, 1880-07-28

already OH it. he was free to confess that
when first he saw the question that had been
raised, he considered it quite complicated he
had therefore endeavoured to Investigate it, 10
the best of his ability, and would now beg to
express his views.-It will firstly, be noticed from
the protest, that, what is rather remarkable it
has no: heen made by The party, to whom the
right of voting Was refused on the occasion,
but by parties whose right has not been denied,
namely chiefly some estate-managers, who no
doubt would like to have the question decided,
they considering the mode Of procedure followed
by the majority of the Board as being illegal.
He (he Speaker) felt it incumbent upon him
to give his vote in favour of that procedure.
lie must then most decidedly and entirely dis
agree with the honorable 3rd Crown members
(Faber) views; he could in a sense concur
with that honorable member when he express
es that it is not under SIS Of the Colonial Law
necessary that a voter shall have sojourned The
last 6 months 10 the District where he eXer-
eises his right but in this case, the party did
not %soiourn at all in the elective district; the
question is not whether it shall be
the last six months, or not, but simply
that the one condition, viz. that of the
party having ''sojourned' in the District at
the time Of the election, is entirely wanting.
He would then also here at once state, that
he could not either agree with the last Speaker
Jurs) when he laid such great stress on the
election lists, and had urged that every
body on that list must always be entitled to
vote. The condition that a voter, in order to
exercise his right of voting must be en- the
list, is but one Of many conditions, emu
merated in the Colonial Law; and when
The honourable Member OURS further
stated that the only exception from that
rule is that admitted by the Colonial Law
i'll reference to the supplementary list
containing the names etc. of those voters
who in the course of the term will acquire
The right of voting, he (the speaker could
not agree III considering those supplement
tary lists as exceptions admitted, but only
as a special form for a part Of the lisS.
Any how, he could not at all lay that stress
on the election lists as such he might
nave been led 10 do so, if SIS OF the C0lOni-
al Law did not contain restrictive cOndi-
lions. 1t will be noticed, when going
through the GnactmcntS treating Of the
several conditions required for being emit
tied to vote for the Colonial Council, that
10 none of them is there attached any
restriction, except to that OF residence in
the elective district there stands: to be
able to vote, the party must be % years Of
age and nothing more he must be of
unDlemlShed character-and nothing more:
wave w w AHN1 IL ltIlNl lults
he must have resided two years in the
municipality and nothing more but it
does not stand "and six months in the elec-
tive district and Dothing more but it
IS there expressly add ed in which ho
soJournS at the time the election takes
place." This restriction was and is abSo-
lutely necessary, as he would endeavour to
prove II 1t were not SO, q voter might,
after having entered his name legally on
the list OF voters, settle down in st.
Thomas or Porto Rico, for instance, but
may return here for the purpose of vot-
ing; nothing could prevent him, if that
clause IN 31S were not in existence. Sup
pose, further, q person gets his name enter
ed on the lists in December, the term
Tor making objections expires, and his
name remains, but he leaves the district
say III the first days of March the follow
ing year, one month before the new elective
period commences, then gentlemen holding
the view of the honorable Member for
ChrlStiansted [Jiirsl would be forced to
say, that although such q person had
not Sojourned one single day of the cleo
tive period in the district, he should still
be entitled to vote-The law could never be
so Illogical. The law has evidently intend
ed that the exercise of the right of voting
shall be tied down to the condition of the
party only being able to vote where he is at
the time the election is held. He would
furthermore call attention to 10 which
makes the case perfectly clear. There it is
stated that the conditions for obtaining eligi-
bility, for election as Member of the Colonial