INSTRUCTIONS TO REGISTRATION OFFICERS AS TO COMPILING NEW ELECTORAL ROLLS (UNDER "THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS ACT, 1879").

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1881 Session I, H-34

H.—34,

1881. NEW ZEALAND.

INSTRUCTIONS TO REGISTRATION OFFICERS AS TO COMPILING NEW ELECTORAL ROLLS (UNDER "THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS ACT, 1879").

Laid on the Table by the Hon. Mr. Hall, with the leave of the House.

Cibcuxaes to Registea.es of Eleotoes. No. 1. Sic, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 14th February, 1880. I am directed by the Colonial Secretary to enclose, for your information, copies of " The Electoral Acts Repeal Act, 1879," "The Qualification of Electors Act, 1879," and of "The Registraof Electors Act, 1879," and to commend them to your careful perusal. You will observe from the latter Act that the duties of Registrar differ materially from those imposed upon similar officers under the recently existing law The Colonial Secretary proposes to advise His Excellency taappoint you under the new Act to be the Registrar for the electoral district noted in the margin, at an annual salary of £ , to commence from the Ist of March proximo. This office you can, if you please, hold for the present in conjunction with that of Returning Officer under the Act of 1870, to which no salary will be attached, but for which it is proposed to pay a fixed sum by way of fee for each election. I shall forward to you at an early date a supply of all the forms required for the working of the new Registration Act. The Registration Act is so explicit that Mr. Hall thinks you will require no further instructions as to the discharge of the duties devolving upon you than are contained in the Act itself. He requests that you will lose no time in proceeding with the compilation of the new rolls, as it is the intention of the G-overnment that they be brought into force on the Ist May next. In cases where the amount of clerical work devolving on the Registrar is unusually heavy, the Government will be ready to consider any application which may be made by that officer for an allowance for clerical assistance. The police authorities have been instructed to render you every assistance in their power in the performance of your duties as Registrar. I have, &c, G. S. Coopee.

No. 2. Sib, — Colonial Secretary's Office, "Wellington, 3rd May, 1880. I have the honor, by direction of the Colonial Secretary, to request your particular attention to the following provision to be found in section 6 of " The Registration of Electors Act, 1879 :" — " It shall be the duty of every Registrar to make the rolls as complete as possible, and with thai object from time to time to place thereon, or add thereto, the name of every person of whose qualification as an elector he is satisfied ; and it shall further be his duty to assure himself of the right of every man to have his name retained upon the roll." I am to impress upon you that this provision is of the utmost importance, and was clearly intended by the Legislature to expedite the preparation of the electoral rolls, and to make those rolls when compiled as complete as possible. It is therefore the duty of each Eegistrar, not only to receive such applications for registration as may be made under the 7th clause, but himself to place on the roll the name of every person of whose, qualification he has any means, by inquiry through the police or otherwise, of satisfying himself. It is for this, among other reasons, that the police have been instructed to afford to the Registrars every assistance in their power. You will bear in mind that Registrars will not have fulfilled their duty unless they have made the new rolls as complete and at the same time as accurate as possible. I have, Ac, G. S. Coopee.

Authority : Gkobgb Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBBl.