PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1534, 24 July 1901, Page 47

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

MR G. J. SMITH RETURNED. CHRISTCHURCH, July 18. The election for the vacant Christchurch seat passed off very quietly toand the polling was small, only 9707 votes being cast out of 17,355 on the 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 support of denominational grants would mean loss of ground to him. The totals of the poll are: G. J. Smith 3912 Chas Taylor ... ... 3418 A. H. Turnbull ... 2377 Interest in the contest seemed to be aroused in the evening, when crowds assembled in the vicinity of the newspaper offices, several thousand congregating in front of the “Lyttelton Times” building, from which all three candidates returned thanks to their supporters. MR HESLOP RETURNED. PATE A, July 18. When the telegraph office close tonight (11 o’clock) the polling stood as follows : - Mr Haselden ... ... 790 Mr Heslop ... ... 716 Mr Remington. ... ... 440 The results from twenty-five polling places have yet to come hand. The voting will be close. PATE A, July 19. With three small returns to come — which are expected to be in favour of Mr Heslop—th© voting for the Patea seat is as follows :—- Mr Heslop ... ... 949 Mr Haselden ... ... 940 Mr Remington ... ... 542 Final returns for the Patea election show that the Government candidate, Mr Heslop, "was returned by a majority of six over Mr Haselden. Mr Remington ■was 385 votes behind Mr Haselden. Oar Wanganui correspondent states that owing to no polling booth being establish ed at Makirikiri, the Patea election may be unset. Mr Remington is likelv to endeavour to have the election upset on the ground that canvassing was illegally indulged in.