The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-16 00:00:00

TILE WORKING OF TILE BALLOT IN

AUSTRALIA.

The Society for Promoting the Adoption of the
Ballot in England has received from a gentleman
resident in Victoria the fiallovring communication
relative to the working of the ballot in that
country :

"Although I am averse to meddling in public
matters, I feel it my duty, having lived for nearly
eight years in Australia, to attempt to explain
away a few of the fallacies that are current here
with regard to the effect of the ballot in Australia,
of which people in general know very little indeed,
or we should not so frequently hear the remark
that there is plenty of talent and education in the
colony, but that the intelligent portion of the com-
munity are disgusted at the degraded state into
which the Government has fallen through the bal-
lot having introduced a lower class of legislators,
and that they keep themselves aloof and will not
be wooed to an occupation from which no honour
is to be gained. lam quite prepared to prove that
this is a mistake. In order fully to uneerstand the
difficulties to be overcome in the formation of a
Government there, and also the severe test that the
ballot has undergone, it is requisite to bear in mind
the peculiar circumstances under which an almost
unknown colony, peopled chiefly by squatters and
shepherds, neither of which avocations requires
much intellect, sprang all at once into great noto-
riety, and the laws that were formerly thought
quite sufficient were found quite inadequate to the
sudden wants of the greatly increased population,
composed of people from nearly every nation, with
various and conflicting ideas as to the best forms of
government. (The critical position of the colony
may be gathered from the fact that during the
Ballarat riots there was found a regular com-
pany of German Rifles, commanded by Colonel
Vern, to assist the rebels, who were incited to
declare a separation from England). Land that
before was considered of scarcely any value rose to
fabulous prices. Complaints were freely made
about the preemptive rights of the squatters, and
the low rentals they paid. The old residents,
many of whom had been transported, and nearly all
of them uneducated persons, suddenly became rich
by the sale of land, whilst the publicans, carters, and
shopkeepers rapidly made fortunes, and frequently
obtained seats in the legislature. The newly im-
ported talent was employed by its owners to im-
prove their condition, that being the only object
that tempted them to make so long a voyage. Men
did much as they liked, and called it a free country ;
they walked the streets with bowie knives, and
pistols in their belts ; murders were not uncommon
in daylight. During this unsettled state of things
elections had to be conducted, and as will readily
be supposed, bribery, intimidation, drunkenness,
and rowdyism had their full play. Things went on
in this manner until no respectable person would
be nominated to serve, or would vote at an election,
and nearly all the seats in the Municipal Council
were filled by publicans and their friends. It is a
well known fact, that a man'who is generally de-
spised by the intelligent portion of the community,
and who is ridiculed by the press, managed for seve-
ral years to get returned simply by his interest in
public-houses, and his power to get licenses with-
drawn. (I frequently regretted that the ballot was
not adopted in the municipal elections, and have no
doubt that there are as many evils existing in Mel-
bourne from that cause as from any other. The
mayor can tickle the publicans, and the publicans
the mayor.) Whilst this was the state of things in
the Municipal Council, the Legislative was as bad.
A class of ungentlemanly, ignorant, but rich and
ambitious, Men (such as were referred to years since
as proofs of the evil effects of ,the ballot ; but the
individuals had really been elected before the ballot
was there, and the fault should have
been i n
a scri existencebtoeed
the open
system) obtained many
seats, and there is every probability that in a very
short time the colony would have been the laugh-
ing-stock of the world. Things were tending that
way when the ballot was adopted in 1856, through
the exertions of W. Nicholson, Esq. The change
was wonderful. Alen who had never voted
before now felt that they were protected from
insult, violence, or ;intimidation, and that
in the ballot-box they could deposit their
honest votes. Mark the effect. At the first
election in September, 1856, 5,000 electors voted,
whilst at the last election under the open system
only 2,000 out of 8,000 voted, which shows the in-
oreased interest and security felt. One thing there.
fore is quite certain, and must have been a great
satisfaction both to the electors and the elected—
viz., the people really returned the man they
wished to represent them, instead of as before the
havingrod
ud upon the conduct of the
is ce
returned a number. The
representative self-evident, for those who only go
in for the honour of tacking M.L.C. to their names
mob
beneficial an d
effect cash
p and will not work. for the benefit of their constitu-
ents cannot 'Aim their seats, for they are really
responsible to the majority of the electors. The
ballot did away with
bribery, because as people do
not like to buy a pig in a poke, neither do they like
to bribe unless they can afterwards prove that they
have had a quid pro quo, and that is impossible
under the Australian system.
" Another great advantage gained was the great
reduction in the expense of conducting the election,
both to the country and the candidates. An elec-
tion under the open system costs the candidates in
all cases a great deal of money, and consequently
keeps a great many clever and worthy men out of
Parliament. I think it will hardly be disputed
that wealth does not confer intellect, and it is
absurd to suppose that men of business will pay to
be allowed to work for the country to the necessary
neglect of their own interest, and it is surely a pity
to lose their services and have to elect some Lord
Addle Head to waste the country's time and money
simply because he has nothing to do and is rich.
By the Australian system the annual battles in the
registration courts are abolished. The method of
obtaining the names of voters is very simple, and
good persons are appointed by Government to go
from house to house to collect the names of those
who claim to vote; each such person pays 3d. for
a form (which covers the expenses connected with
the collection and printing) ; on this form he writes
his qualification—either householder, or salary £lOO,
and age 21 years. These papers are afterwards
examined, and if no discrepancies are discovered,
the names are printed on bills and exposed in their
respective wards on the church and other public
building doors for some six months, for appeals; but
the only valid objections are misrepresentations as
to qualification. No frivolous objections are ever
raised by either party for fear of damaging their
own cause, not knowing whether the individual is
their friend or foe.
" It will be useless for me to give an account of
the polling booth or the manner of election, for your
tract on the subject is quite correct. I may men-
tion, however, that I was quite astonished when I
went to record my vote In the Fitzroy ward, that
although a great principle was involved, and one
that had created a great deal of discussion, viz.,
should state aid be continued to religion—there
were only some half-dozen persons loitering about;
and during the day I visited La Trobe and St.
Paul's wards several times, and always found them
so quiet that I am satisfied any stranger passing
the booths would not have known that anything
particular was going on. There was an entire ab-
sence of bands, colours, and ribbons, and there were
no cabs or omnibuses for bringing up voters. Elec-
tors went gently into the booths, and were treated
in a gentlemanly manner by gentlemen ; and it
was more a business-like, than a political transac-