THE HAWKE'S BAY EERALD. Napier, Saturday, Jan. 29, 1859.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 2, Issue 71, 29 January 1859, Page 2

THE HAWKE'S BAY EERALD. Napier, Saturday, Jan. 29, 1859.

' On Saturday, last, by the arrival of the 'Emily Allison,' the Resident Magistrate received his appointment as Returning Officer for the several electoral districts of the Province, and was simultaneously put in possession of the long expected writs for the election of members of the new Provincial Council. On the intelligence becoming generally known, every one, as may be supposed, jumped at the conclusion that difficulties of a purely technical character were at an end ; and already had premonitory s-mp-tons of the excitement which usually precedes a general election, begun to make their appearance, — when — alas for the mutability of human affairs! — it was discovered that the writs had been forwarded in neglect of the preliminary enjoined by the fourth clause of the Regulation of Elections Act r and that, in consequence, proceedings on the part of the Returning Officer Avould have to be suspended until the terms of such clause could be complied with. The words of the Act are as follows : — Governor to appoint Polling Places. It shall be lawful for the Governor by Warrant under his hand from time to time to appoint Polling places for each Electoral District within or without the limits thereof, and to appoint any ' one of such Places to bo the Principal Polling ; Place for the District, and all or any of such Poking Places at any time to abolish, and if he think fit, to appoint other Polling Places in lieu of those abolished ; and every such Wai'rant shall be published in the New Zealand Gazette : Provided always that no Polling I'lace shall be appointed, by the Governor under this Act unless lie shall be first satisfied that the place to be appointed is more convenient than any other for at least thirty Electors to record their votes thereat : Provided also, that no new Polling Place shall be appointed for any District after tha day on which the notice of the day of nomination shall be published as hereinafter provided. Now, no mention of polling places having been made in the instructions forwarded to the Returning Officer, it will be apparent that he was placed in a position of some difficulty, and it will be admitted that he .had no other alternative under the circum- . stances than to afford time for the Government to comply with the law, by deferring for a time the issue of the election notices. This he has done, yet in such a way as not unnecessarily to delay the election, viz., by forwarding to the government — per overland mail which left Napier last Wednesday — a list of suitable polling places, with a request that they would be at once gazetted, and that, under the powers given him to that effect, the Governor would extend — by 35 days, the time (50 days) — within which the writs are at present returnable. The mail may be expected to reach Auckland on Friday, 4th prox. ; and the notification in the Gazette to appear not later than Tuesday, the Bth. s On this assumption, (we believe we are ' correct in saying), the election uotices will appear in Napier on or about Wednesday the 9th. The list of polling places, is,, we believe, as follows : — Napier, school house. CUve,

store of Mr. J. B. Ferguson. Napier Country, My. Alexander's farm, Puketapu (principal polling place) ; Mr. Macartliy's residence, Petane ; Mr. McLean's wool shed, Maraekakaho. Te Jute, Rev. SamuehWilliams' barn (principal polling place);. MivTiffen's wool-shed, Otamatiti. Waipukurau, Mr. H. R. Russell's wool-shed I (principal polling place) ; Mr. Lambs' accommodation house, Porangahau. Mohaka, Mr. R,iddell's house (principal polling place) ; Messrs. Spooner and Mitchell's store, Wairoa. On applying to the Returning Officer, he has courteously given ns the following as the probable dates upon which the nomination and election will take place at the respective polling places— without, howeyer, being able, at so early a period, to make an authoritative announcement to that effect : — Napier, nomination, Tuesday, 15th Feb.; poll arid declaration of poll, Wednesday, the 16th. CUve, nomination, Thursday, the 17th; poll and declaration, Saturday, the 19th. Napier Country, nomination, Monday the 21st ; poll, Thursday, the 24th ; declaration, Saturday, the 26th. Te Ante, nomination, Tuesday, Ist March ; poll, Thursday, the 3rd ; declaration, Saturday, the sth. Waipukurau, nomination, Monday the, 7th; poll, Thursday the 10th ; declaration, Saturday, the 12th. Mohaka, nomination, Saturday, the 19ih ; poll, Tuesday, the 22nd ; declaration, Thursday, the 24th. The length of time over which the elections extend is owing to the fact that one Returning Officer has been appointed for all ihe electoral districts, and that he must attend in person at each principal polling place - . '■'■'. The elections, it will be thus seen, will be completed upon an imperfect roll but a few days before the commencement of the month during which the first steps will be taken towards the formation of a new and accurate roll. Could the election, thus temporarily postponed, be still further deferred until such new roll would come into operation, the new province would enter upon self-government under circumstances of much happier augury. This, however, is rendered iroiiossible by the terms of the 'New Province}? Act,' under which the writs must be issued within six months from the date of the Governor's proclamation. We must therefore only hope for the best, — although we cannot free ourselves of doubt .with respect either to the harmonious or profitable working of a legislative body elected under such circumstances.