THE WALLACE ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 1217, 1 March 1870, Page 2

THE WALLACE ELECTION.

(TO THB EDITOB OP THE TntES. ) Sin, —An extract appears in your issue <*f the 12th instant, stating (1) " that Mr J. C. Brown was likely to wreuch the refused information from the Eeturning Officer," (2) " that the Colonial Secretary had instructed the Returning Officer to furnish Mr Brown with the list of voters ;" and (3) " that although Mr Brown had asked for the information three months ago, the Eeturning Officer had not yet favored him with any reply." All these statements are untrue. So far from " instructing the Eeturning Officer to furnish the information," the Colonial Secretary expressly states that there is no legal authority for permitting it, it is entirely at the discretion of the Eeturning Officer. As therefore Mr Brown gave no'sufficient reason for his request, after a somewhat lengthy correspondence on the subject, I "favored him with a Teply " declining to grant it. Mr Brown writes on January 31st, 1870, "I do not (as you would infer) found my request for the return upon the different statements you so kindly supplied to me " —apparently forgetting hia letter of September 29th, 1869, in which he writes, " Saving received two telegrams from you, one statiug that myself and Mr Webster had polled equal votes, another placing that gentleman six ahead, I should be glad if you would allow Mr A. Kinross to look over the voting papers." So long therefore as the application was based upon such utterly trivial grounds as an error in a hurried telegram (despatched merely as a matter of private courtesy) which was corrected within an ■ hour, Ideemed it unadvisable to accede to ie, but the case has assumed a new aspect. Mr Brown now asks for the infor- i mation to form a case for an election pe-! tition against Mr Webster's return, and as this is a definite reason for the request, I have granted it, and supplied him with a list of votes. Mr Brown alleges as his ground of petition misconduct on the part of the Deputy Eeturning Officer at the Lower Mataura. Although such a charge is palpably absurd and improbable, I have made a full euquiry, and find that not the slightest foundation exists. I have therefore called upon Mr Brown peremptorily either to substantiate his charge or else immediately withdraw it. — I am, &c, Chaeles Bous Marten, ,■:'.. Eeturning Officer. ■ Martendale, Feb. 21, 1870. '