THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 30 March 1901, Page 3

THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

[BLKCTBIO IHMSGRAPH.—COPYRIGHT.] (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) v Sydney, March 29. > The polling at the first Federal elections was conducted very quietly tbrough- ' out the city and country. Great interest was manifested in the city to-night, King street being crowded. Mr Reid was returnod for East Sydney with an overwhelming majority. Sir W. Lyne is having a hard tussel with Goddard, Freetrade candidate. Mr Cook, Postmaster-General, will have an easy victory at Paramatta, and Sir Wm. M'Millan a large majority over the Protectionist candidate for Wentworth. Out of 29 seats the Freetraders are leading for 17; Labor candidates are leading for three seats. Melbourne, March 29. The following Ministerialists have been elected :—Ballarat, Deakin ; Bcndigo, Quick ; Balaclava, Turner ; Cornelia, M'Kay; Corio, Crouch; Gippsland, M'Loan; Indi, Isaacs; Melbourne, Sir Malcolm, M'Eachern; Port Melbourne, Maugher; Southern Melbourne, Ronald; Northern Melbourne, Higgins; Freetraders, Kookong and Knox. Free Trade y. Protection.

The fight for seats in tho Lower House resolved itaolf into one of Freetrade v. Protection. Bruce Smith, former member in the Parks Administration scored heavily over his Protectionist opponent; for Hume, Sir W. Lyne leads by 110. «* For Canoblas, Brown, Labour candidate is leading over Wise by 190. The following Protectionist Ministerialists have been returned: for Bland, Watson (Labour) ; Hunter, Barton (unopposed) ; Eden and Monaro, Chapman defeated Wood, Minister of Justice; Groydon, Cruikshanks; Richmond, Ewing; Kwerina, Chantar. The following Freetraders wore returned :•—East Sydney, Beid, majority 4043; North Sydney, Thompson, Dalley, and Wileyj; Paramatta, Cook, Lang, M'Lean, Parke 3, and Sydney Smith; New England, Lonsdale, Robertson and Willis; Barrier, Thomas (Labour and independent Labour); Darling, Spence and Bruce Smith; West Sydney, Hughes, (Labour); Wentwonh, Sir William M'Millan, Illawarra, Fuller, Newcastle, Gilbert and M'Guarie.

Later. The Senate returns:—So far the fol- . owing are leading:—Freetraders: Gould, Pulsford, Millen, Walker and Grey. Protectionist: O'Connor. The returns from the other colonies are not to hand. Received this day at 9 52 a.m. Sydney, This Day. For the Senate election in New South Wales, Walker, Gould, Millen, Pulsford, Gray and O'Connor are leading strongly. The last named is the only Protectionist. In Victoria —Fraser, Zeal, Styles, Best (Protectionists); Sargood (Frco Trader) ; Barrett (Labor). Tasmania—Cating, Dobson, O'Keefe (Free Traders); [but the Ministerialists claim McFarlane (Free Trade) and the Opposition, Cameron (Protectionist). Barton expects to carry the balance of the Victorian seats, and thinks that the final returns will improve the position in New South Wales. A «torm in the country is preventing the returns from Victoria coming in. Reid expressed satisfaction at the way in which Free Traders stuck together. Received this Jay at 9 43 a m. Sydney, This Day.

The Free Traders elected are:—Merriwa, Conroy: Canoblaa, Brown the Labour candidate defeating Wise, tho AttorneyGeneral, and South Sydney Edwards beating M'Gowan, the leader of the Labor Party by 461. The Protectionists returned are:— Oowper, Clarke, Hume, Lyne. Tho latter's returns are incomplete, but they are unlikely to affeot the position. The state of the parties is seventeen Free Traders, eight Protectionists, and one labor. In some of the larger scattered districts the returns are incomplete, and may alter the state of parties somewhat. In Viotoria the protectionists have been returned for Bourke, Cook, Corangatite Manifold, Laonecoorie, and Grossi. The Freetraders for Flinders, Grose, Wanoon, Cook. Fourteen Protectionists and three Free Trader.-!. Six seats are unoccupied. The Westralian results are—For Swan Sir John Forrest. Protectionist, returned unopposed; for Frcemamle, Solomon, Freetrader; for Perth, Fowler. Freetrader. The rest of tho returns are incomplete. The Tasmanian results are Freetraders returned—Braddon, Fiesse and Cameron, the latter of whom supports the Ministry. The Protectionists are Fysh and O'Malley.

The approximate aggregate is Protection 25, Freetrade 24, and Independent one. The Ministerialists have 26 supporters.