THE CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT. (BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1544, 27 May 1882, Page 2

THE CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT. (BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Wellington, Last Night. The following is the report of the Corrupt Practises Act Committee : — I am directed to report by the above committee that in reference to the penalties under the Corrupt Practices Act, 1881, for illegal practices, your committee considers that as much as the judges have no discretionary power, and the whole of the penalties m case a candidate be guilty of an alleged practice must be imposed, notwithstanding that strong mitigating circumstances may appear. V"our committee consider that such penalties may in certain cases prove too severe, and would recommend that the Act should be amended so as to enable the judges trying a case to impose upon any candidate pare of the penalties created by sections 17 and IS, as m then discretion the circumstances of the cases shall call for ; that the above pio\ision should apply to other persons than candidates, and that the judges hearing the petition and finding that an illegal practice has been committed, may impose all or any of the penalties therein detailed either upon the candidate or other persons found guilty of having committed such illegal practices, and thereupon no further proceedings shall be taken against such persons tor any chaige for which he shall have been already so punished.— H. Wyxx Williams, Chairman.