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Waipawa Mail, Volume I, Issue 7, 5 October 1878, Page 2

Tt has been stated in a contemporary that strong efforts are being made to induce the Upper House to expunge the clause in the Electoral Bill relating to the Maori dual vote. There is no doubt that there exists a strong feeling in the North Island on the subject, and if the Council rejects

the clause its action will meet with the approval of the country. We have no desire to question the motives of Ministers in introducing such an extraordinary feature in their Electoral Bill as conferring double voting power upon a people who are totally unfit to exercise the franchise —who do not in the slightest degree understand the principles which should guide electors in the choice of their | representatives. What is a Maori’s : opinion worth on such large'questions j as the incidence of taxation, manhood ! suffrage, triennial Parliaments, proj tection v. free trade, representation ‘ on a basis of popidation, and a score of other matters which regidate the European in recording his vote P The Ministry may be well-intentioned, 1 doubtless their main object is to propitiate the natives so as to facilitate the settlement of the slight native . difficulty which still exists. Put, the : virtual disfranchisement of the European electors in half a dozen districts in the [North Island would be too dear a price to pay for conciliating the Maoris. The Electoral Pill deals solely with the mode of electing Ihe members of the House of Pep res entail ves, and under ordinary circumstances the Legislative Council would not interfere with the action of the other Chamber. Measures dealing with the franchise generally result from the pressure of public opinion. Pcfore a Ministry brings down anv ; scheme of electoral reform, it is i understood that it has the bulk of the people at its hack. Put it cannot be pretended that such is the case in regard to the particular clause of the measure relating to the native race. , If the question were put on its merits ] to the country there is not one man lin ten who would support it. Mr : ! Sheehan - informed the House that ; | the provision was one of expediency, ; and its adoption would strengthen • the hands of the [Ministry. The [ Legislative Council may hold itselF to be as good a judge of expediency i| as the Ministry. Pcs ides it is the ► • conservative branch of the Legislar j ture, and it is its duty to see that the countv is not taken by surprise. • The . | fate of a Government, does not depend upon a vote of the Upper House, and * Ministerial supporters there can vote ‘ on the question on its merits. Look- * ing at all the circumstances oF the ♦ case, the Council would he perfectly justified in striking out the obnoxious 1 clause. If it does so, its action will [ he endorsed by the hulk of the set--1 tiers in the Norlh Island. ——