Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, JULY 24, 1892.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11848, 24 July 1893, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, JULY 24, 1892.

The new Electoral Bill, which hns already been introduced into the House by Mr Seddon, is a measure of considerable importance, and one that is likely to occupy the Legislature a long time before it is passed into law. Beside the great changes which it is intended to make in Parliamentary elections, it serves as a consolidating act like the Magistrates Courts Bill and the Criminal Code. It is intended to make the laws governing elections clear, and easy to understand. If it passes, it will repeal no less than nine acts in their entirety, and three others iv past. Amongst the many provisions in the Bill the one of greatest importance is that for extending tho franchise to women. Although women are to be allowed to vote, however, it is expressly stated in olause 9 that :— " No woman, although duly registered as an elector, shall be capable of being nominated as a candidate, or of being appointed to the Legislative Council." This provision may have been put in the Bill as a safeguard, but we do not quite see either its necessity or its value. Without it there would be no danger of women being sent to the- House for many years to come, and, in spite of it, what is going to prevent the women getting whatever they want when onoe they have a vote ? This is the only provision in the measure which makes any distinction between men and women. When we look back upon the manoeuvring which took place last year to ensure the wreck of this Bill, it is very difficult to believe that Mr Seddon is in earnest even though his name does appear at the head of it. The other clauses of opeoial interest are those entitling sailors and commercial travellers to vote although they may be away from home when an election takes place. A seaman desiring to avail himself of this privilege will have to procure from the registrar ' c the district in which he is registesed "an^fetor's right." He may exercise his vote anytime between the issue of the writ for the eleotion and the hour of the closing of the poll. A seaman must vote through the Colleotor of Customs of whatever port he happens to be in at the time, and before doing so must produce his "electoral right" to that officer for inspection. The meaning of the term seaman is, for the purposes of the act, thus defined:— "Every person who has been engaged at sea for not less than two years, and who for the most part of the six months immediately preceding the date of making his claim for on elector's right has been omployed in any capacity on any vessel used in navigation and not propelled by oavs." In the case of the commercial traveller the same formula is necessary, with this difference, that he shall produce his " elector's right " to the postmaster and receive his voting paper from him. The definition of " commercial traveller is : Every person who is permanently employed by a company or firm of wholesale merchants or traders as a commercial travelling agent for the purpose of receiving orders, making collections, and the like. Elaborate machinery is provided for dealing with "electoral rights," and it appears well calculated to prevent are to be found in sections, 6, 41, and 109. any misuse. Three important provisions The first states that no person shall be entitled to be registered on more than one electoral roll, whatever the number or nature of his qualifications. Section -11 provides that whenever an elector, from any reason whatever, shall fail to vote at any election then his name shall forthwith be struck off the roll by the Registrar. ' Thus, if a man, or woman neglects to useii|s,' .or her, vote,he, orshe, becomes disenfranchised thereby. Of course it would be' open for people so disenfranchised to apply to have their names again added to the roll, but until this is done the voter is deprived of his privilege. There are, of course, reasons both for and against such a rule becoming law, It will remove a lot of friction by automatically purging rolls to a certain extent. It will not remove all names that should not be there, but many of them must bo swept away by it. On the other hand it will inconvenience some electors, who, through sickness, or any other causes are prevented from exercising their votes, as it will put them under tho necessity of re-registering. However, we are inclined to the opinion that the advantages are in favour of the clause as it stands, since it can do no great harm, and may do much good. Section 109 makes a wise provision of the value of which there can be no two opinions. It lays it down that no olection shall be invalid by reason of any irregularities on the part of a returnoilicer which do not affect the result. Tlio Bill is a long one containing 107 clauses, which, together with the schedules, occupy 48 pages, and we have ueccessarily had to content ourselves by dealing with tho main points. Tho measure has yet to go through the fire of Parliamentary debate, but as it contains little of an objectionable nature it will probably issue from the ordeal without any remarkable change.