The Star. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 237, 15 February 1869, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1869.

We have several times drawn the attention of the public to the difficulty of getting really suitable men to represent Middle Island constituencies in - tbe General Assembly — men who have the ability, the strong personal interest in the colony, the patriotism, and. the leisure which, are essentially necessary ih a true and trustworthy representative of the people. The difficulty arises from the fact that

•t there are. -Very- \ few \men : indeed who 1 can afford tor, leave their, business for r three or four months in the year, ! which is; rthe. ayerage duration of a r General Assembly session. 1 A very notable ease in support of t our view lias just occurred in Dunedin. ! It appears' that a. Mr J. H. Barr was fc invited by a large , section of the J electors to offer himself as a candidate | forthe-seat lately vacated by Mr James \ Paterson ; — once Postmaster- General. \ In the requisition to Mr Barr, the i electors say : — " Your long residence ' " here — the stake you have in the " country — the desire you have at all , " times sbewn to promote the interests ■ " of the city and province — coupled ; " with your business habits and un- " swerving integrity — lead us to " believe that you would ably and " faithfully dischai-ge the responsible " duties which will devolve on mem- " bers of the General Assembly during " the coming session." Mr Barr, from the above, appears to be just the sort of representative which New Zealand is getting every year more deficient in. In a letter to the leading requisitionists, Mr Barr says : — " After " giving the matter most careful con- " sideration, I have concluded that 1 " cannot be^absent from business here\ "for the time necessary to attend the " Assembly. I heg to thank you, and " all others who have proposed me for '* the honourable position of repre- i " senting this city in the House of " Representatives, and I have to ex- ' " press my regret that. I am unable to \ " be of service to my fellow-citizens „ " m the manner wished for." Jf our < readers will give this matter a little 1 consideration, they will, we feel sure, ] agree with us in thinking that many constituencies are badly represented, or not represented at all, from the ' cause which prevented Mr Barr from } responding to the wish of his fellowcitizens. The General Assembly, or ' at least the House of Representatives, ] is fast becoming the prey of the professional politician — of the men who j make politics a trade and votes a mar- j ketable commodity. The Haughtons { and Barffs are on the increase. . V .1