REGISTRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1005, 4 March 1871, Page 1

REGISTRATION.

The elections should Berve as the best of possible reminders to the public that the present quarter is the* only time of the year during which claims for registration of electors can be received. We take occasion every year to call the attention of those who possess qualifications, but whose names are not on the electoral roll, to the duty they owe to themselves in this regard, and to the limits set by the law to its fulfilment. That such reiterated appeals are necessary is well exemplified by the fact that unless some individual exerts himself for his own sake to persuade qualified persons to send in their claims, the number of registrations in any one year is, probably, seldom more than a tenth of what it ought to be. It is further shown in the fact that of such claims as are made, the majority are sent in during the last day or two of the period which the law allows for them, and that it almost invariably happens that some reach the hands of the Registrar too late. This year probably more attention will be paid to the subject than usual. We have an association in Dunedin whioh has been expressly organised to watch over the political destinies of the country. The attention of its leaders has hitherto, apparently, been absorbed in the elections. They will miss one of the most important of their selfimposed duties, if they neglect th« subject of registration. Their recent scrutiny of the rolls for the province must have convinced them that they do not include a very considerable number of names whioh ought to be upon them. If they confine their effort* to a party awrwfi?* only, «w span]? feofc tfor

the registration of persons -whose political opinions they believe to coincide ■with their own, they will still do good service. Their endeavours "will no doubt stimulate their political opponents to similar work. Between them' they will do a service to the State, for nothing can be more undesirable than that those who have a right to take part in the political affairs of their country should be precluded from doing so from lack of having filled up a form and sent in a claim. So long as the electoral law stands as it does, all efforts to induce those who have qualifications to make their franchise secure are praiseworthy. Consideration of this matter naturally leads us to a wider topic. The state of the electoral law itself is a subjeot which ought to have serious attention. Matters of higher importance have too long diverted the attention of the public from the anomalies of this law and its real illiberality. Its regulations in regard to qualifications are complicated without being conservative. The qualifications appear to be fixed at a low enough standard to be very liberal, and yet they exclude a great number of persons who would in neighbouring colonies be entitled to the franchise ; and, on the other hand, they are in no sense protections against any effects which their framers may have supposed to be likely to flow from so great an extension of the franchise — for they exclude a very large number of educated persons. These anomalieshave often been pointed out by the press of the colony, and occasionally at the hustings—especially when some candidate, new to political life, is before the public — we have strong expressions aboutthem. But reforms such as are required m this important law never secure the attention of politicians, except when it becomes evident to them that their only road to the success of ideas they are upholding lies through such constitutional changes. It is impossible to say how long it may be before any such contingency will arise in New i Zealand. In the mean time, unless some individual of sufficient determination of purpose should make the subject his hobby, the electoral laws will probably remain as they are. Nor can ! any complaint be made if such should be the case, unless that part of the public which is most interested makes itself heard on the subject. It is true that it did so, and there could not be a better opportunity than the present for agitating the matter. Even if there should be little probability of an extension of the franchise being taken up as a party question in the present state of our affairs, it is by no means impossiblethat if public opinion backs him, some one may be found to do for that part of the law which fixes the franchise what Mr Reynolds has done for that which regulated our elections. The ballot never was a party question in New Zealand, and would, probably, never have been heard of in Parliament, had not a large number of persons who bad been accustomed to it as part of the election machinery in other colonies given voice to their disapprobation at the existence of another system here. When the public had spoken its mind freely the cause of the ballot found a determined champion in the gentleman to whom we have just alluded. And, no doubt, the cause of Electoral Reform will be equally fortunate as soon as there is a sufficientl strong manifestation of public opinion on the subjecb. Pejrhaps Mr Reynolds himself may not bo found unwilling to take up a new brief. Whenever . such reforms are attempted, we hope the revision of the law will include that section of it which regulates the formation of Electoral Rolls. In Borne colonies it is not left to the individual to claim his franchise. The State undertakes the duty of declaring who is qualified to vote at an election, That system apj*W to v* to to bf a kns vay totter

than our own. It is not found to be very expensive, and it has been proved to be efficient. In a new country it is the only way by which the names of the more quietly disposed class of citizens will ever be found in proper proportion on the Electoral Rolls.