TE AROHA ELECTORAL PETITION

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 2609, 1 April 1891, Page 2

TE AROHA ELECTORAL PETITION

Te Aroha, Maroh 3L — Chief Justice Prendergaat, and his private secretary, arrived lierebjr the coaoh this r morning to preside at the Te Aroha election peti* tio% eiiquky,< which opens at ten to* morrow. Judge Connolly, his , secretary, and the Registrar arrived from Auckland by the afternoon tr^a. The petitioner, Colonel Eraser, arrived l>y the same train. Messrs E. Hesketh arid Clayton, who appear for the petitioner, arrived yesterday. anj| Messrs T^ieo. Cooper and Buddie, who appear for Mr Allen, joined the train at Waihora. A great deal of local excit«nient is . manilested in the pro* ceedings. ' ; •■ '■ t - Tb Aroha, tins day. The hearing began to-uay before Chief Justice Prendergast and Justice Connolly in the Court-house. Mrß. Hesketh appeared for the petitioner, Mr Theo. Cooper for Mr Allen, assisted by Mr Chas. Buddie. Mr ? Hesketh opened the case. He read tEe and briefly told the nature of the evidence he intended to produce in support of each charge. He said that charges 9 and 10, re O'Haro, would be dropped. He then asked whether the judge^ would take up the question of the validity of the nomination paper fast , If that were given against Mr- Allen, Colonel Fraser, as the only legai^ "candidate nominated, would be awarded the seat, and the other charges of bribery, corruption, etc., need not be gone into. Mr Cooper, on behalf of Mr Allen, concurred in thisj but the judges decided that it was their duty to hear all the charges before giving their decisioa on any one charge. . MrLawlor, Eeturaing oflficer, produced the nomination papers of both candidates, and a icahlagram from Mr Allen. Mr Fraser gave, evidence of serving the petition on Mr Allen. John Maher who is alleged to have received a bribe from Edwards to vote for Allen, was the next witness. Cross-examined by Mr Cooper, counsel for Allen, Maher admitted that he volunteered on Allen's committee at Karangahake, but never supported him, but simply went on to make all the money he could. He could not say if his brother or Comes were associated with him for the same, purpose. He had fysard Allen was going to spend a thousand iv the election, and to Urmtei to fob few share of iU