THE GENERAL ELECTIONS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2376, 17 December 1908, Page 5

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS

THE DUNEDIN NORTH RECOUNT

[Pkess Association.]

DUNEDIN, Dec. 18

Air. H: Y. Widdowson. S.AI.. .intimated to-day that lie had beu unable to complete the recount of votes cast in the Dunedin North second ballot, owing to the act that a number of voting papers had not been produced. He therefore left it to the parties themselves to move further in the matter. It is understood that on a recount Air. Barclay led by 11 votes, but 17 papers in favor of Air. Thomson have disappeared. The returning officer (Air. D. Larnach) states that these paws were the last to be dealt with in the count. As soon as they were counted he left them in the office (a recount took place) before sealing them up and placing them with the rest of the papers, his reason being that he wished to immediately despatch to liis superior officers the official intimation of the result of the election. This ho says is the only time when an opportunity for the disappearance of the papers occurred. He states that the discrepancy could haA*e occurred in no other way. There, is the possibility of the opinion of a Supreme Court Judge being taken as to whether the Afagistrate should be compelled to complete the recount of votes banded to him, and give a decision thereon, but nothing definite has been decided. - Tlie only other method of procedure is .by election petition.' The view taken by Air. AViddowson in respect to tlie bearing'of the discovery on the Dunedin North returns appears to Be in accordance with the law and with common-sense. His deputy having reported that a sjjecific number of duly checked ballot-papers had been proved to have disappeared in the interval between the two re--counts, tlie Alagistrabe finds liimself unable to make any -alteration in the returning officer’s original certificate. The votes recorded on the papers available at the Alagisterial recount would, if taken alone, doubtless warrant an alteration, hut it- stands to reason that AFr. AYUddowson could not possibly ignore the sworn statements regarding the seventeen ballot papers now reported to be missing.