3.— REPRESENTATION. 



By W. CULLKX. 



Representation is a subject wliich lias received comparative] \' little 

 consideration in South Africa, and no d(jubt some may think that it 

 is more fitted for the political arena than for discussion by our Asso- 

 ciation. I venture, however, to dissent from this view, and T hold 

 that the question of representation is one which ought to be approached 

 from the scientific standpoint. I go further than this, and sav that 

 the subject is one which should be kept quite clear of politics, and this 

 more particularly when we aie on the eve of a movement whicli it is 

 hoped will ultimately break down all our artificial colonial boundaries 

 and make South Africa really a nation. Before that comes about the 

 question of representation is bound to receive the most careful con- 

 sideration, and one can safely prophesy that there will be manv diffi- 

 culties to overcome before a satisfactory solution is reacheil. 



In the following notes I piopose to deal with the question in 

 its broadest aspect, endeavoui'ing as far as possible to leave South 

 Africa out of account altogether. I shall, howe\er, take the liberty 

 of illustrating a few of my points by South African experience, but 

 even this is hardly necessary. In order not to coniplicate issues I 

 shall assume that we have no such questions to deal with as tlie 

 "native franchise," " votei's' (jualifications '' and the "ratio of repre- 

 sentation to taxation" and " wo)nen's sufli'rage.'' In other words, 1 

 shall simply assume that I am dealing with a b(xly of voters and con- 

 sidei- the various means by which these voters obtain repiesentation 

 in Parliament or municipalities through the exercise of their vote. 

 Incidentally, I shall make a plea for the adoption of what is called 

 the system of ''Proportional Representation." 



Representation is a subject to which fevv people give even a pass- 

 ing thought, and perhaps this is hardly to be wondered at, seeing 

 most of us have spent the greater part of c>uj' lives in communities 

 where the ordered course of events is the i-esult of centuries of economic 

 evolution. It is only when "redistribution" or "federation" is in 

 the air that we ever betray a listless interest in the tjuestion, a)ul I 

 am free to confess myself that it is only witliin the past two years 

 that 1 ever gave it the slightest consideiation. And now I can see 

 -clearly that few subjects have a greater influence in shaping the 

 affairs of a nation — but this is forestalling. 



It would be a most interesting study to trace the historical con- 

 ceptions of i-epresentation, but that is outside the scope of the paper. 

 It is equally interesting, however, to examine the modern conceptions, 

 and it is almost unnecessary to say that they are essentially democratic ; 

 but when one conies to the application of these vlemoci-atic conceptions 

 one becomes well-nigh bewildered. The root principles in all modern 

 systems of representation are : — 



(1) That minorities shall have their fair representations. 



(2) That majorities should rule. 



