THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." FRIDAY, JANUAIiY 31st, 1862

Otago Daily Times, Issue 66, 31 January 1862, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." FRIDAY, JANUAIiY 31st, 1862

" Register ! register ! register ! " and " object! object! object!" were the several cries upon which those iistute politicians, Messrs. Tadpole and Taper, relied for securing for their party a permanent predominance in the Parliament of Great Britain, and it must be confessed that however mean their motives, they were wise in their generation. for they undoubtedly advised the only means by which, under representative institutions, as arranged in England and her dependencies, it W possible to gain any political advantage. When registration is made an essential preliminary to the exercise of the franchise, it is clear that a practical politician must devote to it a considerable share of his attention, for however numerous and enthusiastic his political adherents may be, their number and enthusiasm will both be unavailing on the day of election, if, by neglecting to get themselves registered in proper time, tlie3' have failed to secure the right to vote. Every sharp parliamentary agent in England, therefore, makes it his business to hunt up the electors who favor his party, and to fee that they secure their registration ; while, with equal eagerness, he lays himself out to find and to urge objections against those of a different political creed. A distinct party organization exists, and a keen contest for power sufficiently stimulates the activity of partisans, and the consequence is that but few votes are lost for want of being registered But, where no definite parties exist, and the spirit of rivalry does not prompt particular divisions of the community to exercise a constant mutual vigilance, the loss of votes from neglect to register is very considerable. The interest in political affairs is not suilieiently sustained to prompt the bulk of the doctors to look sharply after their own registration ; there are no pushing agents looking after every vote; aud the natural consequence is that the proper time for registering is by very many allowed to elapse without the necessary steps being taken to secure their votes. A mitiik'iiui reflection will shew the folly of this neglect. In the first place it will be admitted, that if a man has no vote he is not represented, and that so iar as he is individually concerned, representative institutions are a dead letter. But, it may be argued that where there are no parties but little danger can exist, because the chances are that those who neglect to secure their registration will be of all shades of opinion, and ihus, in all probability, their dislranehisement, would not materially aif'er.-t the result of a.I)}' election, although causing a diminution of the total number of votes polled. This, however, is a mistake, for although there may be no great parties, there will always be factions, and any faction anxious to carry a particular point, would secretly labour to secure the registration of its own adherents aud mighr thus gain a degree of influence altogether out of proportion to its numerical strength. The interests of the great body of the people :u'tst ever be opposed to those of any faction, and it behoves them therefore to take measures to prevent any faction from obtaining "in undue share of power. To do this, it becomes necessary for them to secure their own votes, in fact to proceed, as against faction, in precisely the same wav as one part}' works against another. —in a word, to adopt the watch cry oi' " ik'gister ! Register ! Register !" The time for registering claims to vote, in this Province, for the several elections of Superintendent, of Members of the House of Representatives, and of Membsrs of the Provincial Council is now rapidly passing by, and we should be wanting in our duty as public journalists were we to neglect to impress upon our readers the importance of sending in their claims for registration before it is too late. But it is by no means improbable that, many who are really entitled to vote may be ignorant of their right, while others, especially among those recently arrived from Victoria, and accustomed to the idea of " manhood suffrage" may be falsely possessed with tlw notion that they can claim the franchise. It may therefore be of service if we briefly state the qualifications required of electors aud the means to be adopted to secure their votes. By the " Constitution Act," 15 and 16 Vic, Op. 72, it is provided that every man twentyone years of age, who has been six months in possession of a "freehold of i!SO clear value—or who holds a leasehold estate of the annual value of £10, and the lease of which he has held for three years, or which has three years to run; —or a householder who has resided for six months in a house of the annual value of £]0 if within a town, or £5 if outside a town, shall be entitled to a vote. To this lisl must now be added holders of Miners' Rights who have held the saii>e for three months. But to give force to any of these qualifications, registration is necessary, and the registration must be conducted as. follows. Every person entitled to vote may, in the first quarter of the year— that is in January, February, or March—apply at the office of the Registrar for the district in which he resides, and will there receive a printed form of claim and declaration, to be filled up with his name, abode, the nature of his qualification, and the description of his property. This he will have to sign, and his signature will require to be witnessed by a householder or freeholder of the colony. The claim thus filled up will be left with the Registration Officer, who, from the claims will prepare a list, which will be published in the usual way through the newspapers, to allow of objections being made; and all against whom objections are not sustained will be placed upon the electoral roll. It will be observed that already one-third of the time during which claims can be received has passed away, and that if the}' are not made before the end of March, all chance of getting on the roll for this year will be lost. We would, therefore, earnestly impress upon all who have not yet done so the importance

of losing no time iu making t.beir claim-. We would urge upon them how absolutely it is their duty, as well as their interest, to secure lheir political rights ; we would remind them once more, that by now getting their names upon the roll they not only secure votes for the election of members of the House of Representatives, but also for the I'rovincial Council elections, and for the Superintendency ; and looking at all these advantages we feel that they must respond to the call—Register ! Register ! Register !

We are informed that a great deal of gold is brought down by private hands, the miners being under the impression that they can obtain a higher price for their gold in Dunedin, and some go the length to suppose that it is even worth their while to make a trip to Melbourne. The miners will do us the justice to remember that a short while back we exposed the fact that they were being paid too little for their gold. Since then a considerable rise has taken place, especially on the diggings, -where the same price is given as at Dunedin, whereas, formerly, the figure was a shilling less. But, besides this actual rise, there is another indirect one, which probably is little thought of by the miners. The news from England hist mail, advised the Banks that an extra insurance of two per cent, for war risk was being paid at home on gold from Australia. Evidently this lesssens the value of gold in Australia two per cent., because the cost of transmission is by this amount increased The Banks might then have lowered the price of gold two per cent., equal to about one sliiilmg and sixpence an ounce ; but, instead of which, they raised the rate of Exchange on the merchants, and thus made the cxrru. insurance a charge on the cost of remittances for imports.

In adopting this measure, which was somewhat unusual, they were probably guided by the consideration that it is easier to raise the exchange than to lower the price of gold, and {hat next mail might bring intelligence of the cessation of the war insurance. The case tands thus, —if next mail brings news of a pacific character, the war insurance will be relinquished, and exchange fall again. If, on the contrary, the news is of a warlike nature, it is quite likcl}' that the price of gold will be lowered, and the exchange yet f'urtherincreased. We do not wish to offer advice on the subject, the miners should judge for themselves as to the probabilities of the next intelligence, and decide as to the policy of holding or parting with their gold. But they are certainly unwise to run a double hazard in taking a trip to Melbourne, where it is quite likely the price of gold has already been lowered, be sides the rate of exchange being raised. In regard to bringing gold to Dunedin, as we have said, the price that rules in town is no higher than that on the diggings.

The escort last night brought down from Waitahuua 1,587 o/., 14 dwts., from Tuapeka 8,722 oz--5 dwts., making a total of 10,310 oz.

The petition for a bi-monthly mail to and from Melbourne Ims received the signatures of the lending firms in Duncdiu. It will remain :it the office of this paper three days longer for signature.

An express waggon was sent up in the early part of the week to Waipori with constables r.nd tents to forui a LViieo Station there. It returned last night in charge of mounted trooper Garvey bringing down 1,030 ounces of gold, the property of the Bank of New Zealand. Amongst the quantity is the 13^ oz. nugget, reference to which has been previously made. It was bought by the Bank of New Zealand. It w.*s found in a " blind gulley." It is to be hoped that it will be secured for- the Exhibition. The mining poppulation in Waipori is very much scattered, and the gold when found occurs in patches. Great complaints are made that the size of the claims in the river-bed is so small that no inducement is ottered to work them on a proper scale. Gold lias been found In some of tin; hills. Ifrom a tunnel carried in about twenty feet, we are told of 2(j ozs. being procured.

A melancholy accident occum-d at Waiholn on Thursday evening last. A child of 3 years of age, daughter of Mr Wm. White, an old settler, was scalded to death by falling into a tub of boiling water, which had been placed outside the door to cool. In falling it pulled another tub over it, and remained imm.'waJ In the'boiling water for some minutes. When extricated from this dreadful position the whole or'the body, except the face, was in almost a parboiled condition, and it lingered iu excruciating- a.jony for about three hours, when its sufferings wore terminated by death.

We are glad to notice that the storekeepers on the digging.-; arc beginning to show more confidence in the gold-n'cids. Several line stores and substantial buildings are being put up. Amongst the largest is one belonging to Mr. ,',. Ilillosis, on '.VethcrstoiK-'s, who has been lately making several addition.?. The building is ~>i> by GO feel in dimensions, and built entirely of iron. This looks like confidence in the pern:-anent nature oi the place.

We publish, in another part of I his issue, thai portion of the J-eouire lately delivered by Dr. Lindsay, to the Young Men's Christian Association, that refers to the Geology of the iVovmce.