Page:Thomas Hare - The Election of Representatives, parliamentary and municipal.djvu/359

Rh position equal to A and C, by bringing more contingent votes into operation, without the dangerous consequence of giving greatly increased weight to mere numbers. Thus:—

First trial:—Votes polled $600⁄3$ = 200

First appropriation,—A, 200; B, 99; C, 200; E, 101.

Second trial,—A, 200+C, 200+E, 101=$501⁄3$=167. B, 99

200−167=33.

Second appropriation,—A, 167; C, 167; B, 99+33+33=165. E, 101.

Third trial,—A, 167+C, 167+B, 165=$499⁄3$=166$1⁄3$. E, 101.

Third appropriation,—A, 166$1⁄3$+C, 166$1⁄3$+B, 166$1⁄3$. E, 101.

The result is, that A, C, and B, are elected by an equal quota of votes. It will be seen, however, that this has been effected at the expense of increasing the minority having no influence on the election, from 99 (as it stood in the example in Appendix D) to 101.

The earliest suggestions which are found, for the adoption of personal representation in this colony, are contained in the Sydney Morning Herald, of the 26th November and 4th December, 1861, on the proposal to make the Upper House of the Colonial Parliament elective, instead of nominative, as theretofore. Early in the session of 1862 a Bill was brought into the Legislative Council, adapting the principle to the election of the Upper House. This Bill was, on the 18th June, 1862, referred to a Select Committee, of which Mr. Wentworth was chairman. The Committee made its Report on the 21st of August, 1862. The following passages relate to this system:—

“As respects the mode of voting, your Committee have given much consideration to the plan now commonly known as that of Mr. Hare, and which has lately attracted considerable notice among leading political writers in Europe.