Mistillautuuo.
REFORM BILLS.
The Ballot Society, through their committee, have called our attention to a draft bill to establish the ballot. It is impossible to print this docu- ment in artenso, but room may be made for a summary.
After the preamble, Clause I would enact that the returning officer cause booths to be erected at each polling place, and to supply ballot boxes, and to furnish each booth with copies of register of electors. Other introductory clauses specify that candidates are to be entitled to appoint scrutineers, and that a declaration is to be made by returning officer, scrutineers, and deputies. Returning officers, deputy returning officers, or scrutineers violating oath, to be guilty of a misdemeanour. The ballot papers are to be authenticated by being marked on the back with a stamp, and the returning officers are to provide ballot rooms con- taining separate compartments for the electors to privately mark their papers. The returning officer is also to provide a ballot box, delivered to a deputy, and a seal, lock and key. Clause 9 specifies the mode of election, and is as follows :-
" Each elector having first, according to law, satisfied the returning officer or his deputy that he is entitled to vote, and having also signed his name or placed his mark opposite to his name upon a copy of the register, of persons entitled to vote at such election, shall receive from the retunung officer or his deputy a paper in the form prescribed in the schedule, and such elector shall then immediately take such ballot paper into a coin ment of the inner room required by this Act to be provided in each pa g booth for such purpose, and shall there, without delay, strike through the name or names of the candidate or candidates for whom he doesnot intend to vote, but so that if there be only one member to be returned for such county, city, or borough, he only leaves one name not struck out, and if there be more than one member to be returned for such county, city, or borough, he does not leave the names of more candidates not struck out than there are members to be returned for such county, city, or borough, other- wise such paper shall be invalid, and when such elector shall have struck through the name or names of such candidate or candidates, such elector shall fold up such paper so as to exhibit only the stamp or authentication on the back thereof by this Act required, and shall immediately place such paper in such a box as hereinbefore required to be provided, and each elector shall leave the said inner room or compartment as soon as he has voted, and shall not reinter the same during the election, and no two electors shall be or remain in the same compartment at the same time, uor shall any elector, after receiving any such ballot paper take the same out of the said inner room or compartment either before or after he has marked the same, except it may be necessary for the placing of the same when folded in the said box, nor shall any elector exhibit his paper to any person after the names are erased ; and the returning officer or his deputy shall not allow any papers to be taken away or; exhibited contrary to the foregoing visions, to be deposited in the said box, but shall reject the same, and shell not give to any elector more than one paper, and any elector wilfully offend: lag against any of the provisions in this Act contained, shall be decalea guilty of a misdemeanour." Other clauses provide that electors contravening any provision con- tained therein be guilty of a misdemeanour. Deputy returning officer on close of the poll to collect and seal up, in the presence of the scru" tineers, all ballot papers, and deliver same to returning officer with tbe
least possible delay. Returning officer to declare state of poll. Papers and accounts to be forwarded to the Clerk of the Crown.
A bill for the reform of Parliament has also been sent to us, whence does not appear. This measure would disfranchise all boroughs having a population of less than 10,000, but would give the borough voters votes for the county ; would increase, by additions from the county, the population of certain boroughs having less than 20,000 inhabitants ; de- prive the Universities of their members ; enfranchise nine new boroughs ; divide the Metropolis, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool into con- stituencies of not less than 50,000 population, and permit one member to be chosen for every 25,000 persons ; redivide the counties so that there shall be one member for each division ; deprive borough voters of county votes and vice versa; deprive seventeen agricultural counties of raenSers and bestow them on manufacturing counties ; restrict the right of voting to the place where the voter resides; adopt a 10/. franchise in ate more populous and a 51. in the less populous counties and boroughs ; thee the vote by ballot, and have a new Parliament every three years.
Finally-
" Two or more Members shall be elected by the Legislative Assemblies of Canada, Nova Scotia, New South Wales, Victoria, the West Indies, the Cape of Good Hope, and such other colonies as her Majesty in Council shall from time to time nominate. "Eight Members shall also be elected by the European inhabitants of India, namely, two for Calcutta and Bengal Proper, two for the North West provinces, two for Madras, and two for Bombay ; such Members to be elcted in such manner and form as shall be provided by a separate act, and to constitute the consulting Council of the Secretary of State for India."
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