THE CASE OP PERSONATION AGAINST MR PHARAZYN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 695, 22 July 1882, Page 2

THE CASE OP PERSONATION AGAINST MR PHARAZYN.

The following is the report of the Select Committee appointed to enquire into the circumstances under which the Hon. Mr Pharazyn was convicted under the Corrupt Practices Act, 1881: —We have the honor to report that the committee, having made the necessary enquiry, find that the following verdict was returned in the case of Regina v. C. J. Pharazyn :—“ The jury find that Mr Pharazyn, having voted once at the election for Thorndon, did apply at the said election for voting paper in his own name, but so applied under the impression that he was voting at a different electorate for another candidate, and believed the mistake was honestly made,” and that in passing sentence, his Honor the Chief Justice spoke as follows :—“All I can say, Mr Pharazyn, is that I regret any possible inconvenience arising from your having committed this offence. I am satisfied, the more so as the jury expressed that there was not the slightest intention on your part to commit an offence. On the contrary, 1 am satisfied you recorded your vote pnder an honest mistake, and that you adopted the same means of ascertaining whether you were going into the proper district as other people. Some may have seen in the newspapers a list of the polling places, and become confused. Others might have been more attentive and proceeded to the proper booth, and a great many others may have been content with simply the information given to them by persons who had the appearance of authority, and so far as I can form an opinion I cannot say it was unreasonable on your part to act as you did. On the whole I think it better to dispose of the case at once. I might take either of two courses. I might not pass judgment at all, simply accepting your own bail to come up for judgment whenever called upon by the Crown, or I might pass a nominal sentence. On the whole I think it best to pass a nominal sentence. The sentence of the Court, therefore, is that you be confined one hour, to commence from the

commencement of the sessions, which period of course has long since passed, and therefore your confinement is also passed, and you are at liberty to leave,'* and that concurring in these views thus expressed by the Chief-Justice, the committee recommend that Mr Phara/.yn should be relieved from the civil disabilities to which, in consequence of the sentence, he .has necessarily become subjected.—R, Oliver, Chairman.