The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 647, 30 May 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1878.

Teik subject of representation is one that will en-age the attention of Parliament next session. Already trie matter has b«en discussed preitv freely both by members* of the General Assembly and the I"reas ; I'tit. while nearly the whole ot the speakers and writers have pointed out l ho many daring discrepancies in the proportions of ivprt .sentatives at present .V cord, d tu different portions of tfiL •;;" ( ,iony, and the total absence of any ruling principle, fen- have attempted t» : propound any scheme by winch the anomalies and ine.fialities they complain of can be s irt.-factorily remedied. The : subject is*. rhoro.iu'liLv beset with dith_.t:tits that we almost despair of any 'sa'i-faetory solution being arrived at. f-i a UI-.V country tiie dilk'enity of dealine: with the matter"is rendered doubiy ditti- ! cult because of the t-v-r-ehaiigiiig circumstances of the coitntiy. Xe.v lowiiaiups and viila-es arc constantly springing into I existence. The b..nvn and unprotected ' valley of one year m y be the Home ~f thousands of liiiti. r.-> . :.- Hex- : the

broad sheep run may witom a row inont.'is become the dwelling: place- of scores '" farmers and their families and > »»;. «>:/'■■■! at tin.-present time More particularly instances of this an- d iiiy occumiiir;—ami the- s roggiing and _ viiligu ->i t.)-dav may, fr-mi some special ;.-.'i-e, spring fort';: into a vigorous am.'. d'oHioi.iuo tounship within a very 5:...-r: spac ■■: time. Ail*the.-.e 'hil.gs have happ.-i.io fre-iii. iitlv during the past sh.»rt n.«" r;. of fh.e C-.ioliv. and are likely to .ecu a-'ain and again for years to come. Are we to illidfigo a i-.-adjiisll.ienl of :-■■. ''-

sentation wliciiever i'rcsii circumstances arise which render it out of proportion .' H so our legislators an likelv to liave plenty to uo. it !.-:

different in an " 111 country, whore t't-w events occur t.» disturb the relative proportions of the population of its component parts. In a previous article we pointed out that the proposal to b;.Se representation on population, although appearin- perfectly fair in theory, wou.a prove utterlv unworkable aii.l nianiiestly unjust if reduced to practice. It has not been attempted to cany it into force in the Home Country : and why I Because were population alone to be taken as the substratum upon which to build up a system of representation the whole power of government would be centred m the thickly populated cities. Commerce and manufactures would become the dominant interests, while the representatives 01 agricultural, pastoral, and the many other pursuits which so to make up a nation's "t-eatness would be powerless for good or evil. These arguments apply with equal, if not greater force, in a young and changeful country like ours. \Y hile we are free to admit that tiiere are a few "taring discrepancies in the present distribution of seats in the House of representatives, we are not altogether convinced that the present apportionment of members is so outrageously bad as some would make it appear. Judged by the present state of affairs in England, our representation is marvellously correct and fair. In proof of our assertion we will rpiote a few figures from a late authority. From this we lind that Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool, each having 00,000 or more registered electors, have three representatives each in the House of Commons, while the same number of members are given to Berkshire wi'h 7.7'Jt5, Dorsetshire with 7,295, Oxfordshire with 7,300, and Bucks with 7.113 electors only. Then again, we notice that wliile. Lambeth, Fmsbury, Hackney, and Sheffield, each of which 'iave over 50,000 electors, have only two representatives in the House of Conuiions, Bradford, Bristol, Hull, Chebea, and Wolverhampton, with between 25,000 aud 30.000 electors, each have a similar number ; aud that Bedford, Aylesbury. Bury St. Edmunds, Warwick, Winchester, Tiverton, and a host of other electorates, ail of v.-iiica cannot boast of more Hum 3 000 registered electors, while several of ti.ein have less than 2,000, voters are blessed with the same voting power in the representative branch of the Imperial PiirliaiuenL. We actually discover that one constituency, with 142 electors, and less titan 3,000 of a po r i.;.;iiou, has its npieceiiiative in the House of Commons. The cases we have quoted are not the onlyones to be found. Scores of equally striking iustances may be met with m every quarter of England, Ireland, and

Sr..thnd. What shall br> said of our ii—qualities in representation after a con- j si.-U'iTtioii of such a state of things in a j country of whose history numerous | v..»-.mcs hare already lean published, j \vl de the history of thi., - ,-iony has yet to ; V vrktei: ! j