THE WALLACE ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 4 March 1882, Page 15

THE WALLACE ELECTION.

,? >. - Invbboabgill, March Ist. A sitting 'of 'the* Election Petitions Court was opened at Eivertonrjio-day for,,the purpose' of adjudicating, upon .the, -petition, of. ,Henry Hirst agalnst'tne'Yeturn of Th'eophilus Daniel, who was" declared elected .for Wallace, by a majority of one/ The petition .set for,th that after thepoll th ! eretru'rriing 1 -onicerpoin]jared with one another all the ■certise,d' copies! t>i rolls on which the fact of 'any person,, having received a voting-paper had been 'noted by himself, or any deputy^ and' that ort sueh I.'1 .' com'parisbtf it appeared that in two instances the same person had received a voting-paper at two or more polling-places ; but, insteadof opening the parcels of voting-papers used at the several.pollingplaces at which such persons appeared to have received voting-papers, and selecting therefrom the voting-papers on which the numbers corresponding to the names of such persons appeared, arid v disallowing the votes 'appearing to have been given by means, of such voting- 1 papers, the returning-officer allowed the votes i to be counted. -The names of the persons who appeared' to, have, voted at two or, more pollingplaces were- Thpmas Ford and John G-lynn, and the votes of J. Elliott, J,,JJ. , Hunter, J. Webb, and S. M'Kelvie were also held to naye been illegally accepted by, the returning-officer, thuß'givmg''Mr Daniel only an apparent' and colourable majority.j ority . Mr Hirst therefore asked to bo deolared.duly' elected member for ' Wallace. ' ■ i -<>''' The petition twa^ heard before Judges Johnston andi Williams. Mr MacDermott, with him Mr T. Mj Macdonald", appeared for the petition— ; and Mr Stout, witli him Mr Finn, for the respondent ; Mr Wade for the registrar of electors, and Mr Harvey watched the proceed ings on behalf of one of the oilier candidates in the election. Evidence was heard at great length in support of the petition, ,and afterwards rebutting evidence .was tendered. . -. . .>- •..-,• At 6 o'clock the Court adjourned , till. next day, 'when" further witnesses 'are to b'e'p'ro-j