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q (akp" fiky : have D n --mad 4"@:"4-' j ':r'.'" the ballots and 6ther 3'1'».:.' a 0 ! r&,,,.' cr'fll'l has : M_M n"' n tufl Ferpin "éh, mportant Ip." 120. JC io rhossther A.auestion or det. from: the vault to the furnace fot the fil 0: g:et:u;l&n "-nwé'fi'o'ffl?"'%fi- n';?::nclulion had been arrived at on 4t appear to come within: any. of, th3} Attorney--General iramediately --after it 'general provisions. of. the Act.\ <l ) =;~ > ; | had been' found 'that the 'West, Elgin: s ;%g%-'hom ~ gentléman. wil}; ballots had bheen destroyed along with p'm'-d'Sn me, 'but. the report of ,'_310"-'9@_!&-; the general election ballot papers, . misstonérs says that Ctuimmings fraud~, which were destroyed aecording to the "me'ntly. miscounted 21 ballots.» «(Oppo«| provisions. of the act, and legislation | gition »pm!Ause.) L )0 <-->. 4 t ll af last. session »~will pm':nt 1sucll: 't;n-' * Mr.: "Gibson--I_ 46 not say that) fortunate mistakes occurring in the fu-- ';.:he'; ,.dlgi._.P mmfi 5 AF _u}'r t%hat mr::-' ture. t s d \ takes quently occur in 076 . E8. , $ C ig* ta sn l Rellots may be inad¥rertently. miscount--| col C'lt_rke W"--B"dy' ed. . The Iudges report this case *"f :"Colonel Clarke, the 'Clerk . of _the Prsudulently miscounting. Perhaps the, House, had been requested to attend as * 'hon, gentlieman.is in a position. to --Y' a :witness at one of the prosecutions and whetrer that makes any 'difference.. I to explain' what had occurred in this would like to. know where be can put connection, and he would have attend> hi« finger on a clause of the election act cA but the case was ¢9§.P?°£.e.e.§'§9 with. d that provides a.penalty where there is He aitended at the election trial pre-- fraudu'ent miscounting. °_ F am unable pured to make a sworn statement of the to . find. Any. special provislon ",'m't"" facts, but was not called, the respond-- electian law which reaches.it. ere y rscl: ne seat, and it | is thet touch to be said as to the diM"-- 'f{"fi *;';{;'r'fia'lf:l&'ézggd'mat a commis-- culties which may be incurred when it "13 *hould be appointed to inquire in-- becomes nécessary .to nrosecute these '1})02}1'6 rregularities, and we have the men,.. {Gevernment applause,). . report of that . commission. ; ':,7/.~ _ Wildfong's Case. + Mr. Macdiarmid's Claim. "Wildfong's case,'"* Mr. Gibson con-- e« s for West Elgin bas tinued, 's different.-- The defacing 'of tatea® thet he was sent to this House ballots: is expressly made a :rnve' of--| ;wa protest against the burning of bal-- fence, but ino direct evidéenceé . apD@AU" | lots. _ There is little doubt but that hig to have been given to incriminate XHA4-- :1'-( ction was the result of the tniscon-- fong... A progess of exclusion of others duct of those guilty of misconduct : in who denied having any knowledge 0| 'Yho West Elgin election case. The Lib | the slterations@and defacement of the cTAI arty deprecate and conderan , the ballots seems to have led to the conclu-- "rriops of the irresponsible partiés | sion arrived at. that Wildfong; as the . > ""t:?."sm',e given --rise'> to all'.this | deputy returning officer,. must have "rithe."" Neither the Government nor lcummltted the: offence. . My view is 0S of those who can fairly or rea~ that further proceedings should 'be in--| "P>ausiv be considered as acting on be-- etituted." _ In this connection Mr. Gib-- \ "l'é' ? the Government have been in son nointed out that he. bas. introduced ra oJ implicated in these wrong-- | ar'this session legislation bringing the s sw aind, on the whole, it must be | procuring c!-afi'}ol'nnnehtt'ot 'deputy scir&ted that the Liberal party not * returning officers by fraud and wilfu!l . acmitte West Eligin, but the Liberal misconduct in counting ballots within| *3 u Inroughout the Province, have |the provisions of the Ontario election }":;;Y most severely punished for the [RCB e hp®ks yare 1 #h4D oo BAX t.y* * actions of the few irresponsible lndivid-' Destruction of Ballots. ~ . uals immediately concernég it Py ons > 4 4 AmmSXK L NVL NiF > whic * ° He 'eofitinued :--"As 'to the amend-- xg';x'l:rzlt:;:m of connecting Mr. Mac--| ment now 'before the House censuring mish with any knowledge of, much léss the flgfinmt for not prosecuting participation in, any of these irregular-- those who were concerned in the de-- ities _ As a matter of fact, he was cas-- struction :of the bailots in~the West El-- ty the elected member for the consti-- gin case, no one: who has read the re-- ;gercy but when he became aware "of port of the commissioners would "ser-- the irregularities which had been com-- loul;y,,tmk,thgf 'there was reasonable miited, honorable man as he was, he ground for adopting such a cdourse. The disclaimed the seat. | three J"dx_el..hgy.lnl:uken.lu the evi-- idenn;'blthu}:. could be found or that could Record of the Party. possibly have any bearing in the mat-- «« this Province ter, reourted as follows :=--'The cominis-- Thewlg::;a,'n%aor:vyerl?n' this Province sloners can arrive' at no--other conclu-- Pa" About 30 years, and the record in slion unon the evidence 'of all parties 1or ae 't)lon with the conduct of elections engazed in the--destruction of the bal-- '7"'2 s and above suspicion. I ven-- lots. etc., than that the said, box, 'with 1,8 # e:': say that the same cannot be its contents, was inadvertently taken ','Jg regarding elections conducted by with the ather boxes containing the { Conservative party while in power | ;genenl election returns from the vault ){eottawn- Numerous 'instances. of i 'to the furna@ce < and there burnt. The @rregularities of the gravest charactet evidence p_agflfl'?'! ua that the said hox. 'h"e.g taken pliace, and. what is more ;lth-}ta contents, was not destroyed «éqr'l;us stil;, a general and widespréead lfl"it:dldumw'.%?' d'"::;';f t'g'::p""" b"(} system of deliberate un.m'lftlo'x"'e to dp'{; 'a 1 o care an . caution .'.'.M::R over,~.checking > and J't aAndiinwiertitheawitoerdAbemenes i