BRITISH ELECTIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 66

BRITISH ELECTIONS

OF NEW ZEALAND INTEREST.

M.P FOR WELLS. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, January 28. Captain Sandys, the newij-eiected member for the Wells Division of Somersetshire, is interested in New Zealand, his wife having formerly been Miss Cameron, of Canterbury, daughter of the late Mr Duncan Cameron. Captain Sandys polled a record number of votes— '■ 6167—and obtained a majority of 1296. The result was declared by Mr Arthur Fownes Somerville. the High Sheriff, who has spent several years in Gas borne. A FALSE REPORT, On board the R.M.S. Rimutaka, which left Plymouth on Saturday morning, were a number of friends of General Sir Reginald Pole-Carew, who contested South-east Cornwall in the Unionist interest. The result of the poll was expected early enough to be communicated to the liner before she left, but as the news did not arrive it was arranged to hoist two flags at the signal station in the event of Sir Reginald being elected. After the liner had left Plymouth an unofficV sport was circulated announcing his < 'ection, and flags were hoisted r -co.-dingly. When the official news came of his defeat the. Rimutaka had passed below the horizon. Sir Reginald reduced a Liberal majority of 1093 to 50. A FORMER RESIDENT OF NEW ZEALAND. A great many peoole residing in the Dominion will remember Mr A. St. G. Hamersley, who married Miss Snow, of Wellington. He has been returned .?or the Unionist party in the Woodstock Division of Oxfordshire, defeating the Liberal candidate by 720 votes. The Liberal majority in 1906 was 441. Mr Hamersley, who was born in 1848, is the son of Mr Hugh Hamersley, J.P , D.L., of Pyrton Manor, Oxfordshire He was educated at Marlborough and called to the Bar. He went to New Zealand and practised at the Bar there, and he took an active part in military affairs in the Dominion, commanding the Militia Artillery. At Parihaka he was in command of a contingent against the Maori. After leaving New Zealand Mr Hamersley and hie wife came to England, but later on went to Canada. In Vancouver he took great interest in public affairs and in its commercial development, acting as chairman of several companies interested in the development of British Columbia. As New Zealanders well know, Mr Hamersley is a keen sportsman: he bounded the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase Club, and in British Columbia he started the Amateur Athletic Club, of which he was president. Both his sons are in the British Army, and there is one daughter. MR JELLICOE PROSECUTED.. Case Withdrawn. The informations against Mr E. G. Jellicoe of illegal practice in connection with his election campaign in Liverpool camo on again on Wednesday. Against Mr Jellicoe, who was the Independent Liberal candidate .oi the Walton subdivision, it was alleged that he had employed James M'Cormick to canvass voters for promise of payment, and had paid him £l, and th.at he had also illegally employed William Healan. The allegations were denied. There seemed to be a disposition on the part of the complainant to drop the cases, and the magistrate's suggestion that counsel should talk' over the matter with him. in his room was adopted. On returning into court, Mr Miller (complainant's counsel) said he was greatly obliged for the opportunity of discussing this case in a friendly spirit with defendant's counsel, Because it had enabled them to arrive at an understanding. He had been glad to find that they had this much in common between them, that these gentlemen were employed, and were paid, and that among work they did they canvassed, and he had to say that they did so under the impression that they had instructions to that effect. His friend had assured him that they were acting under a misapprehension, that Mr Jellicoe had given no such instruction, that they misunderstood' their instructions, and that in canvassing in any way they were acting outside the scope of the employment for which they were engaged. He had found it possible to accept the assurance of Mr Jellicoe, and he did so. That being the case, he did not propose to carry the case any further. Mr Swift, on behalf of Mr Jellicoe : I 'should just like to say this. He was entitled by law to employ something like 60 persons during the recent election, but he did not employ anvtbing like the number that the law enabled him to do. Fyom the beginning of the election Mr Jellicoe set his face against any canvassing being done either by voluntary or paid workers, and as far as he knew no canvassing was done. I don't know what imnreesion Mr M'Cormick and Mr Healan had had in their minds. There was nothing that Mr Jellicoe said to them or anything in his conduct to give them the impression that they were entitled to canvass on his behalf. :Mr Jellicoe has...all along indignantly repudiated the charges. As ray friend accepts that on their behalf and withdraws, I have nothing more to add.