THE PATEA ELECTION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 8 October 1901, Page 4

THE PATEA ELECTION.

PKErS ASBDCIATIO <)

Wanganui, October 7,

The hearing of the petition by Wm Henry Parker against the return of Frederick Haselden as a member of the House of Representatives for Patca began to-day before the Chief Justice and Justice Williams. Dr Findlay appeared for the petitioner and Essam for the respondent. The petition sets forth that after the poll was taken the returning officer wrongfully opened a parcel of ballot papers and extracted the voting papers of Frederick Charles Saphir and Arthur Nesbett and disallowed the votes cast in favor of Mr Hisiop. The petitioner therefore prays that the election be delarcd void.

An amended petition was put in as follows ;—That at the election Arthur Nesbitt, farmer, voted for Mr. Hisiop, but upon counting the votes after the close of the election the officer at the booth wrongfully disallowed Nesbitt’s vote ; that John Everhardft, Mangaonoho, applied to the deputy returning officer at Mangaonoho for a ballot paper, but was refused, though he (Everhardt) claimed to bo the person on the roll. Further, that other persons besides those named in the petition, and who were on the electoral rol!, applied for certain ballot papers, but were refused by the officers iu charge of the booths. Also, that certain names were wrongfully struck oil the rolls, all of whom would have voted for Mr. Hisiop.

The hearing of evidence was gone on with, and will be continued to-morrow.