THE REVISED REPRESENTATION BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9436, 6 August 1889, Page 5

THE REVISED REPRESENTATION BILL.

Thk following is a condensed analysis of the provisions of the new Representation Bill as revised and agroed to by the town and country parties :—

1. The districts known as special in the Act of ISS7 are to bo called rural and all others are to be etyled urban districts. 2. Twenty-eight per cent, is to be added to the population of the rural districts as a bonus.

3. The whole population of the colony (exclusive of Maoris), together with tho bonus of '28 per cent, above mentioned, is to be divided by 70 (the number of members), the quotient to be the quota. 4. With certain exceptions hereinafter mentioned each electoral district is to be such that not more than one member shall be assigned to it, and the population in such district is neither to exceed nor fall short of the quota by more than 750 by way of marginal allowance at the discretion of the Commissioners'.

">. In electoral district* formed up or out of urban districts the marginal allowance is not to bo applied by way of addition to the quota. G. In electoral districts formed partly of rural and partly of urban districts the marginal allowance is to be applied by way of addition to the quota only in proportion to the population of the rural portion of such district.

7. In estimating the population within the several electoral districts each rural district i.s to be estimated as containing a population with tlio aforesaid nominal additions.

8. The electorates of the four cities are to respectively amalgamate in such manner that to each may be allowed tlireo members.

9. The population of each of these amalgamated electorates shall be three timed the quota, and the Commissioners may reduce, but may not add, their marginal allowance of 750 in order to makeconveniont boundaries ; such reduction is not to exceed 750 for each member.

10. In order to mako np the number required for amalgamated city electorates, the Commissioners may include such boroughs or town districts, or parts thereof adjoining the city, as can be most conveniently included, and if that be not sufficient, they may include adjacent rural districts or part thereof. 11. All other electoral districts are to be such that one member shall be assigned to each.

Ib will be observed from this brief summary of the new Bill that the alterations are radical and thorough. The 28 per cent, bonus will prevent the reduction in the number of districts to 70 falling so heavily as ib otherwise would do on the country people. On the other hand the cities and suburbs, .and small boroughs are nob to have the margin of 750 used against them. It may bo used as herebofore between counbry disbriebs for the purpose of giving bhem well-defined boundaries, or making them more equal in other respects, bub ib cannob be used to add bo the bown populations as in bhe last allocation in 1887, and bhereby reduce bhe number required for each elecborabe in the counbry. Ib is stated that some of the members who have boroughs or towns within their elecboral boundary are much dissabisfied, and consider bhemselves sacrificed by bhe counbry members, with whom bhey had united to dictate to the four cities and thoir suburbs. This may cause further opposition, bub it is nob likely to be of a serious character, as their numbers are few and their cause unjust. They had no right bo enter into a secret alliance for such purposes as they did in the first instance. They have losb bhe unfair advanbage bhey bhen sought, bub cannot complain of any injustice under the now Bill. The amalgamation of bhe Ciby Electorates will no doubt be hotly debated, bub in all other respects the compromise appears nob to admit of question, and bo be honourable to both parties in what must otherwise have been a long and regrettable strife.