DECLARATION op the WAIMEA POLL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 18, 19 January 1876, Page 2

DECLARATION op the WAIMEA POLL.

[Communicated.] Yesterday at noon the poll was declared at Wakefield, .when there were three electors and one candidate present. The Eeturning Officer said he was there to declare the state of the poll in accordance with the terms of the Act, and the numbers being Baigent, 88, Shephard, 76, he declared Mr Baigent duly elected. Mr Baigent said as the electors, he knew, were all busy with their harvest he would not say anything today, but would thank them through the papers. He would take this opportunity of thanking the Eeturning Officer for the manner in which the election had been conducted, and for the trouble he had taken. Mr Joshua Bird, in the absence of Mr Sbephard who could not be present, begged to return to the electors who voted for him (Mr Shephard) his most sincere thanks. He said he should like to say a word or two about the way the election had been conducted by the candidates. He noticed the Evening Mail had said it was a quiet sleepy affair altogether, which he entirely denied, as Mr Baigent had gone from house to house through his parb of the district begging, and in some cases almost praying, to the electors to vote for him, and on the election day had brought them up himself in his own trap, while Mr Shephard and his friends had let the electors vote as they pleased. Had they acted as Mr Baigent did the result would have been different. He said no doubt it was lawful, but it was anything but decent. A vote of thanks to the Eeturning Officer terminated the proceedings.