ELECTORAL BILL.

Colonist, Volume XXXIV, Issue 7033, 9 June 1891, Page 3

ELECTORAL BILL.

(From the ' Evening Post,') The new Bill proposed by the Government to consolidate the law relating to the qualification and registration of electors and the conduct of Parliamentary elections, of which much has been heard in anticipation, is before us. Its most important provisions are those giving full effect to the one-man-one-vote principle. Every person entitled to register in one or more districts in respect to one or more qualifications is to choose between the districts and the qualifications, and there are provisions as to transfer of district or of qualification. Registrars of Births, Deaths, and Marriages are to furnish Registrars of Electors every January with the list of the names of all adult males who have died in the district during the year, in order to enable their removal from the electoral roll. If the Registrar objects to any person's right to be enrolled; as an elector, the elector may, within 15 days, cause his name to be removed from the roll, and bo avoid Court proceedings. If the person objected to is summoned and fails to appear, the Besident Magistrate is to strike off his name by default. . Costs,"inoludiDg professional costs, are to be allowed either party to proceedings of the kind, with additional posts to the extent ef £5, against any .person who haamade a frivolous objection -to an enrolment. .■; The Begistrar is to expuDge without summons the oftme of any residential ejeator who has hit the dietriot for bis monthß ; and that of any person who baa been absent from the Colony more than twel?« months, Such

a people may, however, send in fresh claims to s be registered, and absence from the district ia a not to be deemed removal unless tha eleotor 3 has registered himself in some other district, i No person is to be entitled to vote under a • residential qualification unless within the, six months preceding the election he has been 9 actually resident in the diatriot for six dayg, ' separately or oonaeoutively. Every printed i; electoral roll is to have the list of illegal and • corrupt praotioes appended to it. Seamen , are to vote by means of elector's rights, on the plan brought into vogue in the last , general election. The polling day at every 3 general election ia to be a public holiday , throughout the Colony. Wagering upon the ; result of any elec'.ianis to be prohibited i under a maximum penalty of £50, and every I wager ia to be treated as an illegal praotioe i witbin the meaning of the Cotrapt Practices : Act.