MOTUEKA ELECTION PETITION INQUIRY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3295, 6 September 1871, Page 2

MOTUEKA ELECTION PETITION INQUIRY.

4, Tho committee on this petition met yesterday morning. Present — Mr Brandon (Chairman), Mcbsi-b Bunny, Fitzherbort, Gillie 3, Al'Q-illivray, Poarco, and Studholmo. The sitting member, Sir D. Monro, and tho petititinner, Mr Parker, were also present. Mr Allan, for tho petitioner, made application for summonses to be served on the Clerk of the Writs and on the Clerk of Parliament, to produce the election writ and ballot papers and oflieial documents oonnccted with tho election. Mr Allan intimated that the gentlemen for whom summonses had been applied for wero exceedingly unwilling to produce tho documents wanted unless they wore regularly summoned to do so. The summonses were granted by tho Chairman. Mr Ollivier, for Mr Travers, applied for a further adjournment of the inquiry till Thursday, on the ground that Mr Travers was engaged in an important case beforo the Supreme Court,. That case was one which would lust, two clays. Mr Travers, in agreeing to the adjournment till to-day, had quite overlooked tho fact that this case would come on for trial about this time. Such an adjournment- as was asked for would not prejudice tho petitioner in any way, as the witnesses could not loave Wellington to go back to Nelson until this day week, when the next steamer, the Phoebe, would leave. Ale asked for fclie adjournment as an act of grace. It was a matter x>f importance to Sir David Monro, the sitting member, that he should be represented before the committee by the counsel who had charge of the case, and was conversant with it, and he trusted the committee would consent to the adjournment.

Mr Allan said he was entirely in the hands of the committee. He did not wish to ofl'or any opposition if the -committee thought fit to grunt tho adjournment. The only thing was thai, of courso, as ther<3 were several witnesses staying hero on account of the petitioner, if it should happen that this adjournment, should detain tho witnesses longer than- they would otherwise have been dotained, and extra costs wero thereby incurred, his side should uot be permitted to suffer through that, and ho hoped that, if tho adjournment were ageeed to, tho committee would consider thufc point.

Mr Jfilzhorbcrt : It seems to me most unroqsonablo to ndjourn the sittings in this way from day to day. Wo are here charged with the duty of ascertaining iivsd deciding who is really the representative of the district in tho Houso ; and that ought to bo decided without a deluy of this kind, which is most unsatisfactory. The committee is asked to delay business on account of outside mutters, with which tho Houso had nothing to do. Mr Ponrce : The case in which Mr Travers ia concerned in tho Supremo Court is a most

important one— ono involviug a matter of life and death — and I think somo allowance should bo made- on that account. The Chairman : We" cannot consent to an adjournment beyond to-morrow without the consent of tho House. Mr J'itzhorbert : I object to the delay. This is a matter which should be decided by us on good conscience, and I deem it most unsatisfactory to allow delays which tend to mako tho result dependent upon tho question as to who has tho longest purse. That is tho reason why I object to tho adjournment. The committee at this stago decided to consider the case in private. After a deliberation lasting about half an hour, parties wero again admitted to tho room, and The Chairman said tho committee had decided to adjourn till next day, at h.ilf-pasb ton, and to ask the House if it, would consent to an adjournment fill Thursday, at tho same hour. Tho committee then adjourned. [Tho leave of the Uou.^e w;is yesterday granted to the inquiry being adjourned till Thursday.]