THE CHARGE OF DOUBLE VOTING AGAINST THE HON C, J. PHARAZYN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6502, 29 December 1881, Page 6

THE CHARGE OF DOUBLE VOTING AGAINST THE HON C, J. PHARAZYN.

(.V, Z. Tim**. o*e, Sit ) _Gh*rle* Johnson Pbarazyn «t> charged with having voted »i an elector for the electoral district of Thorndon on Deo. 9 io two election booth*. Defendant conducted hi* own defence. Mr 0. Allen, instructed by Mr Hay, the Ertuming-Ofiloer, appeared for the prosecution under the Corrupt Practices at it lection* Prevention Act, 1881, Mr (}. «, Cooper, Clerk of Writ* under the Regulation of Election* Act, deposed to the issue of the writ for the election of one member to represent the Therodoa electorate, and that subsequently the writ was returned in due course with the earn* of Mr Levin endorsed, Jams* Hay, the E«lurn»ijg Offlc*r for the District of Thorndon, produced his certificate of appointment, and deposed to haHog appointed Mr William O'Birne u Deputy Beturning-OfSker. The polling booth* were in Charlotte street, and another at the old Nem Zealand Tim** office, Willi* street. There were two candidate*—Mr Horton Levin and Mr Thorn#* I)w*n. Witness presided at the Charlotte street booth, and the poll opened at 9 am, and closed at 6 pm. He remembered Mr Fharaijn voting at his (witness’) booth about half-pwt three in the afternoon. Ho applied for a voting-paper , and gave hi* name, Wiinrst handed n ballotpaper to defendant, who erased one of the names. (Ballot-papvr produced.) On comparing the roll* after the election be (witness) discovered that defendant had also ncorded hi* rota at the Willi* street booth, la reply to Mr Pharexjn, he ssid he knew defendant by sight, and t»n» aware that ho voted in the afternoon in Charlotte street. When searching for the paper* he looked for the numbers, and not at the names on the f#e« of lb* ballot form. On discovering toe doable ■ vote for Mr Levin be hod diisilawed one vote.

j William O’Birne, Deputy Returning Officer

at the WlUis sterol polling booth, said ho remembered Mr Pluunixya asking (or a Toting paper. It wa# between 8 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon. In reply to the defendant, witness mid it was possible for a person .going (ran Tberndm to ml* a mistake by going into (he Willis sterol booth in sditeke (or the Te Aro booth. On Motiving the voting paper defendant went., to the private apartment, and oftersrftrdi placet the paper to the ballot ho*.

Samuel Waters, otie of Mr Lovin'* omillnear* at Ihe Willi# street booth, mid be remembered Mr Phirasyn rating there at about helf-pMI II in Ibe mooiteg, Wilm*, knowing the defendant, oallrd out the number set against the name. He w»«r Ibe RclumingOfileer initial and elatnp Ibe rating paper and hand it over to Mr ' Bharaxyn, In anawtr to 'the latter, wtltieee wa# positive defendant voted early in the day, certainly below noon.

William Scott, a s mtinwr for Mr Dwan at Willi* elwet, remembered Mr Bharatyn voting at the booth between 11 and 18 o'clock ia the morning. Ho rewired a ballot paper, and wiiac»* saw hint place it in the box. This tu Ml the evidence offered for Ibe prosecution. Defendant made the follow inf statement; —On the morning of Dm. ®, I left my home and proceeded to the Tinakori road polling booth, and recorded my rote te farour of Mr Ixard | thence I proceeded to the Charlotte find booth, and voted for Mr Levin. Leaving in (he direction of Te Aro to rote there, I inquired of a constable for the whereabout* of the polling place. I wae directed to the old Sen Zealand Time* office. It was about 11 a.m. A voting paper was there given me by the Returoing-Offleor, and I retired into a dark corner and struck out a name, which I now believe to hare been Mr Dwan's. The other name I did not obeerve. I folded up the voting paper without haring observed the second name. It afterwards occurred that there were four candidate* for the Te Aro election. I wae thinking more of the Wellington South election, and pondering over te my mind whether I should rote ter Mr Hutchison or not. I next met Mr Kobbri, and te hi* company went to the Princes* Theatre and voted for Mr Coffey. About four o'clock in the afternoon some of Mr C. Johnston's Committee tent me a message begging that I would go and record my rote. A carriage mime lor me. Mrs Flmraxya eent back a message that I bad already voted. I did not hear the recult of Ihe election till Ihe following morning, when I went and congu'ukted Mr Johnston oh hi* eucce**, and thanked him for tending the carriage, although I would only hare m»q too glad to hare walked and voted for him. Mr Johnston laid that X moil hare made tome mistake, as I had come out of th® wrong door. Th® whole matter then dawned upon me that I bad mistaken the election booth. It was careless of mo, and I deserve a month'* imprisonment for committing eo grave an error. (Defendant here mad# a few sarcastic remarks as to the conduct of ihe iterate® Pod In alluding to the defendant's alleged double voting.) Defendant was then formally committed for trial, hail being allowed, In bis own recognisance, for £5.