A Startling Theory.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 285, 11 May 1915, Page 4

A Startling Theory.

PREMIER MAY lAJSK HIS SEAT. A FINE POINT OF LAW. PRINCIPAL AXD AGENT. (Ily Telegraph.—Our Correspondent.) Wellington, Last Night. 'Hie political gossips liave been busy to-day with the situation created by the. upsetting of the Pay of Island's election and the disqualification of the late member for the district, M'r. Vernon Reed. A Government candidate for tiie vacant seat has been named already with the approval of the party leaders. The choice of the Liberals has not been announced, but it is known that a strong candidate will he. brought forward. Dr. Puck, who contested the seat in the •Liberal interest last year, will not stand again, while an uncertain factor is pre--elated by Mr. Wilkinson, the Reformer, who indirectly brought about the downfall of the late member. Mr. Wilkinson may possibly be in the field once more, and his appearance would seem to spell a split in tile Government vote. The general disposition at present it to regard the contest as an o'pen one, neither >iide attaching' much weight to the figures of <iie last election, which was fought muler conditions that will not exist again. The by-election cannot lie held the middle of next month and in the meantime there will he a great muster of politicians in the Pay of Islands electorate. Undoubtedly, each party will make strenuous efforts, despite anything that may be said about a political truce. The fate of the Ministry hangs upon the result, and the train of events which has led to thi-* by-election lias not made for the suspension of party warfare. A nice legal point is raised by the verdict of the Judges in connection with the Bay of Island.', election petition. Tlie election was declared void and the sitting member was disqualified because the Court held it proved that he had tried to influence, the election in his own favor bv offering a rival candidate consideration in the form of a seat in the Legislative Council. The only channel through which the member could have procured the seat he is held to have oll'ered was the Ministry of which he Mas a supporter, and the evidence placed before the Court and published in the newspapers indicated that both -Mr. Reed and Mr. Wilkinson, the man who made the offer and the man who received it, believed it was made with the authority of the head of the Ministry. Might it not be argued, then, that Air. Reed was simply the agent and that the leader of his party was'the principal? Your correspondent has legal authority for saying that the point is a weighty one,' since the elcC' torsi 1 law provides very clearly that both principal and agent in an ofi'ence of the kind alleged against Mr, Reed may be punished by the loss of public oflicc and line. In other words, if Air. Reed had the authority of the Prime .Minister for making the. oll'cr he did make (Mr. Massey's name was used very freely by the witnesses, including Mr. Reed himself), then the head of the Ministry could be arraigned before the Court on a charge of violating the electoral law. If he were held by the Court to have endorsed or instigated the oiler, lie would forfeit his seat in Parliament and his place in the Ministry. It seems improbable in the extreme that the Liberal leaders will sanction any attempt to push tin? affair to this extreme at the present juncture, but the point is of interest.