SPORTING.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2473, 10 March 1882, Page 3

SPORTING.

WANGANUI RACES. [By Tblhqbaph.] WANGANUI, March 10. Handicap Hubdles. Agent ... 1 Oatch’em ... ... ... 2 Skylark _ 3 Won easily. Time—4min. 48soo. Hack Back. Won by Mr Higgie’e Aluric, beating eight others. Maiden Plate. Odd Trick 1 Kincraig ... ... ... 2 Bonny Dnon ... ... ... 3 Wanganui Cup. Hailstorm ... ... ... I Virginia Water ... ... 2 Dauphin ... ... ... 3 Six started. Time, 4min ISseos. WANGANUI ELECTION PETITION. I PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM. I WANGANUI, March 10. In the decision on tho election petition yesterday the Judges both agreed, but delivered separate judgments. The Chief Justice considered that mest of tho alleged acts of bribery and intimidation wore merely what might be expected in an election where the parties were greatly interested on both sides, and that the statements made by the canvassers to voters that they might suffer from particular people by voting on a certain side, did not amount to intimidation ; it was merely stating the natural result of spying, and pointing out what was the state of parties. He also hold that a threat from those who had not power to give effect to it was not undue influence. A threat must bo either by the person who himself could carry it out, or in the case of an intimation that custom would be withheld by tho committee must be put as coming direct from that committee, or from persons who could injure the voter in hia

business. Ho also held that when promisee of bribery, or where threats were stated to De employed, the fact that no attempt to give effect to them proved they were not used. Ho further held that, although in election oases the witnesses necessarily were not persons of very £o >d character or position in life, yet oases of bribery or intimidation must not be supported by evidence which would be insufficient to convict the alleged briber or inlimidator were he on hie trial for misdemeanour.! Another instance was whore a canvasser had tried to induce an old soldier to vote for Mr Watt by telling him that if the candidate did not bring the voters land claim before Parliament, ho (the canvasser) would forfeit £5. It was not an offer of money, but merely a mode adopted to enforce an opinion. In another instance his Honour laid down that where a candidate or agent gives the voter work during an election it is not bribery unless a corrupt motive is shown. Justice Gillies hold that in the case of throats of withdrawing custom the loss was merely precarious, and that if the loss proposed to be inflicted would seriously affect the saleable value of a man’s business it was clearly intimidation, but the matter was purely one of the degree of the infliction of loss, or threat to inflict loss, but it must be so serious that a judge could direct a jury to convict a person of misdemeanour.

The petition was dismissed with costs,