The Te Wananga.

Published every Saturday. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1876. EASTERN MAORI DISTRICT ELECTION.

FRESH intelligence of the devices practised by paid Government officers to return a member favorable to the present Ministry, in opposition to Karaitiana comes to hand daily. It appears that the Campbell family, not content with rendering themselves notorious by one of their members (in gross dereliction of his duty) neglecting to attend the polling place at Kawakawa, must have another one make himself still more con- spicuous by laying himself open to the very serious charge of having improperly interfered in an election in the district for which he was acting as Returning- Officer. It appears that this zealous and most deserv- ing officer Campbell, before the election took place, went round to the Natives in his district, and having

(by some mystery unexplained), a number of ballot papers in his possession, cajoled the Natives into scratching out the names of the Opposition candidates, and voting fur the Government man Te Hotene. "We are informed that the Returning1 Officer then told the Natives that they had now voted, and that it would be unnecessary for them to attend at the polling booth on the election day. This being the first time that any- thing like a formal election has taken place among the Maoris for the return of one of their own members, they did not fully understand the proper method of voting, and of course they also took it for granted that the Government would provide honest and efficient officers to guide them in such matters, and therefore they did not attend at the booth 011 the polling day, believing everything that was required to be done had been done. Fortunately for Karaitiana's interests, he Lad a shrewd person watching on his behalf, and the Returning Officer did not attempt to register the votes so unlawfully obtained. Such a disgraceful and con- temptible dodge as this has perhaps never before been attempted to be perpetrated, and would not, as a rule, be tolerated, but unfortunately the head quarters for this election are in the Native Department, so that we may hardly expect any redress. The Government i organ the " Hawke's Bay Herald " of the 14th instant, in an article, probably written by the Returning Officer himself. attempts to make an excuse for him. by saying that in his anxiety to assist the Maoris in thoroughly understanding the proper system of voting, he took the ballot papers round in order to show them how it i was to be done, and the presumption, they draw from ! this story is that the Maoris thought they had voted, i and therefore did not attend on the polling day. What I an exceedingly probable story! If the Returning i Officer had only taken half the trouble to explain to them that his only object was to show them the method, as he did to travel round the district, it is certain there I would Lave been no misunderstanding amongst the Natives. It is also a curious fact that this zealous [ Government officer in explaining the method, thought