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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 210, 16 September 1879, Page 2

There is some reason to fear that an error in respect to the returning officer for Hastings will invalidate the Napier election. Mr Gilpin, who was appointed returning officer for that place, lives at Havelock, of which the principal returning officer was unaware, and be directed the registered letter of appointment to Mr Gilpin at Hastings, and in the post office there the letter remained unti 1 this morning. As soon as it became known in Napier that there was no polling-booth at Hastings, Inspector Scully went up, and at 11 o'clock the booth was ready for voters, and was kept open until 6 o'clock. It is understood that Captain Russell and Messrs Sutton and Maney were prepared to sign the paper, mutually consenting to allow the error to pass unchallenged, but Mr Buchanan refused, because of some ill-natured report which had been circulated by violent partisans, who attributed the error to a design to favor the Ministerial candidates. The Waipawa nomination proceedings were decidedly lively. One of the interruptions Mr Ormoud received was an inquiry by one of his audience to the following effect :— " You have told us a lot about what you and your side can do better than the Grey party; now tell us something you can't do as well." Mr Ormond replied, "We can't lie like them." There was no further interruption from that quarter.