SINGULAR PROCEEDINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 3281, 26 August 1873, Page 3

SINGULAR PROCEEDINGS.

It lias hitherto been considered that Sunday was a dies non in election matters, and that nominations for a municipal ward or for a political contest could not be received on that day. At Sandhurst it has been decided differently. The Bendigo Advertiser of August 4 thus reports the occurrence :—When the friends of Mr Quin, who is standing for the Darling Ward, learned that Mr Bayne’s nomination paper was behind time on Saturday, which they considered the last day for lodging such papers, they were jubilant. Mr Bayne and his friends had a consultation over the Act, which seemed, however, to shut out all hope. A discussion arose as to what was meant by lodging nomination tbe day previous to the nomination day, tbe day previous in this instance being Sunday, and it was suggested that the nomination could be lodged on Sunday. Nothing definite was done until Sunday, when the Returning Officer and Mr Bayne took legal advice, and acting under that advice it was resolved to open the Town Hall and receive the nomination. Mr Quin’s friends, having learned that such a course was intended, resolved to be on the alert, and Mr P. Finn and Mr Hoskins, members of his committee, were deputed to watch the proceedings. From shortly before ten o’clock yesterday morning, therefore, until three o’clock, they kept a strict surveillance over the entrances to the Town Hall. Shortly before three o’clock tbe Mayor and Or. Buckley drove past, going after legal advice; immediately afterwards, Messrs Bayne, Stewart, Moran, and Sanders, solicitor,

came up, and all passed on but Mr Sanders, who joined the watchers, Mr Bayne drove off for legal advice, and in a short time Messrs Moran and Stewart came back with Mr MUnlloch, the deputy returning officer. The door on the west side of the town hall, leading into the committee room, was opened, and the three new arrivals, with the three watchers, entered. In a few minutes came the mayor and Or. Buckley. The Mayor expressed his surprise at finding Messrs Finn and Hoskins there, and asked what was going on. “ That’s what we want to know,” replied Mr Finn; “itis a very strange proceeding altogether.” All the party then went into Mr M'Cullocli’s office, except the watchers. Shortly the mayor returned, and informed them that the deputy returning officer, acting under legal advice, had received Mr Bayne’s nomination paper. “ Then we need not stay longer,” said Mr Finn, and the watchers took their departure. Thus it seems that the nomination was formally made, and this is probably the first time on which such a proceeding has taken place in the Colony on Sunday. The mayor, we understand, said he regarded the whole thing as an improper farce, the legal opinion obtained notwithstanding.