a block vote m the cities would weaken ths Ministerial position, and tha voting of women who do not like to enter a polling booth, would m, all probability go Conservative also. Taken altogether, tho. Bill is an improvement on the present Act, but uhleßS it gives the right to select the qualification, thatmay be exercised, it will fall Bhort of tho demand of the electors. In the faca of tho howl .raised, by, the so-oalled Liberal party last year at the action of the Lagislative Council, it ia instructive to watch the course that legislation this year bas'taksn, and in' nothing js this more marked than m the alterations and allowances made m this year's Electoral Bill, but the Counoil have yet to insist, on the two amendments we have alluded to before it is as satisfactory a measure as it can be made. • • : ■