The Waitemata Election.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1392, 28 July 1874, Page 3

The Waitemata Election.

Thk polling for the election of a member of j the House of Representatives for the electoral j district of Waitemata took place to-day. The oontest has excited a larger amount of. intereat than any previous'election for a single borongh for many years past, owing mainly to the remarkable qualifications of one ot the candidates, Mr J. S. Macfarlane. A very active canvass had' beten carried on in this gentleman's interest, and voters were brought from the Thames last night, passage paid. Such were the exertions put forth to secure Mr Macfarlane's return that his friends, j were.confident of sdecessy more especially as > Mr Yon der Heyde's supporters, considering j the claims of his opponent so preposterous as j to leave him not the shadow of a chance of election at the hands of an intelligent constituency, had rested on their oars, and had, not been so 'vigilant as they might" have been had a worthier foeman been iff] the field. However, neither of the candidates lacked energy to-day, and electors were raked from 'Severy conceivable corner.' We have no doubt that a comparison of to-day's j returns with 'those of the previous elections in the district would show that a great§r number, of votes have been polled than ;ever before. Conveyances ©f various descriptions'were plying about the city and'at, the North". Shore for the convenience of the " free and indepeii'dent,^ and , free s passes : by the steamers 2jb' Devonport or Stoke 3' Point from the " committee-rooms of both candidates. It was too. bad and decidedly "mean, however, for the supporters of one candidate to fasten the cost of their carriage on the-gentleman they.: were opposing, as some We said to have done, and we must Bay thatono possessing such boasted money influence ought really,.to hand over to a local charity the difference between the number of votes-he polled and the passages he paid. Star pigeons,-which are now indispensable at an election, were dispatched to all the polling -places.. Unfortunately the weather was«P thict throughout the that the birds may not find their way in before night comes on, but.wepublish below the returns, as far as received, and Bhall issue the others as they arrive. The eagerness to dot up the numbers of one of the. candidates carried his friends beyond the bounds of the law, and -one or two cases ot personation were detected and stopped, , ■ .