PATEA ELECTION PETITION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 12 October 1901, Page 3

PATEA ELECTION PETITION.

(pee press association)

Wanganui, Oct 11.

In giving judgment this afternoon in the Patea election petition case, the Chief Justice said all thn allegations contained in the petition had failed except one. In declaring the election void, His Honour said The evidence showed that the Registrar sent the name of John Williamson to the printer, but the name was printed as John W illiams. There was no John Williams, carpenter. John Williamson asked for a voting-paper, but the de-puty-returning officer declined to give him one. His Honour quoted a number of law cases on tho subject, showing that persons whose names were wrongly spelled on the roll should not be debarred from voting, and that elections had been declared void because of refusal to allow such persons to vote. Therefore, on the ground that John Williamson should have been allowed to vote, the election must be declared void. As to the question of costs, tho petitioner had failed in the amendment, and had only succeeded in one of six grounds of the petition. The respondent was in no way responsible for the. mistake of the deputy-returning officer, and|there was no reflection on his (respondent’s) conduct whatever. He would, therefore, order that each party should pay its own costs. Mr Justice Williams c incurrred with the Chief Justice.