Petitions Against Licensing Elections.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4942, 5 March 1884, Page 3

Petitions Against Licensing Elections.

♦ |Ter Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Mabch 4. To-day, at five minutes to 4 o'clock, the last day of appeal in the Magistrate's Court against the validity of the licensing elections, petitions were lodged in the City East, North, and South, Ponsonby and Karangahape Wards. No objection was made to the election in Grafton Ward, though on all fours with the elections for other Wards, as in that Ward the licensed victuallers' ticket was carried. The petitions are not signed by any hotelkeepers, but by other ratepayers. The objections, though not made ostensibly in the licensed victuallers' interests, are, it is well known, intended to compass that object. The following are the grounds set forth : — 1. That notice of the time and place of election and situation of the polling booths was not given within the time and manner required by the " Regulation of Local Elections Act, 187 G." 2. That the poll at the said election was open beyond the hours required by said Act. 3. That intimidation was used at the elections to such a degree as to prevent electors from polling thereat. 4. That the names of candidates were omitted from, and names of persons not candidates were entered upon, the polling papers at said election. 5. That (1) voting papers made and obtained otherwise than as provided by the said Act were put into the ballot boxes at said election, and (2) that voting papers were taken out of the ballot boxes otherwise than as provided by the Act, thereby affecting the resulb of the election. 6. That the Retuming-Ofiicer was not able to fulfil the duties of his office as such ReturningOfiicer at said election, and he did not appoint any substitute to attend, and said election was held and conducted from the commencement of the voting to the closing of same without there being present any Returning-Officer or his substitute. Mr T. Cooper has been retained by tho temperance party for the defence.