STUFFING THE BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTORAL ROLL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1383, 22 July 1878, Page 3

STUFFING THE BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTORAL ROLL.

[Correspondent of “New Zealand Times.”] In 1873, Mr John Lundon contested the election with Mr J. W. Williams and Mr J. T. Macfarlane for the seat vacated by the resignation of Mr John McLeod. Ho (Mr Lundon) told the electors, so the story goes, that he was very much disgusted with McLeod for resigning, as he had put him in, but that they should not suffer any inconvenience by it, as he had not determined to represent them himself, but unfortunately for him he was beaten. The following year Mr Lundon sent in some 300 Native claims for registration, which were, for the most part, objected to by the registration officer; but owing to the fact that the revising officer, Mr Lawlor, did not arrive at Russell in time, the Revision Court did not sit, consequently all the claims sent in for that year, both European and Native, fell through. This originated Mr Lundon’s petition to the House. In 1876 Mr Lundon again contested t’ e election with Mr Williams, and ran on the Grey ticket.

After the election Mr Carleton determined to test the legality of Natives holding their lands in common under Crown grant, certificate, or memorial of ownership, being entitled to the privilege ef the franchise, and he selected two of the principal chiefs in the district, Hone Mohi Tawhai and another, the two biggest fish, ns he said, that he could get hold of, and objected to them; and at the Revision Court Mr Lawlor, the revising officer, gave it against the natives, and their names were struck off the roll. The following year the registration officer, acting on the rule laid down by Mr Lawlor, objected to all the native names on the roll which he considered were not entitled to the franchise, and in every instance his objections were sustained by the revising officer. This year, Mr Lundon, preparing for the dissolution of Parliament, sent in through his native agents some 400 native claims for registration, the qualifications being freehold and household, which wore for the most part, if not all, objected to by the registration officer, Mr Williams, and the names published in the paper, as required by law, a great number of these names having been objected to and struck off the roll at the Revision Court by Mr Lawlor, the revising officer, in the previous year. The Revision Court sat at Russell on the sth of June last, but on the 4th, the day before the Court sat, Mr Williams received a telegram from the Government, from Wellington, requiring him to resign by telegram his office of registration and returning officer for the district, and on the same day appointed Captain Baker, the pilot and harbor master, to take his place. When the Court opened, the honorable member for Eden, Mr Tole, who was present, said that he appeared on behalf of the natives, but before he went on with the case would make an objection which he considered would be fatal. He said that all the objections were made by Edward Marsh Williams, registration and returning officer, but that owing to his resignation there was no such person to sustain the objections, for although another person had been appointed he could know nothing of the matter. Mr Lawlor sustained the objection put forward by Mr Tole, and at once passed the whole list objected to by the registration officer, including persons who had sold their qualifications, householders who had left the district, dead men and all, and over 400 bogus votes were placed ujron the roll, thereby completely swamping out the hona fide electors of the district. Although Mr Williams appeared to have been kept in utter ignorance until the last moment of what was about to take place, the natives had evidently been informed by some one privileged to go behind the scones, and had given out that they were going to “whakatak ” Mr Williams, that is, they were going to oust him from office for having presumed to object to their claims ; it had also been intimated in the “ Herald ” a fortnight before Mr Williams received the official telegram. Hone Mohi Tawhai was struck off the roll, having registered as freehold on land held in common with others ; the following year he put in a claim as householder, he having a good wooden house, and was not objected to —the claim being good. While Mr Lundon, through his native agents, has been endeavoring to stuff the roll with native votes, and has at last, through the kind assistance of the Government, succeeded, tho opposite party have not advanced one single native name, building upon tho decision given by the Revising officer, Mr Lawlor, in the previous year, that natives holding their lands in common were not entitled to the franchise.

I forward by post a copy of the list of names objected to, and have set a cross against the names of those who had been objected to and struck off the roll by the Bevising Officer, Mr Lawlor, in the previous year—about sixty names.