GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2401, 13 December 1881, Page 3

GENERAL ELECTIONS.

KAIAPOI. The declaration of the polling for this district was made by Mr J. Beswick, Beturning Officer, at the Court House, Eaiapoi, on Monday, at noon. There were about fifty persons present. The Beturning Officer announced the numbers polled to have been — Isaac Wilson ... ... ... 510 J. K. Lee 311

Majority for the former, 179. And he declared Mr Wi'son duly elected to represent them in Parliament. Mr Wilson said he had to thank them for the great honor conferred in returning him with id largo a majority. He felt in undertaking this position os their representative that he was accepting a heavy responsibility, and in his efforts to work for the benefit of the district he hoped to be supported by them all. He had not canvassed for any votes, and he felt he occupied a place which would cause him to give full attention to the duties required from him. Hie opponent had contested the election in the interests of the farmers and the working men, but ha claimed as a farmer not only to have won the election in their interest, as well as the interests of the working classes, but he claiming to be a colonist desired to represent the colony as a whole, and this interest in particular. Mr Lee thanked those who had supported him. He noticed there were only a few, about eighty-two, at this end who went for him, and of those only forty perhaps resided in the town, and ho had to thank them heartily for voting for him in the teeth of the opposition. Mr Wilson said he had not canvasaed, but ho had a very strong committee which spared no effort on his account. He thanked his friends and the working men of Kaiapoi for their warm support; in fact, he took it, he had very little support from the merchants anywhere. At Woodend, Mr Wilson’s stronghold, the electors seemed to have voted straighter than they did anywhere else. Now the election was over, he was willing to do anything he could to assist their member in fairly representing them. Mr Wilson moved, Mr Lee seconded a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, who humourously replied that it seemed hard, after taking part in several hard fought elections, he should now have to take the position of bottle-holder. The election proceedings had been very quiet and pleasant throughout, except for the practice of throwing flour, which might very well be abolished. The proceedings then terminated

LYTTELTON. The official declaration of the poll was made yesterday at noon. Mr Fred Gibson, the returning officer, duly declared Mr Harry Allwiight elected to serve as a member of Far. liament for Lyttelton. Mr Allwright stepped forward and thanked the electors for his success, especially as his opponents had blackguarded him so well through the contest. He thought the course they had pursued had turned wavering electors first to sympathise with him, and after to support him. Mr Allwright said he had also heard there would be a petition against the election sent in.

Mr Bicbardson, on coming forward, said he expected to come that day simply to sincerely thank those electors who had worked for him during the election. He was not one who cried over spilt milk, and as they knew but one of the three candidates could gain the day, he hoped as affairs had gone to do better next time. He wished, however, to except to Mr Allwright’s remarks about being blackguarded by him. Such a charge bad never before been laid to him in any contest he bad been engaged in, and he was sure it could not be truthfully charged upon him in this one. As to a petition being sent in, unless Mr Allwright knew of some reason why a petition should be put in by the defeated candidates he had no wish to do anything of the sort. Before the twenty days expired, during which time protests might be made, there was no telling, of course, what might transpire. There was one thing ho wished to say before finishing, and in the presence of the Returning Officer, and that was a report which had reached him from two or three sources, that it was capable of being known how everybody voted on the day of election. Of course he could not say, as he was not in the hall, but if it was as represented to him that the arrangement of the private boxes used by electors for marking their papers was so imperfect, that what a voter was doing could be seen by those present, it was a serious fault. Without going further into that however, he would with reference to Mr Allwright’s election say, that if he kept the pledges he herd given, and carried them out, they might consider they bad made a very good selection in returning him ut the head of the poll. Mr S. E. Webb next made a few remarks, saying he felt proud of his position at the ballot box. Though lowest on the poll, he believed that were the freehold votes of outsiders taken off his opponents’ numbers, his 246 would have won the [race. Then he said he had had the support of no section of the Press, but rather the opposition of the whole of the Christchurch papers, and what to him was a still greater wonder, he had come so near winning after having carried on bis canvass on temperance principles. In any case he was more pleased that Sir George Grey had won in Auckland than he was sorry that he himself had lost the election here. He, like Mr Richardson, had been told of the imperfect way in which the voting places were put up in the hall, and he thought greater care should have been exercised in fitting up the place as to ensure the utmost secrecy. He did not, for a moment, wish to reflect on the Returning Officer in the matter, but thought a mistake in the direction named had been made.

Mr Allwright moved a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, and said he felt sure the ballot paper in a voter’s hand could not be seen unless he wished it to be.

Mr Richardson seconded it, and said he was was sure the mistake that had been made, if mistake it was, was not intentional on the part of the Returning Officer. Of Mr Allwright’s pledge to oppose the Hall Government, unless they altered the tariff on the Canterbury railways to what he (Mr Richardson) bed shown to be necessary, a showing in which Mr Allwright had fully concurred, he hoped Mr Allwright would keep faith in that matter. It would be no easy work to have those reductions made, in the face of the statements of members of the Government all over the country that the alterations would not be made.

The Returning Officer, in acknowledging the vote of thanks passed to him, said bis position with three candidates was not an enviable one, as whichever way it went the majority of the electors had to suffer disappointment. A returning officer had to do bis duty to the individual elector, and by so doing that fearlessly and impartially he was doing it to all. For himself he could say that he had done his work fearlessly to the best of his ability. With respect to the objection that had been made to the voting places, he would only say that he had not got the place fitted up by Messrs Sutton and Weastall, reputed supporters of the successful candidate, but by Messrs Hollis and Williams, the reputed supporters of Mr Giohardson. They had instructions to make the places quite private, and when finished they thought, as he thought and still believed, they were quite private. They were satisfied, and so was he. The returning officer then stated that there were thirteen informal votes cast at the election—namely, two with the footnote struck out the names remaining untouched, three all names erased, one S. R. Webb erased and two names left, five not touched at all, and two with the second and third names well crossed out, but the first name (H. Allwright) had in each case been partly touched with the pencil, so that of the thirteen rejected papers the successful candidate was the only one who had lost any votes, the two he had just spoken of. The meeting, which was largely attended, then dispersed. COLERIDGE. Captain Parker, Returning Officer for the Coleridge electorate, made an official declaration of the poll at Sheffield at 10 a.m. yesterday. Mr John Jebson handed in a written protest against the validity of the election on the following grounds:—That the deputy Returning Officer at Ooalgate had refused permission to his (Mr Jebson’s) scrutineer to enter the polling booth, and had used personal violence to prevent such entrance. Secondly, that two electors who had voted at Kirwee had been prevailed on to proceed to Halkett and again record their votes at that booth. Captain Parker said that of course the matter would be fully investigated. He complained of the very short time allowed him by Mr Jebeon, who did not send in his list of scrutineers till late on the evening of the Bth, and owing to the scattered nature of the district he had not sufficient time to send the deputy officers instructions. He would, however, declare Mr McMillan, at being at the head of the poll, duly elected to represent Coleridge in the General Assembly. [Applause.] Mr McMillan thanked the electors for their generous support, and said that the interest of the electorate and the colony at large should have his best attention.

Mr Boys thanked the electors who had voted for him, and said he was misled, as be was informed that more support than he had received would have been accorded him. Mr Jebson thanked the 118 electors who had been true to their colors, and said the elected member did not represent the district, as he bad only polled about one-third of the votes. A vote of thanks to Captain Parker closed the proceedings. [PHKSB ASSOCIATION TBLEORAMB.] THAMES, December 18. Sir George Grey sends the following telegram to Mr Sheehan in reference to his defeat of Mr Speight:—“When two friends engage in a contest it is difficult to congratulate the victor, as it appears a slur upon the conquered one ; but 1 heartily congratulate you on getting a seat. Your absence from Parliament would haye been a loss to the House and the country.—G. Qebt.” GISBORNE, December 12. The official poll announced to-day was McDonald, 441; Locke, 422 ; Porter, 180 ; Gannon, 141. WELLINGTON, December 12. The Western Maori District returns are all In. The following is the result: —Te Wheoro, 991 ; Hamiora Mangarehia, 223 ; Mita Eiaka, 140 ; Wm. Hughes, 75. WESTPORT, December 12. The complete returns from Westport give Mr Munro a majority of eight over Mr O’Connor. DUNEDIN, December 12. The proceedings at the official declarations to-day were unimportant except in the case of Dunedin Bast and West. At the former there was somewhat of a scene between one of those present and Mr Green, the successful candidate. At Dunedin West the following took place ; —The Hon. Mr Dick having returned thanks, Mr Stewart said that he understood that the successful candidate bad rendered himself liable to the penalties of the Corrupt Practices Act, whether by illegal or corrupt practice he could not say, and he (Mr Stewart) would look into the matter, and reserve to himself the right of

taking action, not for his own cake, but for that of pu-ity of elections throughout the country. Mr Dick emphatically denied that he had been guilty of any corrupt practice*, and demanded that Mr Stewart should go further and formulate a charge. He further ■tated that had seen something in the “ Morning Herald " on Saturday last on the same subject, but he would not say anything further respecting it until he saw whether Mr Stewart took any action. If the matter were not brought up by Mr Stewart, he would consider whether be should take proceedings for libel against the newspaper, A scrutiny reduced Mr Seaton’s majority to twelve.

INVERCARGILL, December 12. Mr Hirst, the Ministerial candidate, has been returned for Wallace, having a majority of one over Mr Daniel. A scrutiny of the roll showed that there had been four double votes, one triple vote, and one case of peronation.