THE EAST COAST BRIBERY CASES.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 114, 13 May 1876, Page 2

THE EAST COAST BRIBERY CASES.

From our (“ Napier Weekly Mercury”) Gisborne telegrams,, it .would seem that Poverty Bay scored one against TauranJEfc on Saturday, by the committal of (Japt. Morris on a charge of bribery at the last elections. The Tauranga people, however, are not going- to be out-done as the following telegram published in a Gisborne journal will testifyTauranga, April 27, 187G.—-An information has been laid by a man named Joseph Highley against Captain Bead himself, on the ground that through his agent, Major Pitt, he gave certain monies to Ilori Ngati in order to induce him to procure votes for Captain Head during the East Coast election. An affidavit has likewise been sworn to by T. J. Honshaw, to the effect that Major Pitt was Captain; Read’s accredited agent.” The great weakness of the Taurangaites was their failure to prove that Major Pitt was an agent of Captain Read’s. Perceiving this they are now going to substantiate their case if possible. If it can be proved that Major Pitt was Captain Read’s accredited agent, then the scat will doubtless have again to be contested for. Should the case against Captain Morris, and the one against Captain Read be brought home before the Supreme Court, then steps, we learn, will be taken to prove that the nextcandidate on the list (Mr Kelly) also bribed the free, independent, and intelligent electors of the East Coast. After what lias transpired, we should imagine it to be a model constituency for any gentleman to attempt to represent.