THE REPRESENTATION.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1898, 24 August 1874, Page 3

THE REPRESENTATION.

(From the Otago Daily Times.) Mb Shekiian's motion upon the readjustment of the representation was naturally met by a strong and very determined party of resistance. Shall I consent to lose my seat? or mine? or mine? is a question which we must expect will determine a not inconsiderable number of votes. We take it, however, that if this enterprising "young member," as it is the fashion to dub him, did not succeed 5 in convincing the House, he entirely succeeded in convincing the country. Tha very outrageous facts whiah he: brought forward are well worthy: of study—the more so as <w;e fancy that nine - out of every ten thoughtful;,men will agree in accepting population as the one only true • basis of representation. Among other facts we note that the Thames, Buller, and 'ttorlney districts, containing a,little over. 6,000 voters, return throe members, :while Lyttelton, Wallace, and Cheviot, containing 740 voters, also return three members. It is difficult to conceive any proper defence for such a state of things, except tho exploded fallacies that availed for years to retain the time-lionourod institutions known as" rotten boroughs." Again looking at the Colony, we find the average number of electors who return a representative is 681, and that 22 Electoral Districts return one-half the members to tho House, and tho other 52 Electoral Districts return the other half—thus enabling the minority to outvote the majority by eight votes. Five districts, again, wo find, contain one-sixth of the whole population. Mr. O'tfEUii supported the member for Bodney by citing even more startling statistics. There are now in tho. Assembly one representative for under one thousand people, 12 for between one • and two thousand, 18 for between two ' and three thousand, 16 for between three and four thousand, and 9 for betwoen.four and five thousand. There are fifty-six members, therefore, representing under five thousand people; and it is a marked injustice, .therefore, that only,pne member, should be allowed for between twelve and fifteen thousand people. •In whatever light we regard these statistics, we must allow that there is very great need fort a; redistribution of seats; and we do not think that any of the very feeblo reasons given against change by the Premier should prevent the Government from in traducing a Bill next session to remedy the evil. We,are not' unaware .that Mr nHREHAN,iii bringing tho subject forward, is most probably arguing against his own', Province. If he did not know tluß, wo' are the more-surprised. If-he'knew it,. and determined to go in ' for justice - and ! " right regardless of petty Provincial jealousies, we accord him our admiration aud' thanks. It ii much to be desired that the Premier will not let the matter drop, as the time is peculiarly happy, just before a general election, and a strong Government is never more needed than in redis-' tribuiing representation.