NEWTOWN LICENSING POLL.

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 January 1903, Page 3

NEWTOWN LICENSING POLL.

(PKR PEESS ASSOCIATION.) Wellington, January 30. On the Newtown local option enquiry resuming to-day, Dr M'Arthur, S.M., gave judgment on the point raised as to the conclusiveness or otherwise of the roll. His Worship said that after looking most carefully into the matter, he must conclude th it in both the electoral and licensing petition, the Court might at any time during the trial direct a recount or scrufing of the votes given at the election to which the petition refer?, and should disallow the vote of every person found guilty of any corrupt or illegal practice, or whose name had been illegally placed or retained on the roll. He would confine the scrutiny to the names in the petition in so far as thay were brought before him by petitioners, or referred to by counsel. Mr Bell, the opposing counsel, assumed that the Court wag going to open ballot papers of those persons whoso names appeared in the petition and ascertain how they voted. The Magistrate—That is so. Mr Bell said that urght entitle his clients to ask for prohibition in the Supreme Court against tho Lower Court, As it was an important matter that should be fully determined, he applied for an adjournment, which was eventually agreed. Some farthor evidence will be called this afternoon, and then an adjournment made till Monday.

At the Newfcjwn local option enquiry, evidense was called by tho3o opposed to the petition. The witnesses gave evidence that the booths were not overcrowded and that the irregularity of giving voting papers separately to electors only occurred in a few instances and was soon corrected. No spoiled papers were put into the boxes. The case was adjourned until Monday.