WESTERN MAORI ELECTORATE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 504, 11 May 1909, Page 5

WESTERN MAORI ELECTORATE.

ICR. KAIHAFS RETURN OPPOSED. ASSOCIATION.) ' 1 Hamilton, May 10 ' 0 " 0 KkeWs petition- against Henaro • Kaihau-s election for, tho Western Maori oleciZll* V? 1 ,ill's 'afternoon, before rftldges Edwards and Cooper Mr F. Earlo . appeared oii behalf of .tho' petitioner,' and Mr. C J Parr for respondent Mr. SwarbnckappGarGdforMr.^Grace.'tharcturninj!:' - ;.Hondurs;Tuled, ; was a respondent, as charges nero mado against him Mr. Earle, in opening the case, said that the chief grounds of tne -petition; were that , polling-places; had not boen published in the - -Maoi'i Gazette on eight .different days,'prior : jhe : day . of; thei polling that voting: papers had not been issuod .to each elector ; that . no timo -issuing such papers'.had • stated • 'thafcthe-'places-whorethepoll-iKg .should; have taken place . were not used . for.such. purpose,-.butI that v other ; places wei' : : J™t .HO voting papers. were. returned; without the names 01 candidates being l .filled inV thC ;-.^^ B':'iiß;.:inany'8':'iiß;.:inany' cases,; iiot being- afforcltd ff2M^- :0 W n S -themVin.;;.He.cpntendea th® these; were irregularities, I .'arid were . flagrant breaches of the Act. In moro than - one case the placo at -which tho polling should cave taken place had beeu changed to one distant, some mdes .away and, in one instance, the poll ■ actually, took' place on on - open road, 110 house being'used. - Judge Edwards -asked.-how- much the olcc- ;. turn, xosti .and nt; was - stated in reply. that it rani into well ovor.a thousand pounds. ': -'Mr- Act had been ■ rtirthej-. infringod by allowing';more than one :- Maori.; to ,be ; presont, in ■' tho ; booth at one :-;.timc., if't.heir.Honours-held 'that, according -. to-common rulo, this election in substance was invalid, woll and good, but if on tho ;; other liand it heldithat tho irregularities complained -of were-not sufficient to dostroy tho election as an election, .then it woi|ld bo for tho other side to show .that the, irregularities wero such as could not possibly have affected the result of tho. poll. ■ ~; . Coiin.M'rs; opening: address.lasted all ■ tho aftcrnoolj. . ;The 1 Court -. adjourned till 10 o clock next'morning. ,r.. , -