THE NEW. ELECTORAL BILL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8512, 1 July 1889, Page 3

THE NEW. ELECTORAL BILL.

THE HARE SYSTEM OF VOTING. Ths principles on which the Hare System of proportionul representation are based lie in limiting the electoral power of each elector to one vote, whioh he may give for any candidate in any part of a district. The measure that is to be introduced this aeßßioa, but which is not likely to puss, obviates the necessity of having a Representation CommiisioD, as provided by the Bill of laat session. It jb now proposed that tbe coloay shall be divided into four districts as follows :—: — Auckland district, returning 16 membors. Wkllingtok, Hawkes'b Bat and TabaKAKI, 15 members. Nblson, Mablbobough, Canterbury, and Westland, with Chatham Island, 20 members. Otaoo and SouTHMND, with StiWAßt's Island, 18 members. From time to time as each triennial election takes plaoe, the number of members assigned to each distriot will vary according to the census. In cases of bye elections, sub-divisions of districts will bo made for the purpose of compiling rolls. Any candidate who may be leturned at a triennial eleotion will be assigned to the distriot in which the largest proportion of his votes were oast. For instance, if Sir Harry Atkinson were elected for the Wellington, &o,district, and the return showed that he polled moet heavily in the Egmont sab-division he would be known ob the member for Bgmont, and in the event of his resignation the people of the Egmont electoral district only oonld vote at the election of his successor. The sab-division of the d?striots will be made by the Qovernor-in-Council, and though no decision has yet been come to by the Cabinet, it is probable that, say Dunedin for instance, with its environe, will constitute one subdivision returning five members. The operation of the new syatem may j ba most easily described by taking as an example an election in a sub-division of th« Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki Districts. For this district, on population basis, fifteen members ara to be returned. A candidate for election would choose, precisely as he does now, tbe sub-division for which he would recide to stand — Bay, for instance, New Plymouth. He would be nominated in New Plymouth and would carry on « vigorous canvass, backed by all the arts of parliamentary warfare, with a view to securing the good wishes of the people of Ne.v Plymouth. But when tht> eleotor entered the polling booth, he would be presented with a ballot paper not merely bearing the names of Brown, Jones and Robinson, who may happen to have been nominated for New Plymouth, but one setting forth the whole of the candidates nominated for tbe district. Moreover, he would be at liberty to ignore tbe candidate for New Plymouth altogether and vote for any candidate or candidates on the list. What he is expected to do, is to number in the order in which hs desires their return, the men he wishes to see in the House, and when tbe enumeration is made every vote recorded will be counted in favor of tee man for whom it has been cast. Tbe fifteen men who have the largest number of votes in the Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki electorates being the ones who will be declared elected. The advantages claimed for the system are that principles, not individuals, will ultimately determine the elections; that no man can become a representative by virtue of the votes of a fraction of the electors of a small constituency ; and that it will secure the rep-eseniatioa of minorities, every phase o£ thought securing its exaot representation in Parliament. The effect of the system would be to hand the colony over to a little ring who would govern New Zealand as they pleased, introducing all the theoretical fads published in magazine articles, and bringing abont the colony's absolute rain.