LOCAL OPTION PETITIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1903, Page 2

LOCAL OPTION PETITIONS.

PKB FBESS ASSOOIITIOW. . Welling to*, January 27. At the hearing of the Newtown iikens'ng petition cour sal for petitioners said the grounds of objection totba i poll might be summarised under thvs* headings, two of which had not before been the subject of legal controversy i.i New Z uland. They were:—(l) Che actual and true remit of the poll A-as that three-fifths of the (o'al nambe'- of voters who recorded their vote* did not vo e for no lictts*, and the coul number of voters whose votes were recorded was misstated by teaeon of the to include vo'.ei recorded, but whioh could not beoounted because of their noh-oomplianoe with sec'ion 128 of the Electoral Act, 1902. {%) That a number of persons voted who were not entitle! to vote, and that their votes must be .struck off the poll and the result amended, or, in alternative, the poll must bs declared void, (3V Gross irregularities • occurred in taking the poll, which tended to defeat the fairness ef the election, It appeared upon a reount that a number of vo'ee wen exelud. d a* informal and not counted in the totil vo es recorded. Oounse' said the content ion for the petitioners was that all informal vote*, except those which were informal on the gtouod mentioned in subsection 1, should be included in the total nttnber of voters whose votes were recorded. The o'ear policy of the Legislature was that 'he poll should not have the efeet of diminishing the v<lu* of property unless at 1-tast ttitee-fifths of thevotais who recorded their votes plainly indicated such to be tbeir inten'iin. Then was one exteption only, and that was in sub sec ion 1 of section 7, whioh showed very clearly again the polio* of , the LejiisUture to hive a clear tub* , etantiil m>jority. , A number of witnesses were called ! who, it was shown, had voted at the , pall though they were under ag», or had been ioapropirly enrolled. Evidence was also givon of the deputy Returning officers having left the polling beoths for a time and of irregularity in handing voting papers to electors. The inquiry stands adjourned until Thursday. DuNiDtH, January 37.

At the Bruoa Local Option inquiry the taking if evidence in rapport« all'gatioLg of irregularities wu eon* eluded to-day, and a few witMMM called to give evidence against the petition, butooanael for those opposing the petition did not-open, being allowed to defer bis address.