THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 295, 13 December 1899, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln your issue of last night, unaer the heading of "The General Election;", and the scrutiny of- the votes for the.lfy v I notice that Mr John King has publish.^ that I gave him the document stating, that I was satisfied with the scrutiny^ the voting papers and the conduct of th. general election as satisfactory. So f_. as the scrutiny of the double voting, a n _' also of the seamen's and commercial-tr*' vellers' rights is concerned, I have no doubt that everything is regular an. in order. So far as the general election |s concerned, • I see no reason to doubt but that it has also been carried out to ';__* letter of the law. When I say this it must be clearly understood I mean that 'ijjjj. tween the hours of opening and closing the polls and counting the papers I.;__| personally satisfied that all those whos.' names appeared on the roll and who;p__. sented themselves at the poll received j ballot paper, some more than once, Faproved by the double voting. But I by no means satisfied with many things that occurred before the day of election, For instance, I am satisfied that there ar_ hundreds of persons who made claims''jf<jj enrolment who had a perfect right to de. mand their voting paper on election/flay'1 but when they presented themselves b_; fore the Returning Officer they were'tokj that they were not on the roll. Thei. again, I am not satisfied that the law his been properly observed with respect to a M.S. roll. I understand by the reading of the electoral law that it is the duty o£ th.

Registrar to keep an M.S. roll, and to ad. the names to this roll in hundreds or :_. shall be convenient from time to time, I have been in and out of the Registrar's offlce for about four months very.-f^j. quently, and have asked to see the.'M;S; roll, and have never been able to see^lfc I also believe that a list of ,itl.__. persons who have had a red ,li_. passed through their number and naiß. on. the electoral roll for September,'-IS.. have not had their names posted up outside the Registrar's offlce for It days, There is a provision in' the Act that tliij shall be done. Before leaving.this very' important subject, permit me to say (hat it gives me great pleasure to testify to the fairness and strict integrity and jar partiality of Mr McLanan, the Deputy Returning Officer, and. also to his assist. ants, who worked a^ hard as the scrutineers, and were one and all ready to lend a hand at any heavy spot. It is my earnest hope that this subject maybe: freely ventilated, and that the result will be reform of the' electoral law based on the foundation stone of electors' rights—simple, safe, but effective. In conclusion, let me state shortly that I am by no' means satisfied with the compilation of the city rolls, and I would suggest' that nothing short of a public inquiry will satisfy thousands of elector's.—l am, etc., G. J. GARLAND, December 12, 1899. —: '-J.:' :.:l