, 1880-07-28

months there. But in the case now before
us, the gentleman was certainly not resid-
ing in the district at the time of election
or the last 6 months previous, but he had
been residing in the district for several
years, and his name was on the list. 1t
must be supposed that the clause of SIS
in question was intended partly to secure
that the voter should by a protracted
%sojourn in the district have bad an oppor-
tunity OF learning something of those, who
could be eligible as Members of the COun-
Gil: this opportunity the party in question
must certainly have had during his pro-
tracted s0lourn, even If he had Since re-
moved or been absent from there the last
few months. If the gentleman in question
were refused in the district, where his
name is duly entered on the list of voters,
he would not have the right any where's
and the general consequence of such q
course would be this, that managers of
estates would very often be deprived Of their
vote, as they very often move from place to
place. There was another strong point, which
be would beg to dwell on, namely, thar, there
ia no precedent for refusing a person the right
of voting, when and as long as his name is on
the list. Altogether, it is not good to put too
many restrictions on the right Of voting;
already now there is a great deal of draw
backs by the existing Colonial Law, and which
might or would have been remedied if the
new Draft of the Colonial Law had not been
placed 10 allegiance; he referred chiefly 10 the
necessity for parties not holding property of
certain value to record their right of voting
every December according to the new Draft
of Colonial Law, a person once on the lists
would remain there until his name was erased.
End Member for Christi&nsted (JUrS) called
attention to the requirements Of the Colonial
Law 10 reference to the right of voting. lie
firstly dwelt on SIS, where, after the general
conditions as to character, nativity, age, pos
session Of property or receipt of income, it is
added. Gle must, moreover, havs resided at
least 2 years in the municipality and 6 months
within the elective district, in which he
s%ojourns at The time the election takes place,
and his name must be on the list Of persons
entitled to vote )" then egain 5 81 provides
that the elections are to take place according
10 lists, having certain contents, which lists
&,e to be drawn up every year; further,
S23 enacts, that The names of those individuals
by whom the qualifications as regards age,
residence in the islands or in the elective dis
trict, are not yet attained, but who are expect
ed to attain them in the course of the year
for which the list is drawn up, are to be regis
tered in a Supplementary List and finally
S27 provides that the lists of thUse entitled to
vote are valid from :he lst April to the 31st
March ensuing; according to these lists all
elections during this interval are to take place.
Now, it appeared to him that according to the
Colonial Law the fundamental basis for eXer-
cislng the right of voting is in the list of elec-
tors, and hence any body whose name is on
that list must have the right to vote; only
where the Colonial Lew itself makes an excep-
ton. can any deviation be admitted in that
fundamental principle: the only exception
admitted by that Law is in reference to the
Supplementary List Of Voters but the Colo.
NAL Law contains nowhere even a hint that a
person, whose name is on the list, must lose
his right OF voting because one or more of the
Conditions disappear, for instance, because the
party removes from the elective district, after
his name had been recorded on the LET. He
would admit, that he had come here to-day
with the decided opinion, tina. this election
could not be valid, based on the view, that
be is by all means entitled to vote. He
was aware that this principle could have
unpleasant consequences. as for instance, in
the case OF a man becoming bankrupt, or COM
hitting a crlme, in the meantime, which would
OF course have disqualified him being entered en-
q new list, but if he were on the list before these
occurrences. be could not on that account be re-
fused to exer else bis vote. These consequences
are unpleasant, but cannot be avoided. However
ne had also to admit that the declaration from
Inc party, Of whose vote there was a question,
had made him doubtful in this present instance;
We all know, that at the election there were
y votes for the gentleman ultimately elected