BY E. M. JOHNSTON", F.L.S. 17 



"varies each day in accordance with the actual changes 

 brought about, naturally by births and deaths, and artificially 

 by constant movements of the population to or from old or 

 new centres of population ? Even if we could fix an exact 

 and coincidentally fair representation for all districts at any 

 one moment, such is the variableness of growth or decline 

 ever going on in various districts that it would certainly 

 be out of perfect harmony in both respects within the space 

 of a few weeks. 



It is clear, therefore, that the ideal of a perfectly exact and 

 fair representation on the basis of distinct natural geogra- 

 phical units and single population or electoral quotas is 

 practically unattainable, and therefore any objections that 

 may be put forward on such grounds to any scheme of 

 representation whatever, will in itself be no conclusive 

 evidence against or for such a scheme, whether good or bad. 

 It will only amount to a truism expressive of the fact tliat 

 the impossible lias not been achieved. It is, however, prac- 

 ticable to attain a fair approximation to our ideal in both its 

 important aspects if the two standards of fair and equitable 

 representation be used as tests for measuring the relative 

 value of different plans which most nearly satisfy their 

 claims. 



The following are the principles by which a fair and just 

 scheme of Representation may always be preserved, which 

 unites the distinct claims of the solidarity of distinct 

 geographical units with those which rest on the claims of 

 numbers : — 



Principles. 



1. Preserve all Geographical Districts as Single Electoral 



Districts, whose population does not exceed or fall 

 below the population or Electoral quota by 25 per 

 cent. 



2. Unite two or more sparsely populated but distinct 



Geographical Districts, so that combined they 

 approximate to a full Electoral quota. 



3. Where two contiguous Geographical Districts already 



constitute two single Electoral Districts, only ^ive 



two Eepresentatives taken separately, but if united 



would represent three quotas nearly. — Unite the 



two to form a single Three-member District, with 



;. the consent of the Representatives of the original 



^. , _ 'i districts in cases where it is impracticable to lorui 



J..,. ••■ a third separate district whose boundaries would 



.-,.,^^_, ' •, .^ not , transgress in matters essential to Locality 



Interests. 



B 



