THE WAIPUKURAU ELECTION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3825, 18 January 1877, Page 2

THE WAIPUKURAU ELECTION.

oir, — w m you De gooa enougn to allow me to state the grounds upon which I acted in the late County Council election. Clause 51 of the Counties Act says : — " The following persons shall be deemed to be county electors : — Every person who is entitled for the time being to vote at a road board election." . Now, by the Highways Act of Hawke's Bay, clause 45 (see Hawke's Bay Almanac), no person can vote at any road board meeting unless he pays a ten-shilling rate ; therefore only those who pay ten shillings or upwards were entitled to vote at tbe first county election. This, I think, clearly and definitely lays down who are electors and entitled to vote. The above clauses are what I was strictly guided by. , Now, having settled who were entitled to vote, the remaining question arose — How are they to vote ? If you refer to clause 41 of the Counties Act, you will there see it plainly laid down, and by this clause I was guided as to the number of votes each elector was entitled to. Thus every person in the township of Waipuknrau who was rated at twenty pounds (£2O) received one vote, the rate in the township being sixpence. All other persons, in either Waipukurau or Ruataniwha road district, who were rated at forty pounds (£4O) received one vote, the rate being threepence. If in any case the ratable value was fifty pounds (£SO) they got two votes, and so on according to elaHse 41 of the Counties Act. There were some persons, however, within the riding, who were in neither of the road districts. These were called outlying districts. On reference to clause 4 Counties Act, sub-section 9, you will find clearly what an outlying district is; and, again, reference to clause 51 Counties Act, sub-section 2, will show " that any person whose name is on the electoral roll for property in the outlying district is entitled to one vote." This is again shown in part of clause 40, Counties Act. To all persons, therefore, on the electoral roll for property in outlying district " Makeretu Reserve " I allowed one vote. —I am, &c, F. H. Drowek.