H.—No. 14.

4

REPORT OF THE MOTUEKA ELECTION COMMITTEE.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment. Peesent : Mr. Bunny, Mr. McGillivray, Hon. Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Pearce, Mr. Gillies, Mr. Studholme. Mr. Brandon in the Chair. Mr. Allan handed in a list of voters intended to be objected to, with grounds of objections. Mr. Ollivier appeared before the Committee, and on behalf of Mr. Travers, counsel for Sir D. Monro, applied for a further adjournment, on the grounds that Mr. Travers could not attend, being engaged in a trial for murder at the Supreme Court, nor would he be able to attend till Thursday. Mr. Allan offered no objection to application, but would ask that, if his client was put to extra expense by detention of his witnesses, it be borne by the other side. The Counsel and others withdrew, and the Committee proceeded to consider the application of Mr. Ollivier. Question put, Whether the Committee assent to the application. On the question, Committee divided. For, 4. ' Against, 3. Mr. Brandon, Mr. Bunny, Mr. Gillies, Hon. Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. McGillivray Mr. Studholme. Mr. Pearce. The question was therefore carried. The Committee having assented to the application, subject to the leave of the House, the Chairman was directed to apply for leave from the House to adjourn till Thursday next, at half-past 10 o'clock. The parties having been called in, they were informed by the Chairman that the Committee had agreed to accede to the application of Mr. Ollivier, subject to the leave of the House being obtained. The Committee then adjourned till half-past 10 to-morrow, subject to the leave of the House being obtained for further adjournment till half-past 10 o'clock on Thursday.

Thursday, 7th Septembee, 1871. The Committee met pursuant to adjournment. Peesent: Mr. Bunny, Mr. McGillivray, Hon. Mr. Eitzherbert, Mr. Pearce, Mr. Gillies, | Mr. Studholme. Mr. Brandon in the Chair. The Chairman informed the Committee that the leave of the House had been obtained for the adjournment, as agreed on at last meeting. The Chairman suggested the adoption of the following rules for the guidance of the Committee, which were agreed to : — 1. That Counsel shall not be allowed to go into matters not referred to in their opening statement without a special application to the Committee for permission to do so. 2. That if costs be demanded by either party under 11 and 12 Vict. c. 08, the question must be raised immediately after the decision on that particular case, unless the Committee shall otherwise decide. 3. That the Committee expect that, with respect to cases of bribery, or oifers or promises of money, or other valuable consideration, which it is intended to bring homo to the sitting Member or his agents, the Counsel for the petitioner will now state the name of the elector bribed, or to whom such offers were so'mado, and those of the persons who actually gave the bribes or olfcred to do so. 4. The Committee, however, reserve to themselves a power, upon the special application of Counsel, to proceed with any case which tends to inculpate any principal or agent, the knowledge of which case has been brought out before the Committee in the progress of the investigation, with the circumstances of which the parties could not reasonably be supposed to have been previously cognizant. 5. That with respect to treating, the Committee will expect Counsel to state tho times and places where such treating is alleged to have taken place. 6. That no person shall be examined as a witness who shall have been in tho room during any of the proceedings with the exception of the agents, the sitting Member, and the petitioner, without the special leave of the Committee. 7. That the Committee will only allow one Counsel to address them on opening the case, and one counsel on the summing up. 8. That if any point of law should arise requiring argument, the Committee reserve to themselves the power of only hearing the Counsel on each side. 9. That if the leading Counsel are not prepared to sum up the case on either side when the evidence is terminated, the Committee will not protract the proceedings for the convenience of Counsel who may be absent. 10. That with respect to objected votes the Committee expect Counsel to exhaust one class of objections before proceeding to another. Mr. Allan appeared on behalf of the petitioner, and requested that the Clerk of the House of Eepresentatives produce all papers in his possession connected with the late election for the District of Motueka.