THE LICENSING-ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2646, 14 April 1894, Page 3

THE LICENSING-ELECTIONS.

The Wellington licensing election cost £l5O, the Masterton £164, and Wellington Suburbs £6B.

At the Supreme Court, Christchurch, on Wednesday morning, in banco, an application for a writ of certiorari to quash the declaration of the poll in the Ashburton licensing district was granted, also a mandamus directing the returning officer to declare that the poll was void, one-half the votes on the roll not being recorded. Mr Purnell, for the returning officer, consented to the order. The cost of the licensing election for Riccarton was £75 17s 4d, or £6 6s 6d per booth. For Selwyn the cost was £3 0s 7d per booth, and in the Kaiapoi district the total cost was £66 10s 7d.

The cost of the licensing election for Dunedin city was £2ll 7s. Objection was taken to some items by the council on the score of excessive cost.

A Taieri paper says that the Cabinet intend discussing the propriety of testing the validity of the rejection of iuformals. The Invercargill licensing election enquiry commenced on Thursday, before Mr Rawson, S.M. Mr Martin, the returning officer, in his evidence said that the double stamping of papers was done to obtain the information required by his superior officer for the returns he had to make. He did this of hia own motion, but received his instructions from the Colonial Secretary. Evidence was given that several persons were refused voting papers although they had voted at the General Election. Others that could not get to the proper places to mark their papers, did it on the window sills, on the Magistrate’s desk, and against the wall in view of the bystanders. The officials could not stop these proceedings, the Returning Officer not having sufficient assistance. The proceedings were adjourned till Saturday. <