CORRUPT PRACTICES PREVENTION BILL.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2273, 15 July 1881, Page 4

CORRUPT PRACTICES PREVENTION BILL.

[By Thxbsbaph.] [from tub own correspondent op the “pubss.”] WELLINGTON, July 14. The following are the principal now clauses which the Eon. W. Johmlon is to move to be added to the Corrupt Practices Prevention Bill in committee The expression, “corrupt practice ” means treating, bribery under influence, or personating as defined by ithe Act, or as recognised by the common law or law of Parliament. When upon the trial of an election petition, it is reported to the Speaker by the Election Court that any corrupt practice has been proved to have been committed in reference to such election by or with the knowledge and consent of any candidate nt such election, that candidate shall not be capable of over being elected to or sitting in the House of Representatives for the said district, or of being elected to, or of sitting in the House of Representatives during tea years nest after the date of the report, and his election, if he has been eleoted shall be void, and he shall further be subject to the same incapacities as if at the said date ho had been convicted on indictment of corrupt practice. (1) A person who commits any corrapt practice shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction on indictment shall be liable to be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for two years and fined £3OO, and not be capable during ton years from date of his conviction of being registered as an elector or voting at any election in New Zealand, whether Parliamentary election or election for any public officer, or of holding any public or judicial office, and if he holds any such office it shall bo vacated. (2) Any person so convicted of corrupt practices shall also be incapable of being elected to, and of sitting in, the House of Representatives during ten years next after the date of his conviction, and if at that date he has been elected to the House of Representatives his election shall be vacated from the time of such conviction. The following are illegal practices—(l) No person shall, for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of a candidate at any election be engaged or employed for payment or promise of payment (a) to act as agent, clerk, or messenger, except as in the first schedule, or (b) to act as committee mar, canvasser, watcher, guard, detective, or torch bearer, or (o) to act or reader service in any capacity whatever, except one for which payment is authorised by the first and second schedule to this Act, or (d) to act, if an elector, as clerk or messenger; (2) if any person is engaged or employed in contravention of this section, the person engaging or employing him shall be guilty of an illegal practice, and the person so engaged or employed shall also be guilty of an illegal practice. (I) No payment or contract for payment shall, for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of a candidate, be made on account of the conveyance of electora to or from the poll, whether for hiring of carriages, for railway fares, or otherwise, for bands, torches, flags, banners, cockades, ribbons, or other marks of distinction, for exhibiting bills, addresses, or notices, or for the use of any house, building, erection, place, board, or thing for the purpose of any such exhibition, or with the exceptions authorised by the first and second schedules, in respect of any matter whatever. If any payment or contract for payment is made in contravention of this section, either before, during, or after an election, the person making, receiving, or being a party to or providing money for euoh payment ohall be guilty of illegal practices ; and if any person induces or procures any person to vote whom at the time he knows to be disqualified or prohibited from voting, he shall be guilty of an illegal practice, and liable to a fine of £IOO and not capable during five years from conviction of being registered as an elector or voting at any election in Now Zealand, whether Parliamentary or for public offices, or of holding any public or judicial office, and if he hold such office it shall be vacated. Oa or before the day of nomination candidate is to appoint one elective agent, and to send his name to the Returning officer, who is to publish the same. Such agent to appoint all paid clerks, scrutineers and messengers, and all payments are to be made through this agent, who is to transmit the Returning Officer detailed accounts of all payments certified before a J.F. The candidate is not to sit or vote in Parliament till this is done, under £SOO penalty per day. The Returning Officer is to publish the accounts in two newspapers. The following are prohibited from voting at elections :—(1) All persona guilty of corrupt or illegal practices at an election; and (2) all persons letting committee rooms for the purposes of or beneficially interested in the proceeds of such lotting, and if any such person votes his vote shall be void, and himself liable to £IOO fine. The first schedule gives the persons who may be legally employed for payment—(l) ene election agent, and no more, who may or may not be an elector ; (2) one scrutineer for each ballot-box in each polling place, and no more, who may or may not be an elector ; (3) a number of clerks and messengers for conducting business in committee rooms, not being electors, not exceeding one clerk and one messenger for each polling place in an electoral district. Second schedule—legal expenses—(l) personal expenses of the candidate ; (2) printing and advertising ; (3) stationery, postage and telegrams; (4) expenses of public meetings; (5) committee rooms, not exceeding one for each polling place in the district; (6) miscellaneous, not exceeding £lO for every thousand electors, and not exceeding in the whole £IOO.