THE BY-ELECTIONS. MR. G. J. SMITH RETURNED FOR CHRISTCHURCH.

Evening Post, Volume LXII, Issue 17, 19 July 1901, Page 6

THE B Y-ELECTIONS. MR. G. J. SMITH RETURNED FOR CHRISTCHURCH.

[BY TKT.EGnArn— PIIKSS ASSOCIATION. 1 CHRISTCHURCH, 18th July.. Tho election for tho vacant Christchurch seat passed off very quietly today, and the polling was small, only 9707 votes being cast out of 17,355 on tho roll. It was generally anticipated that the contest between Mr. G. J. Smith and Mr. Chas. Taylor would be close, and that Mr. Turnbull's Bupport of denominational grants would mean loss of ground to him. Tile totals of the poll are:— • G. J. Smith 3912 Chan. Taylor ... .;. 3418 A. H. Turnbull 2377 Interest in tho contest seemed to be arousod in the evening, when crowds assembled in the vicinity of the newspaper offices, several thousand congregating in froijt of tho Lyttelton Times building, from which all three candidates returned thanks to their Bupporters. THE POLLING FOR PATEA. PATEA, 18th July. When the telegraoh oflico closed tonight (11 o'clock) the polling stood as follows: — Mr. Haselden 790 Mr. Hoslop 716 Mr. Remington 440 The results from .twenty-five polling pkicea have yet to come to hand. The voting will be close. This Day. State of the poll at noon : — Haselden 883 Heslop > , 843 Remington . ... 488 ' There are fourteen returns still tto come in. . Later. - Haselden? is leading by 18 votes. There are twelve returns to come. 2 p.m. With eight small returns to come In, Haselden is leading by 21 votes. A return received this afternoon by the Government gives the numbers polled by tho rensective candidates a: follows, with nine small returns to anno : — Haselden • ... / 901 Heslop 880 Romington 499 Another private advice received just as wo go to press states that, with six returns to come, the votes for the leading candidates are:— Heslop, 934: Hoseldeu, 932. Tho Premier on tho Government side, and Mr. Massey on the Opposition benches, were left confronting each other after the conclusion of tho supper adjournment last night, the Houso being nlmost empty. The Premier; with a bow, acknowledged "tho Opposition," and Mr. Massey, in reply, bowed in recognition of "the Government." Mr. J. Hutcheson entering, the Premier announced " the Left Wing," and the Left Winger immediately began to rally him about "tho results of two elections." Presently, when members trooped in, tho Premier announced the latest figures of the elections, putting Mr. Haselden ahead at Patea, and Mr.- G. J. Smith at Christchurch. Mr. J. Allen (referring to Mr. Smith): "Is he Government?" The Premier: "It is easy to see by your countenanco that he is not .Opposition." Mr. Seddon added that the returns from the Patea back-blocks were still to come in. Chorus from the Opposition: "The back-blocks aro all right." Mr. Massey stated in the House this morning that prior to the Patea election the Government organiser, Mr. Edwards, went through' the district promising roads and bridges and billets to those who ■ would . support the Government candidiate. (Cries of derision from tho Government side.) He said it, and was willing to prove it. Yet the Premier spoke of secrecy of the ballot and freedom of conscience. If it were not for wholesale bribery and corruption, the Government would not be in office for a month. The Minister for Justice replied that in the nature of things it was wealth and . aristocracy, such as were represented on the other side of tho House, that were most likely to use bribery and corruption. ((An Opposition member — The same old cry.) Mr. Massey, added the Minister, was "born that way, and could not get out of it." Mr. T. Mackonzie, who followed, referred to "this man Edwards" as a hired agitator, Erowling around to secure votes, who ad had the impertinence to suggest to the Hon. John M'Kenzie that ho could assist that gentleman to secure his seat, with the result that Mr. M'Kenzie requested Mr. Edwards's departure. An assistant of the agitator's had gone 'to Wedderburn and "shouted" for the unemployed there, and could not be reached by the law because he was not a member of a committee. Mr. Edwards only secured the defeat of candidates he was intended to assist, by interfering in districts in which he was an outsider. Mr. A. L. D. Fraser denied that Mr. Edwards was an employee ot nominee of the Government. (Mr. .Pirani — "You are innocent.") The Government side might have done the things alleged, but the other side certainly had done so. He thought that the past should be buried, that no nstice should be taken of the loud-mouthed agitators, and that an honest era should be entered on by all. Later on in the debate Mr. Lang revived the incident by stating that when appointed to the position of organiser, Mr. Edwards had himself said he was appointed "by the Premier."