ELECTION-PETITION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2398, 2 March 1915, Page 6

ELECTION-PETITION

TEE BAY OP ISLANDS SEAT. (By Telecronh.—Press Aosoclatlonj Auckland, March 1, Mr. Justice Hosking sat in the Supreme Court this morning to consider an application to havo t\ho j>etition against Mr. Vernon Reeds flection for the Bay of Islands iomoc«xi from the file, on the ground that it bad not been ; lodged within the legal time. His Honour stated this involved a point to be decided by tho Full Court at Wellington on March 22. A motion to amend one clause in the petition was agreed to by consent. ■Later. Allegations abandoned by petitioners were that the respondent offered valuable kauri areas to certain persons on condition that they voted for him; that he was present ' at the central polling booth during the oounting; that ono deputy returning officer endeavoured to influence the election in respondent's favour; and that insufficient notice of the scrutiny had been given by the Returning Officer to the other candidate for the seat. In the remaining clauses, the petitioner alleges that. J. C. Johnson, as agent for respondent, offered Mr. G. Wilkinson a seat in the Upper Housu if he consented to retire from the contest ; that the respondent agreed, -if elected, to resign within twelve months if Mr Wilkinson retired; that J. Jacenti as respondent's agent; offered to pay all Mr. Wilkinson's expenses if he retired ; that • respondent' offered Thomas Richards a postmastersliip as the price of his.political and that JacK Pansive,'agent of _ respondent, offered money to Tony Ivicevitch in consideration of his voting for. respondent.