I.—lo,

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candidates for election to serve as members of the House of Representatives for the said Electoral District of City of Christchurch. 9. That the said Sir George Grey, X.C.8., was not present at such nomination. 10. That a poll having been demanded the Returning Officer fixed AVednesday, the tenth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine for the polling of votes. 11. That, on the ninth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, the said Sir George Grey, X.C.8., well knowing that he was a duly-elected member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of Thames, did, in a certain building known as the " Rink," situate in Gloucester Street, in the said Electoral District of City of Christchurch, address a large number of the electors of the said district and announce that he was then a candidate for election as a member of the House of Representatives for the said Electoral District of City of Christchurch. 12. That, on the tenth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, the polling of votes for the election of three persons to serve as members for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch took place at the principal polling-place, at the Odd Fellows' Hall, in Lichfield Street, in the said city, and the polling-places at the Merivale Schoolhouse, Papanui Road, and the Borough Council Offices, .Sydenham, which had been duly appointed to be polling-places for the said Electoral District of City of Christchurch. The candidates then voted for were Sir George Grey, X.C.8., Edward Cephas John Stevens, Samuel Paull Andrews, James AVillway Treadwell, and your petitioner. 13. That the election of the said Sir George Grey as a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of Thames, on the secorrd day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, was notorious and well-known to the electors of the Electoral District of City of Christchurch on and before the tenth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, the day fixed for the polling of votes. 14. That, on the eleventh day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, the official declaration of the polling for the election of three members to serve in the House of Representatives for the said Electoral District of City of Christchurch took place at the said Odd Fellows' Hall, in Lichfield Street; and the Returning Officer said that the returns were as follow:— Sir George Grey, K.C.B. ... ... ... ... ... 1315 votes. Edward Cephas John Stevens ... ... ... ... 1250 „ Samuel Paull Andrews ... ... ... ... ... 1250 „ Edward Richardson ... ... ... ... ... 1227 „ James Willway Treadwell ... ... ... ... ... 548 „ And the said Returning Officer did declare Sir George Grey, X.C.8., Edward Cephas John Stevens, and Samuel Paull Andrews elected to serve as members in the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch. 15. That your petitioner believes that the return of the said Sir George Grey, X.C.8., to be a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch is unlawful and void, and that a person duly elected as a member for one electoral district is not eligible to be elected as a member for another electoral district, unless he shall have previously resigned his seat for the district for which he was first elected. Tour petitioner therefore most humbly prays, — (1.) That your honorable House will take this petition into consideration, and that your honorable House will make inquiry into all matters and questions concerning the election of the said Sir George Grey, X.C.8., to be a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch, in order that it may be known and determined whether he, having beeir declared, on the second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, to be duly elected as a member of the House of Representatives for the the Electoral District of Thames, could afterwards, on the tenth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, stand as a candidate for election and receive votes as such, and on the eleventh day of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, be declared to be duly and lawfully elected as a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch. (2.) That the question as to whether Sir George Grey, K.C.B , has been duly elected as a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch has caused much anxiety to your petitioner and to large numbers of the electors of'the Electoral District of City of Christchurch, and of the electors of the Electoral District of Thames, the result being that one or other of those electoral districts is at present not fully represented in the House of Representatives : Tour petitioner, therefore, prayeth that your honorable House will declare the election of Sir George Grey, X.C.8., as a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch to be void, and that your petitioner was duly elected for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch as one of the members to serve in the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch, and that your honourable House will give the necessary directions for altering the return of the members for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch, or for ordering a return to be made of the election of your petitioner as a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of City of Christchurch, or will give such other directions as the case may in the opinion of your honorable House require, or will take such other steps as will determine the questions, and afford to your petitioner and large numbers of the electors of the Electoral District of City of Christchurch and of the Electoral District of Thames such relief as you in your wisdom shall deem fit. And your petitioner will ever pray, &c. Edward Richardson. By Authority : Geoegb Didsbuey, Government Printer, Wellington. —1879. Price 3d.]