West Coast Times. AND WESTLAND OBSERVER. MONDAY, JANUARY 23.

West Coast Times, Issue 1658, 23 January 1871, Page 2

West Coast Times. AND WESTLAND OBSERVER. MONDAY, JANUARY 23.

The election of a member of the House of Representatives for the newly created district of Hokitika takes place on Wednesday, January 2oth. We say newly created, for although the inhabitants both of town and country are not for the first time exercising the franchise, they are doing 1 so on this occasion under very considerable modifications of the law. In the first place Hokitika and Greymouth are no longer known as the Westland Boroughs, returning conjointly one member to the Assembly. Greymouth forms a portion of the Grey Valley district, which also includes some of the Province of Nelson, and that part of the County of Westland lying north of the Teremakau. The Hokitika district comprises all the country between the Teremakau and the town of Hokitika, and returns one member. The remaining part of the County, that is all which lies to the south of the Hokitika river, is called the Totara district, mid returns one member to the House of Representatives. The" next great change to which we may allude is the introduction of the ballot, of which Westland has already had some experience in the elections for the County Council. Thirdly, a most importaut alteration has been effected in the law relating to the exercise of the franchise by virtue of tho miuer's right or business license. The "Miners' Representation Act Amendment Act, 1863," gives the suffrage to - each man who holds a miner's right or business license for sjx months consecutively, and irofflO.

diulely preceding the day of eloctiou. The "Miuorb' Representation Act Amendment Act, 1865," provides that when in any Province in which there is a duly proclaimed goldfield, but iv which no goldfields' member of the House of Representatives or of tho Proviuciai Council shall have been by law appointed to be elected, every person possessing the qualification recited above " shall be entitled to vote at the election of members of the General Assembly or Provincial Council, respectively, for the electoral district in the Province in which tho miner's right or business license held by him as aforesaid shall have been issued." The meaning of the latter part of the section is scarcely clear, but we believe it was the intention of the Legislature of the day to limit the

miners' qualification to the district in

which the miner's ri«>ht was issued, and this is the construction which Returning Officers always put on the words. What was wanted was the confirmation of this reading, by l'emoving* the ambiguity of expression. So the law stood at the commencement of the last session of the General Assembly, but during that session " The Qualification of Electors Act, 1870," was passed, and its 6th section runs as follows — (it is necessai'y for us to quote hverbatini) : — v And whereas doubts have ai'isen as to the power of holders of miner's rights and business licenses to vote under the qualification of their miners' rights and business licenses. It is hereby declared and enacted that the holder of a miner's right or business license which shall have had a currency of not less than six x months immediately before the day of election, or of two or more miner's rights or business licenses which shall consecutively have had a currency of not le-*s than six months immediately before the day of election, may vote in the election of members of the House of Representatives or of the Provincial Council within such oue electoral district for the election of members of the House of Representatives, and such one electoral district for the election of members of the Provincial Council, a 6 he may think fit, provided it be situate wholly or partly within a goldfield proclaimed within the Province in which the said miner's right or rights or business license or licenses as the caso may be was or wore issued : Provided also, that within such district the holder of such miner's right or rights, or business license or licenses ia not otherwise a qualified and registered voter." Now in Westland there is only one proclaimed goldfield — the County and the goldfield are conterminous ; the only portion of the County not included in the goldfield being- the towns of Greymouth and Hokitika, which, though originally included, wero afterwards specially exeppted. It is true that this goldfield has been divided for convenience sake into separate Warden's districts, but all tbe Warden's districts are included in the goldfield. The point is of no moment, however, to tho present discussion, for the result would be the same were there several goldfields within the County. What we would draw attention to is that every electoral district in Westland is either wholly or partly within a proclaimed goldfield. Bearing this in mind, let us look again at the section we have just quoted, and apply it to the caso of these coming elections for the House of Representatives, and especially the election which is to take place on Wednesday next. It seems to us that miners from all parts of Westland may voto at the Hokitika election. Tho question of residence has never had anything to do with the miners' suffrage at elections for the House of Representatives, though it very properly has at elections for the County Council. Rightly or wrongly, the restriction which was placed on the miner before last session of tbe Assembly was that he could vote only at an election for the House of Representatives for the district in which his miner's right was taken out. We will suppose now that a miner with a miner's right issued at Ross, or at some place north of the Teremakau, that is outside the Hokitika electoral district, tenders his vote to the Returning Officer at tho election on Wednesday next. Having .satisfied himself that the miner's right belongs to the bearer, and has had the necessary six months' currency, the next question for the Returning Officer to decide would be this, — Is the election at which this man wishes to record his vote an election for an electoral district situated wholly or partly within a goldfield proclaimed within a Province (County), in which this miner's right was issued ? or in other words, is Hokitika electoral district wholly or partly in a goldfield in the Couuty of Westland ? Of course it is, aud according to the Act of 1870, all six mouths' holders of miners' rights and Inisineea Jiceoßee in, Wesf?

laud may vote at tho election on Wed1 ncsday, if they arc so miuded. Tho Act , of 1870 destroys the ambiguity of tbe Act of 1860, but does so in the worst possible manner. Tho sensible and J boneficial reading has been rejected, and the fidse reading, tho one never intended by tho framers of the Act of" iB6O, has beeu adopted. With regard to the franchise the miner has beeu placed on a far better footing than a person having a property qualification and a place on the roll. In Westland ho has his choice of three districts, provided only that ho has held his miner's right for six months. We have never approved of the remodelling of the Westland Electoral Districts as carried out last session. It would have been fairer and more fitting in every way ' that Hokitika aud Greymouth should have returned a member or members either jointly or separately, and that independent provision should have been made for the representation of the country districts, almost entirely mining districts bo it remembered j but we cannot speak too harshly of a provision which virtually leaves the representa. tion of Hokitika and tin surrounding country in the hands not of the proper constituency but of the miners of Westland generally. It should be added that the Act piovides that, after a miner has exercised the franchise in one district, he cannot vote again in any other district for the space of six months ; and at every e^ction at which he votes the miner's right is stamped with the mime of the district, and the date of exercising the franchise. But multitudes possess two or more miner's rights, and there would *>c a temptation for a person so provided to vote on Wednesday at the Hokitika election, and next month at the election for Toraia. Doubtless he would incur n heavy penalty by so doing, and we can only

call the attention of the Returning Officers and scrutineers to the fact that the duugcr exists, and muy possibly be obviated by their vigilance.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday Mary Mackay answered to a charge of larceny. The prisoner went into the Grants' Arms Hotel on Friday morning and obtained a glass of ale which she did not pay for. She was afterwards seen to go into the hotel again and take a bottle of brandy from off the shelf. Detective Hrowu searched the prisoner':) place and found a gin bottle with some brandy in it. His Worship sentenced the prisoner to one month's imprisonment with hard labor.

A general meeting of shareholders in the Will and the Way Gold Mining Company will be held at the Company's offices, R039, on Monday, the 20th day of February. The object of the meeting is to consider the advisability of altering the deo<l of association, and transacting the general business of tho company.

A meeting of justices will be held at the Resident Magistrate's Court-house on Friday, the 3rd February, for the purpose of considering applications for slaughtering licenses.

On Saturday morning, a horse and express waggon, belonging to Mr Dale, were standing in front of Mr Todd's auction mart, Wharf, street, when, from some cause or other, the horse bolted. On turning round the corner of Camp-street one of the wheels came oft. Tliiß did not stop tile horse, who went at the same pace uniil near Mr Allen's house, where the vehicle came in contact with one of the posts and carried it away. One of Mr Allen's children had fortunately just got into the doorway, and so escaped being knocked down. The horse did not stop there, but continued on until rounding the corner of Tancrcd and Weld streets where the waggon came in contact with the fence, and the collision threw the animal do-.vn, aud he was secured. We are given to understand the wheel had a chain round it when the horse bolted.

A new Grand Stand, capable of accom. morlating 500 persons, is to be erected on the Grey River race-course. Active preparations are being mad* for the holding of tho races, and 'he programme has already been published.

Several new cargo boats have been placed on the Buller, between Westport and Inangahua.

Brickmaking has been undertaken in the G-rey district by Mr Theodore Runft and Mr J. Gillam.

We have received by the San Francisco mail, and from the well-known Glasgow publishers, Messrs Collins, Sons and Co.. copies of a publication of peculiar v >lne in these Colonies. It is styled " The Imperial Atlas for Australia and New Zealand," and contains a series of fiixteen maps, accurately engraved and beautifully executed. Eleven of the maps relate exclusively to the Colonies. The others are maps of the Hemispheres, and of the United Kingdom. It is so seldom that ordinary atlases contain good innps of the colonies, that an atlas of a special character, such as this, is a most desirable publication, and we havo no doubt that if it is once introduced to the public by tho bookselling trade, it will meet with a ready aud most extensive sale. For public institutions, for private use, or for the use of schools, it is in every respect admirably adapted.

We understand that Westland has been declared a Provincial district for the order of Freemasons, Brother Lnzar being the Provincial Grand Master. Previously the district was included in the Canterbury Provincial Lodge.

It will be seen by the items under the heading of General Elections that Mr Barff purposes holding his town meeting tomorrow evening at Ilansen's Assembly Rooms.

The following is the return of prisoners in the Couuty Gaol, for the week ending Jau. 21, 1871 ,— Penal servitude, males, 10 ; females, fl, Jfftvd labor, males, 1? 5 ffim&les,

4. Default of bail, males, 3 ; females, 2. Sentenced to death, males, 2. Trial, female, 1. Debtors, males, 1. Total, males, 429 ; females, 10—39. Received during the week, 3. Discharged ditto, 1.

The Fiji Times of a late date contains an advertisement anuouueiug that Tom Smith, late of the Shakespeare Hotel, Hokitika, is now the proprietor of an hotel of the same name at Levuka, Ovalau.

The Ancient Order of Foresters intend to have a, banquet to-morrow evening at the Hokitika Volunteer Fire Brigade Hall.

One-sixtieth share in the Morning Star Gold Mining Company's claim was sold on Thursday last for tho sum of £70.

The steamer Alhambra, whoso owners have initiated what is likely to become in the future an established institution— an excursion to Now Zealand— arrived off the port yesterday, aud by the steamer Waipara a number of excursionists were brought ashoie from her shortly after she" had anchored in the roadstead. They visited most parts of the town during the clay, aud proceeded also as far as the Kanieri. Beginning at Mil ford Sound, and stopping for some time at each of the East Coast ports, the Alhambra has afforded to her passengers thus conveyed unusual opportunities of seeing the principal ports and picturesque scenery of the Colony, and, having fine weather throughout, the excursionists will, uo doubt, return to Melbourne with very j pleasing recollections of their trip.

A singular story has been brought to Wellington that on Saturday last two men, employed at the flax mills of Messrs Rose and Taylor, at Eangitikei, arrived at

Langly's at Manawatu, and reported having seen on the beach, about half-way between the two rivers, twelve bodies which had evidently been washed up by the sea. The bodies were described as those of men, and naked. From inquiries since made by the police, there is every probability of the story being correct.

By proclamation in the Gazette, the Governor has appointed tho gaol erected on the Gaol Reserve at Hokitika, to be a place for the execution of crimi ials, under " The Execution of Criminals Act, 1858," instead of the public gaol on reserve 441, in the town of Elokitiia, as appointed on the 2:srd November last.