THE ELECTION LAW.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 259, 2 November 1925, Page 9

THE ELECTION LAW.

BREACHES ALLEGED. ISSUE OF A CIRCULAR. CLAM FOR foOOO DAMAGES. To-day two informations were sworn •under the Legislature Act, one against Henry Hastings Seabrook, president of the Roskill branch of the Protestant Political Association. One charge sets out:— "That on or about the 30th day of, October, 1925, in the Roskill electorate,' Auckland, the defendant, between the issue of the writ and the close of the poll, did issue a circular headed, TlallSkelton and the Roskill Electors,' and did publish, expose, or c.«use to be published or exposed, the printed document aforesaid, containing defamatory statements, being grossly false and untrue, calculated to influence the votes of electors, and concerning the candidate Alfred Hall-Skelton, in breach of the Legislature Act, 1908." A similar information was laid against the same party for alleged publishing of another document allegedly bearing his signature as president of the Roskill branch of the Protestant Political Association. The penalty set out under the section of tho Act- for ah" offence of the nature alleged is a fine of £50, or three months' imprisonment. A writ is being issued for £5000 damages in connection with the alleged defamatory statements contained in the subject matter of the circular, referred to, against both the signatories and the printers of the said document.