Invercargill Licensing Election.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 298, 26 April 1894, Page 2

Invercargill Licensing Election.

AN IMPOKTANT JUDGMENT. [PER PBKSS AS JOCIATIOW. 1 Invebcakgiix, April 25. Mr Kawson, >.M , to day delivered judgment in the petition against the return of, the Invercargill licensing Committee, all of whom were pledged to reduce to the full extent Belaid doubtless many grave irregularities occurred, but the cause was clearly demonstrated, and it was the first time in the history of the colony that two polls had been taken together, besides which many of the women liad never voted before, and the accommodation provided was insufficient. Keferring to the clause in the regulation of Local Elections Act, 1876, upon which the petitioners mainly relied, and stating that an election should be declared void where any irregularities occurred which in tho option of the petitioners " tended to defeat the fairness of the election." His Worshtpsaid he did not construe the phrase in the restricted sense put on it by the petitioners, and he did not think it was th« intention of the Legislature that because a few were guilty of inregularitie*, candidates and electors mnccsutof the wrong should be put to trouble and expense. Notwithstanding the irregulari tie?, he held the election was conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Electoral Act, 1894. Had the election been close no doult quite sufficient bad been proved to defeat its fairness, but the majority for the elected candidates was so large that in hi 9 opinion the irregularities did not have such an effect. He commented in strong terms on the double stamping of -papers given to women and said if the polling had been at all close he would on that ground have declared it void, as it was of the greatest importance that the secrecy of the ballot should be maintained. He refused to declare tho election void, and gave costs, amounting to £32 11s, against the petitioners.