3

F—No. 1

No. 4. The Registration of Electors Bill, makes provisions for the annual revision of the Electoral Rolls, by Officers appointed by the Government for the purpose, having the same powers of deciding on objections and correcting mistakes in the Roll, as are possessed by Revising Barristers in England. One provision of the Bill requires that claims to the Franchise shall be attested by the Declaration of the Claimant before a Justice of the Peace : wilfully false declarations subjecting the offender to a fine not exceeding £20. Another provision renders it the duty of the Officer who makes up the Lists for revision to object to Voters or Claimants whom he may consider as not qualified. No. 5. The Regulation of Elections Bill, proposes to introduce the system of written nominations of Candidates'and-vote by Ballot. No. 6. The Election Petitions Bill, prescribes the mode of procedure on Election Petitions, before specially constituted select Committee of the House. No. 7. The Corrupt Practices Prevention Bill, is founded on the English Corrupt Practices Prevention Act, 1854, and contains similar provisions against Bribery and Treating. No. 8. The Provincial Elections Bill, renders the qualification of Electors and Members of the Provincial Oouncils identical; as at present, with the qualification of Electors and Members of the House of Representatives. The qualification of Superintendents and their Electors, is also left as at present, identical with the qualification of Electors and Members of the Provincial Councils. The Electoral Rolls for the House of Representatives, are made conclusive proof of the right to vote at Provincial Elections. But the power of constituting Electoral Districts, for the purposes of such Elections, distinct from the Electoral Districts for the House of Representatives, is left as under the Constitution Act, with the Provincial Legislatures ; and no distinct provision is made for the formation of Electoral Rolls for the Provincial Elections, from the Rolls for the House of Representatives. It is not proposed by this Bill to extend the Ballot and other provisions of Bill No. 5, to the Provincial Elections, but to leave the conduct of such Elections to be regulated in each Province, by the Proclamation of sth March, 1853, until other provisions shall be made by the General or Provincial Legislatures. Controverted Elections, whether of the Superintendent or of Members of Provincial Councils, are to be determined upon by the Supreme Court, upon Writs in the nature of a Quo Warranto. In reference to these Bills, your Committee have adopted the following resolutions, viz. :— 1. That an apportionment of Representation based upon the number only, of the Registered Electors in the respective Electoral Districts, does not meet the requirements of the Colony. 2. That in regulating the extent of the Electoral Districts, under any new division thereof, the proportionate numbers of Electors, as proposed by Electoral Bill No. 2, ought not to be solely considered. 3. That a self-adjusting system of apportionment as provided for in the Electoral Bill No. 2 is not required, and that any such change of apportionment, as might from time to time appear advisable ought to be provided for by special enactment, pro re nata, 4. That the number of the Representatives ought to be considerably increased, after purification of the Roll, but without further unnecessary delay. 5. That means ought to be devised at some convenient future time, for giving a fitting influence to Education in the Representation of the Country. 6. That in any re-adjustment of the Representation of the Colony, regard, as far as possible, be had to the representation of Minorities. 7. That it is inexpedient to discontinue the practice of open voting, and that, in the opinion of this Committee, secret voting is calculated to produce greater evils than those which it is intended to remedy. 8. That the unrepresented state of certain important Districts, renders it advisable that Members should be assigned to them forthwith ; but that the actual Election of such Members should not take place until after the purification of the Electoral Roll. 9. That the Districts referred to in the preceding resolution are the following : the Southern part of the Southern Division of the Province of Auckland ; the District of Hawkes' Bay ; the District of Amuri ; the District of Murihiku ; —each to have one Member. 10. That it is desirable to make specific provision for the representation of the gold-digging population, under convenient regulations to be enacted for that particular purpose. It will be seen that the Ist, 2nd, and 3rd Resolutions involve the rejection of Bill No. 2. The 7th Resolution negatives the adoption of secret voting, and your Committee are also of opinion that the system of viva voce nomination should be retained. They therefore recommend the rejection of Bill No. 5. The other Bills your Committee recommend to the House subject to certain amendments. As regards Bill No 3, your Committee are of opinion, first, that the distinction between Household Qualification in Town and Country ought to be maintained : the Towns being, for the present, those designated by the Proclamation of sth March, 1853. Secondly your Committee propose to insert Clauses qualifying persons holding Pastoral Licenses, Graduates of British Universities, and members of the Learned Professions. In Bill No. 4, your Committee propose to make various formal amendments, and to add Clauses requiring the Rolls for the House of Representatives to be so made up as to specify the particular Provincial Electoral Districts for which each Elector is entitled to vote ; in order that one and the same roll may be available at the Elections for the House of Representatives and for the Provincial Councils. In Bills Nos. 6 and 7, your Committee propose only formal amendments. No. 8, your Committee recommend for adoption, subject to the following resolutions, viz. :—first in reference to Clause 5. ,