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1890. NEW ZEALAND.

COMMISSIONERS UNDER THE REPRESENTATION ACTS (REPORT OF THE).

Presented to the House of Representatives in pursuance of the Pro visions of " The Representation Act, 1887."

REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED UNDER THE RE PRESENTATION ACTS. Sin,-- Wellington, 28th April, 1890. I have the honour to enclose herewith the report of the Eepresentation Commission, for His Excellency the Governor. I have, &c, T. M. Haultain, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Chairman.

To His Excellency the Eight Honourable William Hillier, Earl of Onslow, of Onslow in the County of Salop; Viscount Cranley, of Cranley in the County of Surrey ; Baron Onslow, of Onslow in the County of Salop, and of West Clandon in the County of Surrey; Baron Cranley, of Imbercourt; Baronet; Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George; Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same. May it please youu Excellency,— We, the undersigned, appointed by a Commission bearing date the Bth day of June, 1887, under the hand of the Governor, and sealed with the seal of the colony, for the purposes of "The Eepresentation Act, 1887," and convened by His Excellency on the 4th day of March, 1890, to carry out the provisions of sections 3 and 4 of the aforesaid Act as altered by " The Eepresentation Acts Amendment Act, 1887," do respectfully submit for your Excellency's consideration our report, as follows:— The report of the Eegistrar-General of the results of the census taken in 1886 shows that the total population of the colony was 578,482. Deducting from this 216,602, being the number contained in thirty-one boroughs and one town district each containing over 2,000 inhabitants, together with the men on board ship and the residents of the Chatham Islands, we have a country population of 361,880. Adding 28 per cent, or 101,326 to these, we find that the total nominal population of the colony for the purpose of the Eepresentation Acts is 679,808, which, divided by 70, the number of members, gives a quota of 9,711. , In rural districts this quota represents an actual population of 7,587. The maximum number to be included in any electoral district is 10,451 nominal or 8,172 actual population ; the minimum numbers are 8,961 and 7,002 respectively. In the city electoral districts the quota is 29,133 of actual population. The maximum is 29,233, and the minimum 29,033. In mixed districts the actual population representing the quota, and the maximum and minimum, vary according to the relative numbers of borough and rural inhabitants. Wo have had some difficulty in determining whether the Chatham Islands shall be included in an electoral district. We find that up to the present time the inhabitants have not been entered on any roll of electors, and that they have never made any remonstrance or objection to this exclusion ; and we have been advised that section 3 of " The Eepresentation Act, 1887," does not provide that the people of these islands must necessarily be included in the apportionment of the representation of the people in the House of Eepresentatives. In the absence, therefore, of any expression of opinion from the inhabitants themselves, who might if directly represented in Parliament be deprived of certain immunities they now enjoy, and following the precedent laid down by the Legislature in "The Eepresentation Act, 1881," which omits all mention of the Chatham Islands, we have not included them in any electoral district. Having prepared our scheme for the rearrangement of the electorates, the proposed boundaries were published in the Government Gazette of the 20th day of March, and we gave notice that objections in writing would be received up to the 21st day of April, and on that day we reassembled and found that various communications, affecting fifteen districts, had been forwarded. Several of these we. have been able wholly or partially to comply with, whilst in other cases we have found it impossible to make the suggested alterations, for, although quite reasonable in so far as the particular

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locality was concerned, yet a compliance with them would have either been inconsistent with the limits of population, or would have injuriously affected the interests of other and larger groups of electors. We annex to this report a Schedule showing the names of objectors, the nature of their objections, and the decisions we have arrived at. We submit the following final arrangement of districts, :; with respect to which we have given, in accordance with section 2 of the Act of 1889, every possible consideration to the present boundaries of electoral districts, to community of interest, facilities of communication, and topographical features:—

Authenticated maps and descriptions of the boundaries of the electoral districts accompany this report. Given under our hands and seals, this 26th day of April, 1890. T. M. Haultain, Chairman. John Hislop. B. Dobson. J. SI'EEREY. S. Percy Smith.

* For complete schedule of electoral districts, vide Gazette, No. 20, of 14th May, 18' JO.

Popul lation. Popul lation. Electorates. Electorates. Actual. ! Nominal. .\ctual. j Nominal North Island. Bay of Islands Marsden Waitemata City of Auckland Newton Eden Parnell Manukau Franklin 'ITianies ... . . W.iikato TeAroha East Coast Hawke's Baj... Napier Waipawa Masterton Wairarapa New Plymouth Egmont Waitotara Wanganui Rangitikei Palmerston ... City of Wellington Hutt 7,187 7,788 8,645 29,111 8,746 7,908 8,856 8,637 7,655 8,848 7,721 7,962 8. 1 73 7,586 9,182 7,159 7,890 7,112 7,841 7,023 7,097 8,377 7,063 7,977 28,617 7,056 9,199 9,955 10,322 29,111 10,060 10,122 10,112 10,252 9,798 10,081 9,882 10,191 9,847 9,126 9,602 9,193 9,214 9,103 9,170 8,989 9,084 9,350 9,040 9,480 29,365 9,031 Middle Island— contd. Brought forward Enangahua ... Grey Westland Ashley Kaiapoi Avon City of Christchurch ... Heathcote Halswell Akaroa Selwyn Ellesmere Ashburton Geraldine Timaru Waimate W'aitaki Oamaru Mount Ida ... Port Chalmers IV] i insula City of Dunedin Dunedin Suburbs Taieri Bruce Clutha Tuapeka Mataura Wakatipu Wallace Awarua [nvercargill ... 7,148 8,051 8,083 7,529 7,595 7,485 29,137 8,619 7,889 8,764 7,288 7,205 7,362 7,802 8,136 7,106 7,264 8,778 7,190 8,324 8,888 29,154 9,056 7,889 7,532 7,847 7,382 7,895 7,149 7,733 7,622 8,708 9,149 9,428 9,593 9,637 9,721 9,435 29,137 9,898 10,097 10,099 9,328 9,222 9,423 9,986 9,362 9,095 9,297 9,743 9,203 10,028 9,922 29,154 9, J517 10,097 9,640 10,044 9,448 10,105 9,150 9,898 9,756 9,686 • Totals, North Island 247,217 288,679 Middle Island. City of Nelson Waimea-Pictori Wairau Buller 9,126 8,121 8,091 7,395 9,638 10,394 9,490 9,465 (tarried forward.,. Totals, Middle Island 326,343 386,280

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Representation Commission, 1890.— Register of Objections.

I Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, nil; printing (1,200 copies), £-2 17s.]

Authority: George Didshurv, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB9o.

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I S3 Name of proposed °..%s Electoral District. & OS iC— 44 Name and Address of Objector. Nature of Objection. Decision of Commissioners. 1 Bay of Islands .. A John Lundon, Auckland.. 2 Marsden .. 1 It. Thompson, Whangarei 3 Waitemata .. 2 Henry Hunter, Kaipara .. 1 ■2 3 Bay of Islands should be reduced in size The population of the electorate greater than that of others Proposal to make the boundary of the old Eden County the boundary of the electorate Error in description as to the islands in the Waikato River Asks that the Te Arai Riding be part of East Coast Electorate Asks that the Te Arai Riding be part of East Coast Electorate Asks that the Te Arai Riding be part of East Coast Electorate .\sks that the Te Arai Riding be part of East Coast Electorate Error in description Asks that the country north of the Mokau River be part of the New Plymouth Electorate Asks that the whole of the Hawera County be part of Egmont electorate .. Alteration not expedient. The population cannot be reduced. Alteration not practicable. 9 13 9 Franklin .. 8 J. McPherson 13 East Coast .. 4 C. Evans, Chairman, Te .\rai Road Board.. 4a J. Warren, Gishorne 4b A. C. Arthur, Gisborne 4c John Clark, Patutahi 19 New Plymouth .. 5 N. Schumacher, Midhirst 5a John Elliot, New Plymouth Error to be corrected. Proposed alteration to be made in part. Proposed alteration to be made in part. Proposed alteration to be made in part. Proposed alteration to be made in part. Error to be corrected. Proposed amendment agreed to. 20 Egmont .. 6 50 Electors, Hawera Limit of population prevents this alteration being made. Alteration cannot be made. Name " Waitotara " to be retained. Name " Waitotara" to be retained. Name " Waitotara " to be retained. No alteration is practicable. Alteration cannot be made. 21 Waitotara .. Ga G. Hutchison, Wanganui 7 C. Finnerty, Mayor of Patea 7a E. Horner, Patea 7b D. W. Harris, Patea 2 J Waimea-Picton .. 8C. H. Mills, Havelock .. 8a a. HolcVsworth, Mayor of Blenheim Suggests that the whole of the Porewa Riding be part of Rangitikei Electorate .isks that the name be " Patea" Asks that the name be'• Patea " .\sks that the name be " Patea " Suggests that the Wairau River be southern boundary of the electorate Asks that that part of the Provincial District of Marlborough north of the Wairau River be joined to the Wairau Asks that Picton and Sounds County, with Pelorus and Picton Ridings, be separated from Waimea Objects to the County of Kaikoura being included in the Wairau Electorate Bb Joshua Bird, Chairman, Waimea County Council Sc A. S. Collins, Chairman, Kaikoura County Council 9 Kaiapui .. !) James Andrews, Kaiapoi 15 Selwyn.. .. 10 Alfred Saunders 14 Banks .. .. 11 W. Penlington, Mayor of Akaroa Alteration not practicable. Alteration cannot be made. Alteration not expedient. No alteration proposed. Boundaries cannot be altered ; name of electorate to be " Akaroa." Alteration agreed to. 9 15 u 17 Ashburton .. 12 28 Electors 17 24 i Port Chalmers .. 13 E. E. Allen, Mayor of Port Chalmers, aud J. Drysdale 13a The Mayor of West Harbour and others .. 24 Asks that he may be included in the Kaiapoi District instead of Avon Asks that no alteration be made in the proposed boundaries Asks that Lyttelton and Akaroa be not in the same electorate, and that the name be changed to " Akaroa " Ask that that part of the proposed .\shburton Electorate between the Kangitata and Orari Rivers be part of Geraldine Electorate Suggests that the Wards of Ravensbourne and Rothesay be part of Port Chalmers Electorate Suggests that the Wards of Ravensbourne and Rothesay be part of Port Chalmers Electorate Objects to the exclusion of Earnsclough Riding, and inclusion of part of Deep Stream Riding Earnsclough should be part of Mount Ida The remaining portion of West Harbour Borough to be added to Port Chalmers. The remaining portion of West Harbour Borough to be added to Port Chalmers. Earnsclough to be included in Mount Ida, and Teviot Riding to be transferred to Tuapeka. Earnsclough to be included in Monnt Ida, and Teviot Riding to be transferred to Tuapeka. Teviot to be transferred to Tuapeka, part of Waikaia to Wakatipu, and part to Clutha. Alteration agreed to. Alteration agreed to. Alteration agreed to. 23 Mount Ida .. 14 I Vincent Pyke, Dunedin Si 14a J R. J. Webb, Alexandra South 31 Tuapeka .. 15 J. C. Brown, Dunedin 32 Mataura .. 1G J. S. Simson, Gore 16a H. S. Valentine, Waimea Plains 1Gb J. D. Hunter, Chairman, Gordon Town Board Tuapeka County, except Tapanui and the Pomahaka watershed, should be Tuapeka Electorate Asks that Gordon be part of the Mataura Electorate .Vsks that Gordon be part of the Mataura Electorate Asks that Gordon be part of the Mataura Electorate I