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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7622, 27 April 1886, Page 4

To-day the new election of a Licensing Committee for the South Ward takee place. The polling hours are from nine in the morning till six in the evening; but as it is a holiday, an effort is sure to bo made to have the moat of the votes recorded early in the forenoon, before the people begin to leave town on their several engagements. It is much to be regretted that any steps were taken which resulted in the necessity (or having the election gone over again, as terminate how the contest may, it is sure to cause some bilterncßH; and it must be admitted on an impartial consideration of all the circumstances, that the responsibility of this lies with the temperance party. Making allowance for some slight mistakes, which no doubt happened inadvertently, and in no way affected the issue, the committee recently elected was really a good one. It fairly represented the general feeling of the district and the community, and would have administered tho Act without bias. The only reason assignable for the attempt to upset the decision then given by the voters is, when carefully examined, found in a desire to have the committee consisting wholly of, or comprising a majority of, men who are committed to a course which the temperance party detcrminos for them. But this is exactly what is not wanted, simply because it is contrary to all the principles of jnatice to place upon the bench for the administration of law men whose minds are already made up for or are bound to take a certain course, who, in fact, are not free agents. Wβ have no objection at all to a temperate and an impartial temperance man taking hie seat on the bench, far from it; but our contention ie that the way in which a section of the temperance party go about the election of licensing committees, and in which certain clergymen refer to it from their pulpits, not only tonde but ie meant to pack the bench, and render it imposaible to give en unbiassed judgment on any case it may have to deal with. Now, no matter whom it may offend, we say fearlessly that this is wrong, and that it must inevitably do harm eventually to the very cause it is meant to promote. Our advice, therefore, to the electors of the South Ward is to exercise their sense of independence, and give their votes for those candidates whom they deem most deserving of their confidence, and who, irrespective of all disputes, will impartially and honourably perform their duty.