THE COUNTY ELECTION.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 177, 20 December 1876, Page 2

THE COUNTY ELECTION.

(to the editor of the pate a mail. Sm, —In your issue of tlie 16th inst, a leading article appeared upon the above subject, and among other points in connection with the first election oE Councillors, you state that section 51 of the Act Very specifically declares that only those on an authorised roll can vote. Now, Sir, I differ with you in the reading of the clause, and for the information of the rateyayevs, I trust you will allow me space in your next issue for this letter. Section 51 runs thus—“ Every person who is entitled for the time being to vote at a Hoad Board election in any road district in the riding.” There can be no misconception in reading the clause. The next point to decide is—who are entitled to vote at a Road Board election ?. Clause 4 of the “ Taranaki Roads and Bridges Ordinance, 1858,” provides that, “ Every occupier of land within any road district, and also every ownex' of unoccupied land within any such district (such owner or occupier having attained the age of 21 years) shall be qualified to take part in.a Road Board election.” There is nothing in the Act which prevents a person from voting if he has not paid rates. It is therefore clear that if he is liable to pay rates, he is entitled to vote at a Road Board election, and in accordance with the 51st section of the Counties Act, being so entitled, he is qualified to vote at the first election of members of the County Council. As regards the Otoia Riding, I understand the Returning Officer has received from the Road Boards in the riding a list of the names of persons who are entitled to vote at a Road Board election, and the said lists include the names of persons who had purchased lands previous to the general meeting of ratepayers on the 27th November last, and those persons are clearly entitled to vote at the coming County election. —I am, &c., W. DALE. [We adhere to the opinion already expressed, notwithstanding Mr Dale’s views, as to qualification of electors. In that opinion we are supported by certain telegrams received by the Returning Officers of the district from the Law Officers of the Crown. Possibly, on the polling day, the Returning Officers will prefer to carry out instructions from head-quarters to any individual judgment, whether biassed or not.—Ed. Ail/.] (to the .editor of the patea mail.) Sir,—lt gratified me much to see the hope expressed at the end of your notice of the Temperance Lecture in Carlyle Town Hall, “ that the reverend gentleman would either repeat or,continue his address of Thursday last.” As it is an impossibility for me cither to repeat, or continue the address publicly in Carlyle, I desire to give you an opportunity of letting yourreaders know more distinctly than they possibly can from your report, what those teachings are “winch cannot fail to be other than a public good.” The position I took up that alcohol — the essence of intoxicating drinks, be they spirits, wines, brandies, ales—is a creature of God and has its legitimate uses, has been clearly defined in your digest ; but my opposition to the present social uses of this “pure poison ” has been passed over with this meagre description—“ He argued that alcohol was a pure poison—one that

when taken in excess produced insanity, disease, and death." .

To this portion of your report I take exception, not as false, but. as only the dimmest shadow of what I said ; a truer idea of which will be gained front the following : “ He argued that alcohol was a pure poison, and ought on no account to be used as it commonly is, as a beverage, an article of diet, a mark of hospitality, an inducement to, or accompaniment of; business transactions, &c., &c., which frequent and common uses, resulting often in excess, are productive of insanity, pauperism, disease and death.”

Even with this clearer statement inserted in your local, I do not think, MiEditor, that one of the terms with which you have been pleased to characterise the views expressed in the lecture, such as reasonable, &c., need be altered. , . I send you this under the conviction that its publication is due to the members of the Good Templar Lodge who invited me to lecture under their auspices, and to myself, as I do not wish to leave your readers under the impression that X, holding reasonable views, am only a mild opponent of - the drinking habits of Home and Colonial society.—l am, yom-s, &c.,

ALEXANDER MARTIN,