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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 400, 4 June 1880, Page 2

Vote by ballot is a great institution. We are not sure which of the palladiums of our liberties it is, but feel convinced that it figures conspicuously in that list as detailed by writers and speakers of fervid imagination who are fond of assuring the pnblic that " Britons never, never shall be," &c. Personally, we are opposed to the principle of the said palladium, as tending too successfully to cultivate a certain cowardliness —not to say sneakiness—in the expression of opinion on public matters. But it is the law of the land, and it is the duty of all good citizens to assist in carrying out that law in its integrity. A very serious objection that has been made to tbe ballot is that it permits " manipulation " of votes, that under it returns may be falsified, and the result of an election may prove to be the reverse of that intended by the electors. The Legislature has not been slow to recognize this danger, and to provide a series of checks against it The "Regulation of Local Elections Act, 1876," is copied almost verbally from the English Act. Its provisions are perfectly clear and distinct. A child could understand them unless wilfully blind. The first thing that strikes one is that the Act supposes the existence of a Returning _ Officer. How he comes to hold that position, by whom appointed or remunerated does not matter—there he is, and the Act recognizes him and him only as responsible for the due carrying out of its provisions. Section after section contains the words — " The Returning Officer shall ...,'' In the polling booth he is supreme. He must not allow intruders therein. He can call in as many constables as he thinks fit to his assistance. If he be unduly interfered with or threatened he can even adjourn the poll. Again, he may, and if required by a scrutineer, he must, put certain questions to voters, but no others. In a word, his duties are very clearly laid down—he is fully protected in their exercise, and he is made responsible for their non-fulfilment —not to any official personage or body, but solely to the judicial tribunals. Now, we have no hesitation whatever in saying that a great number of th« literal provisions of the Act and the whole of its spirit was violated during the election for auditors, which was held in Akaroa on Tuesday last. Instead of a calm and dignified official, knowing his duty and determined to perform it whoever was pleased or displeased, we find a geutleman, concerning whom the most charitable supposition is that he had never read the Act which he had sworn to administer, placing his services entirely at the disposal of certain members of the local body. Instead of a pollingbooth, in which he reigns supreme, and in which none but himself and the scrutineers are to be found, we find the Mayor and the Chairman of the Finance Committee apparently in charge of the whole concern. Instead of the ballot-box being opened in presence only ol the scrutineers (if any), the same members of the local body have the effrontry to remain and assist at counting the votes, and the Returning Officer has the weakness to allow them to do so. Other irregularities have been credibly reported and are matter of town talk, but those we have mentioned are sufficient to show that it is absolutely necessary that a reform should take place in the conduct of our local elections.

Yet another blunder was made, presumably the result of sheer ignorance, which will form the subject of an enquiry before the Resident Magistrate's Court. It is alleged that more voting papers than one were given to various burgesses, though by the Municipal Corporations Act it is expressly provided that in any election for Mayor or Auditors each burgess shall only be entitled to one vote.

It may seem a small matter to make a fuss about whether Mr A. or Mr B. shall be auditor for the Borough. But a great principle is at stake. Once let the public lose confidence in the inviolability of the ballot-box, and there is an end to all hope of worthy self government. We should strongly advise the burgesses to make their influence felt in this matter —to insist on the appointment of a competent Returning Officer, and to see that this officer does his duty irrespective of intelligence even by such an importaut person as the Lokd Mayor.

Councillor Henning's zeal for economy appears to have been very short-lived. While the ink of his address to the burgesses, urging them to save eight guineas a year, was scarcely dry, he raises up his voico in the Council in favor of giving £25 more to a Town Clerk than it was well known would be sufficient to secure the services of a suitable candidate. From the point of view of pure public spirit, which Mr Henning assumes, this inconsistency is somewhat difficult to understand. Elsewhere appears an advertisement inviting applications for the Town Clerkship of Akaroa. The salary is mentioned, but strarjge to say, nothing is mentioned of the duties, or the hours of attendancejrequired. For the information of intending candidates for the office, we may refer them to our report of the proceedings of tho Council, which appear elsewhere.

. We understand that no one was nominated on Wednesday last (the day advertised) for the seat in the Borough Council, rendered vacant by the resignation of Cr O'Reilly. We suppose this mast be due to oversight on the part of some ef our burgesses. We regret to see a matter so important allowed toi be overlooked as it entaila the expense on the: Borough of fresh advertising, &c. ? as, according to the Local Elections Act, clause 45, no person being returned, and thus leaving a vacancy unfilled, such vacancy shall be deemed to be an extraordinary vacancy occurring on the day appointed for such election. Up to the present time, however, the Returning Officer appears to have taken no further steps towards filling up the vacancy. We would again direct the attention of the Lighting Committee to the wretchedly poor lights supplied by the street lamps. We have little hesitation in saying that a common tallow dip would supply a stronger light. It might be as well for one of the lamps to be laid before the Committee and be inspected. If our streets are to be lighted at all, they might be properly lighted; at the present time, the way the work is performed is more a farce than anything else. By our report elsewhere, it will be seen that the Licensing Court, which should have been held on Tuesday last, fell through for want of a quorum- This is not as it should be. The sitting in question was not merely a quarterly one, but the annual meeting. Holders of licenses were bound to attend to apply for renewal of their licenses, and, as a matter of fact, did appear, having come from all parts of the Peninsula. It is too bad that they should be put to this inconvenience uselessly, because one or two gentlemen ieeident on, the spot think it too much trouble to Bpare an hour for the performance of the duties of an office which is aspired to and accepted by them as an honorable one. It is curious that the Commissioner residing at the greatest distance from tne Court-house (Mr A. C. Knight) was on the Bench, while Messrs Fenton and Tosswill, both residing in Akaroa, were conspicuous by their absence. We have been requested to draw attention to the great clearing sale of drapery now going on under the management of Mr Innes, at Armstrong's buildings. We have been favored by Mr Dixon, Steward of the Hospital, with the following statement of Returns from that Institution for the month ending May 31st, 1880 :—Admitted—Males, 3; females, 1. Died—Males, 0 ; females, 0. Discharged— Males, 6; females, 1. Total in Hospital at that date—Males, 2 ; females, 0. There was a sitting of the Besident Magistrate's Court at little River on Saturday last, Justin Aylraer, Esq., R.M., presiding. The cases heard were unimportant. A Maori girl was fined for using abusive language to the wife of the master of tbe Native school. Two cases which had arisen out of too deep a devotion to Bacchus on the Queen's Birthday were dismissed with a caution. A charge of drunkenness elicited from his Worship the remark that it showed the necessity of a local magistrate. A meeting of the Little Biver School Committee was held at the schoolroom on Saturday, the 29th instant. PresentMessrs P. P. Ralfe (chairman), A. D. Allan, Johnson, J. Smith, and N. Walters. .The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The chairman stated that when in Christchurch he had ascertained that the Board of Education would erect a school for 90 children instead of 100, and that the Board had tried to get a plan of the district, but could not do so. A letter was read from the master as to the state of the giound under the swing, &c. It was resolved, that the Chairman be authorised to get the ground under the swing put in order. A letter from the master was read enclosing statement of accounts, as required by the minutes of the previous meeting, showing a balance of 13s 7d in his favor. The following resolutions were passed, viz.:—-" That hereafter the charges made on books, stationery, &c, be 25 per cent, in advance of the price paid by the Committee." " That all books and stationery be paid for on delivery." "That the book account be rendered every quarter." The master to give notice to the Chairman what books, &c, are required from time to time. The meeting then terminated.

It appears that the Banks have resolved to charge exchange on cheques issued within the same Provincial District, which have hitherto been exempt from that impost. From Wednesday's Press we learn that the Union Bank of Australia does not adhere to the resolution of the sister banks and intimates that for the present no charge wi'l be made by that institution for the collection of cheques within the Provincial District of Canterbury. We should imagine that this course, if persevered in, would result in a large accession of business to the Union Bank.

A popular notion exists that anyone may kill a dog with impunity—at the worst being only liable for the money value of the animal, which very often in the case of canine favorites would be practically nil. The notion, however, is a mistake, and any person acting under that impression might be disagreeably surprised. The life of tho four-footed friend of man is under tbe protection of the law. From an English paper we learn that at

Ramsgate, Oswald Puckeridge, a retired publican, of Minster, was sentenced to six weeks' hard labor for causing the death of a valuable dog. JThe prisoner painted the dog all over, with the Liberal and Conservative colors, and the animal was poisoned through licking the paint off. The prisoner gave notice of appeal. '