BY R. M. JOHNSTON, F.L.S. 11 



to the peace of the community . But the two fust reasons also 

 apply to all single adult female breadwinners, who are neither 

 householders nor represented by natural guardians. It is the 

 third reason w^hich alone gives a special claim to single adult 

 male breadwinners who are neither householders nor repre- 

 sented by any natural guardian. Still the grounds upon 

 which their title to vote as electors rest are much inferior to 

 householders who are also natural guardians and representa- 

 tives of the greater half of the population. The former are 

 units, which represent themselves alo7ie ; the latter not only 

 represent themselves, but also represent on the average from 

 two to three dependent persons, the support of whom corre- 

 spondingly increases the amount of taxation which each 

 householder contributes to the support of government. If, 

 therefore, the single adult breadwinner has a legitimate claim 

 to be an elector, the householder's claim is at least three-fold 

 greater. 



From what has been observed it is manifest that each 

 electoral district should be represented in Parliament as 

 nearly as practicable in accordance with the number of its 

 population rather than with the numbers of electors, as urged 

 by some. This, however, is a purely theoretical considera- 

 tion; for in a general way the electors of a given district are 

 nearly in the same proportion to all electors as its population 

 is to the total population. But in exceptional cases, where it 

 is not so, the population base for equitable representation 

 has a much greater claim than the electoral base. There are 

 other considerations why the ^population quota is preferable 

 to the elector quota in determining the representative value 

 of any electoral district. Many electors have votes for more 

 than the one district in which the elector and his family 

 resides. Such an one cannot be placed upon equality with 

 the resident elector whose whole interest, including his 

 dependants (non-electors) are bound up in the particular 

 district. The non-resident elector element in the elector quota, 

 therefore, destroys its value, and strengthens the grounds upon 

 which representation by jpopulation quota is sustained. But 

 some may still urge the old fallacious plea, Has property no just 

 claim to representation ? So far as the general government 

 of anew country is concerned, the interests of property-holders 

 are quite as varied and conflicting as the population interests 

 ^er se, and the population of a particular district has more 

 interests in common with the property interests within 

 its border than have the property interests of different 

 districts with each other ; e.g.: The burning question in young 

 colonies is the development of its lands and industries rather 

 than incidence of taxation, and the aid of the G-eneral 

 Government in the construction of roads, bridges, harbours, 

 railways, telegraphs, etc., is the rock upon which the interests 



