THE LATE ELECTIONS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2413, 29 December 1881, Page 3

THE LATE ELECTIONS.

TWO RETURNING OFFICERS MISSING. [PBBSfI ASSOCIATION TBIKQBAM.] HOKITIKA, December 28. Two deputy-Returning Officers, Mr John Allen, storekeeper, Okarito, and Mr L. B. Reily, late drill instructor at Hokitika, left the Haast on the 12 th inst., and had not reaohed Paringa on the 20th. A telegram has been received via Wellington, supposed to have reaohed there by the steamer Stella, from Mr MoFarlane, Resident Magistrate, Jackson's Bay, stating that a man named Douglas arrived at the Haast on the 24th, having been four days in search of the missing men, of whom he could find no traces. Douglas and McFarlane were to leave again on the 24th to make further searoh. McFarlane telegraphs the election returns from Jaokson's Bay—FitzGerald 18, Reid 22. The missing men have the Arawata and Okura returns with them. It is feared that both men have been drowned, as there was very stormy weather on the ooast between the 12 th and 20th with heavy rain, and there are no subsidised ferries between the Haast and Paringa, but several dangerous creeks when flooded. Both are married men with large families. [fbom oub cobbbsfondent.] WELLINGTON, December 28. A curious hitch has arisen regarding two of the late Parliamentary elections. The Hokitika writ has not been returned, owing to the non-receipt of the official report of the Deputy Returning Officer for Jackson's Bay. Mr Allen, postmaster at Okura, who started on the 10th inst., the day after the election, carrying the voting papers for delivery to Dr. Giles, Returning Officer, was accompanied by Sergeant-Major Reily, and neither have yet turned up, although eighteen days have elapsed since their departure from Jackson's Bay. As the West Coast rivers were much swollen at tho time they had to make the journey, which is notoriously a very dangerous one, it is greatly feared that both men have been drowned. A search party is out looking for them, but so far without result. Dr. Giles has telegraphed today, asking that the time for the return of the writ may be extended, to give another chance of the discovering of the fate of his deputy and the voting returns. The time,_ of course, oan easily be extended, there being special provision in the Regulation of Eleotions Act for suoh proceeding by the Governor in Counoil in case of emergency, but there seems no provision for suoh a contingency, as the accidental loss or destruction of ballot papers on the way to the Returning Officer. The matter has been referred to the law officers, who are now carefully considering the case, but have not yet advised as to the proper course. The other difficulty is as follows:—The Returning Officer for one of the Southern districts failed to return the writ, whioh in his caso wos transmitted by telegram according to the provisions of the new Act of last session. The clerk of writs telegraphed asking an explanation of the delay, and requesting the immediate return of the writ. The officer replied that he had no writ to return, and never had any, but simply received a telegram instructing him to hold an election, which he did accordingly. The clerk replied that the telegram was the writ, which he must endorse and return forthwith. The officer rejoined that he would be happy to do so, but unfortunately the telegram was no longer in his possession, as he had attached no importance to it and had not preserved it. I understand that in fact it was used as waste paper. Under these peouliar c'roumstances the advice of the law officers has again to be sought as to what is to be done to get out of the difficulty and validate the election. Probably these two incidents are wholly without precedent, and oertainly oould not have been anticipated by the framers of the Regulation of Elections Act.