The Stars. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 143, 27 October 1868, Page 2

The Stars. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1868.

The Premier of New Zealand, in reply to the demand of the people for a dissolution, tells them that they have raised a howl,' 7 and we trust they will not forget these words. It becomes a matter of some importance, iv the present state of affairs, to examine a little into the attitude Mr Stafford has aHSumed in his relations to the people of this colony, \o inquire whether, uuder his rule, we really enjoy the privilege of self-government, or whether, on the contrary, we are not living under a despotism ot the very worst description^ We urse the word despotism in all sincerity and good faith. To make the matter as short as possible, we will simply point out that the party struggles in which the session of tbe Assembly waa wasted resulted in a proof that the Ministry was not in a position to legislate for tbe colony, and that the Opposition was equally powerless for good. The case, so far as the former are concerned, ia? clear enough ; for immediately after the " tie " division, they told the House that they would nofc bring forward any measures calculated to mine discussion. In a word, they confessed that they were beaten. The Opposition,

knowing that they were not strong enough to force a resignation of the G-overnment, proposed a dissolution, in order that, both sides being equal in the House, the peoplo might decide which was most to their liking Now, we ask the people themselves whether anything could bave been fairer than this. If Mr Stafford believed in his plans, if, a3 he has frequently declared, he thought the colouy was with him, a dissolution would have placed the matter beyond doubt. If he was afraid to appeal to Lhe country — and his refusal to do so shews that he was — then he had no right to remain in office ; for, by doing so he was simply obstructing the course of beneficial legislation. But. Mr Stafford's refusal to dissolve, especially after the peoplo endorsed the demand of the Opposition for au appeal to the constituencies, was a clear denial of the people's right to say how they will be governed. He was no longer refusing to do what the representatives of the people wished ; he was actually face to lace with the people themselves, and denying to them the right of deciding on their own affairs. That is exactly the position of the Premier at this moment — he is governing the colony in defiance of the expressed wish of the people. He is more absolute thau Napoleon, a greater Autocrat than he of all the Russias. Mr Stafford says " I will," or, " I will not" at his own pleasure, and the people are apparently powerless to resist him. It is not now a question of whether he was right or wrong in a certain course ; it is a question of whether the people have a right to govern themselves, or whether they are to be driven in whatever way Mr Stafford chooses. They have demanded a dissolution, and Mr Stafford replies, "I will not dissolve." While the Premier tells the people that be will not do as they desire, he announces his intention of doing something in furtherance of a plan that is precisely one of those things which a dissolution is necessary to decide. The Emperor of tbe French accedes fco fche demand of his subjects for the power to elect their representatives, but he does so with the provision tbat they shall make tbe election in a way which he points out. Mr Stafford says, " Certainly, you shall have a dissolution, but allow me first to prepare for it in ray own way, and to suit my own plans. I rule by means of the outlying districts, therefore, before I dissolve the House, I must take care to re-distribute the representation so as to give these districts more power." In other words, Mr Stafford Bays, " I must make my position secure before I trust to the voice of the people. They shall have their dissolution, but I must first bave my re-distribution." In what sense is this self-governnieut ? Simply, according to Mr Stafford's supreme pleasure ; nothing more, and uot a whit less. We have v fow facts to offer our readers about this redistribution of the representation, and we hope they will give them their most careful consideration. In lhe first place, they will bear in mind that, according to Mr Stafford's own declaration, redistribution is to be made oc the basis of giving the country districts more power. Setting aside, for the time, the consideration whether it is ordinarily decent iv the Premier of the colony to announce that he is going to deal with so grave a subject as the representation of the people in a purely party spirit and accor-litig to a priueiple fixed ou by himself, we afc once inquire whether the country districts require increased represent ation. Are they nofc, as compared with the other constituencies, over-represented already? We have no hesitation iv suyiiitj that they are, and we uresent the following figures to bear out. our asserliou. Arranging the Canterbury constituencies iv lour gruups, we get the under-noted results, according to population : — ::: 7: EEl^-w.a-™-K...H P ..i 395f>J Der8 ' Avon H2BU") ,„,,_„ ... 0 Houheote ... G-.A -',553, with 3 Christchurch ... 6647J m « mb^* Lytte ten ... 237.1] Mt Herbert ... no.*) I 6721, with 4 Akaroa 174 M( members. S l*yn 2042) SiS.,. 6 .:. ::: ¥2 1 * 562 -™ th 3me »- Glads ,c ... iaS2J bers ' Taking the question in another way

— as between the outlying districts and tbe more central constituencies — we get the following result : — Cheviot, Ashley, Kaiapoi, Mount Herbert, Akaroa, Selwyn, Coleridge, Timaru, aud Gladstone, which may be taken as the outlying districts, have a population of 19,178, and nine representatives. The central constituencies of Avon, Heathcote, Christchurch, and Lyttelton, with a population of 19,926 have only four representatives, that is, not half ior about the same population. Again, the three northern constituencies of Cheviot, Ashley, and Kaiapoi, with half the population, have the same number of representatives as Avon, Christchurch, aud Heathcote. The four constituencies of Lyttelton, Mt. Herbert, Akaroa, and Selwyn, with a third of the population, have four representatives for the three of Avon, Christchurch, and Heathcote. Aud the southern constituencies of Coleridge, Timaru, and Gladstone, with a third of the population, have the same number of representatives as Christchurch, Avon, and Heathcote. Finally, the constituency of Mount Herbert, with a population of 603, has just as much power in the House of Representatives as Christchurch, with 6617, HeaUico c with 6626, or Avon with 4280. Yet Mr Stafford says the representation must be redistributed so as to give the country districts more power ! Let facts speak for themselves, as agaiust the despotic designs of New Zealand's Dictator.