MOTUEKA ELECTION PETITION COMMITTEE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 31, 26 August 1871, Page 15

MOTUEKA ELECTION PETITION COMMITTEE.

The committee appointed by the House of Representatives for the hearing of the petition of Mr Parker against the return of Sir David Monro for the electoral district of Motueka held their first sitting yesterday in No. 1 Committee Room. The members of the committee are Messrs Brandon, Fitzherbert, Gillies, Pearce, Studholme, McGillivray, and Bunny, Mr Brandon being the chairman. Mr Allen appeared on behalf of the petitioner, Mr Parker, who was also present, and Mr Travers appeared on behalf of Sir David Monro. Mr Travers, relying upon the authority of Cushing, protested against the jurisdiction of the committee, it not having been constituted according to the strict requirements of the Act. The committee decided that this question having been dealt with on two occasions by the House, it was not for them to entertain the objection. The ruling of the Speaker on two several occasions as to the proper mode of electing a committee having received the formal approval of the House, their appointment had been made after the objection now raised by Mr Travers bad been disposed of by “ the competent authority.” Note of the objection was, however, taken by the chairman. An adjournment was then applied for by Mr Allen, for the purpose of procuring witnesses. There were, he said, two witnesses who could be procured at once, to prove the merely formal part of the petition, but the essential witnesses lived in the electoral district, and these could not be procured without the warrant of the Chairman of the Committee. The rule was, that the committee should not adjourn for more than thirty hours, but, with the leave of the House they could do so. Several of the witnesses resided at the Moutere, and one was in the Grey district, so that be did not anticipate that they would be able to be in attendance before the second of September. According to the practice of the House of Commons, it was usual to band in a list of witnesses to be called, with particulars as to the cases to be investigated, and be banded to the chairman a list of witnesses, two of whom would be examined as to personation, and ten or eleven of whom would be examined as to bribery and treating. Mr Travers consented to the presentation of an affi-

davit from one of the witnesses, Mrs Hagan, the mother of James Hagan, provided it were in the ordinary form of pedigree proof, and it was agreed that the committee should adjourn to September the 3rd, after an interim adjournment for thirty hours until the leave of the House should be obtained.