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ORDER OF REFERENCE.

Tuesday, April 13, 1858. Ordered: —That the following Bills for the Amendment of the Electoral Laws, be referred to a Select Committee, viz,:— A Bill to repeal certain Laws relating to Elections in New Zealand. A Bill to provide for the periodical apportionment of Representation in the House of Representatives. A Bill to amend the -Law relating to the Qualification of Electors and Members of the House of Representatives. A Bill to amend the Law relating to the Registration of persons qualified to vote at Elections of Members of the House of Representatives. A Bill to make provision for the Regulation and Conduct of Elections of Members of the House of Representatives. A Bill to make provision for the Trial of Petitions against the Election or return of Members of the House of Representatives. A Bill to make provision for the Prevention of Corrupt Practices at Elections. A Bill to amend the Law relating to the Elections of Superintendents of Provinces aad Members of Provincial Councils. <. The Committee to consist of :— Mr. Merriman Mr. Packer „ Ollivier „ Beckham „ East ,j Richmond „ Carleton The Committee to have power to confer with any Committee appointed for the same purpose by the Legislative Council. F. E. Campbell, Clerk of the House of Representatives. The names of Messrs. Hall, Weld, and Dr. Monro, were subsequently added, Mr. East's name being discharged, REPORT. The Select Committee of the House of Representatives, appointed on the 13th April, 1858, to consider the Amendment of the Electoral Law have agreed to the following Report :— Your Committee have read and considered the series of eight Bills for the amendment of the Electoral Law which has been referred to them : Before stating the conclusions at which your Committee have arrived, it will be desirable briefly to indicate the nature of these proposed measures :— No. 1. The Electoral Laws Repeal Bill, simply repeals the whole of the Proclamation of the sth March, 1853, and such parts of the Constitution Act as are superseded by the other Bills of the series. No. 2. The Representation Apportionment Bill, provides for an increase of the number of the Members of the House of Representatives in 1860, to forty-two, and in 1863 to fifty ; and for the periodical division of the Colony, at intervals of 3 years, into Electoral Districts ; to which Members are to be assigned in proportion to the number of registered Electors within the Districts. The Rule adopted by this Bill is essentially identical with that laid down, for the first constitution of Electoral Districts, and the first assignment of Members io the several Districts, by the 41st Section of the Constitution Act; which enacts, that in determining the number and extent of the Electoral Districts, and the number of Members to be elected for each District, regard should be had to the number of Electors within the same, so that the number of Members to be assigned to any one District might bear to the whole number of the Members of the House of Representatives, as neai'ly as might be, the same proportion as the number of the Electors within such District should bear to the whole number of Electors in New Zealand. No. 3. The Qualification of Electors Bill, defines anew the Electoral Franchise. It innovates but little upon the Constitution Act. Amongst some less important alterations, it proposes to assimilate the the Household qualification in Town and Country, by conferring the Franchise on £5 Householders in Town. Under the Bill No. 2, it will be observed, that Electoral Districts would be defined without reference to the boundaries of Towns ; so that one and the same District might, and often would, include both Town and Country. i