14th. Immediately upon the close of the poll the returning officer shall proceed in the presence of the scrutineers of the candidates to ascertain the number of votes for each candidate, and such returning officer shall as soon as conveniently can be after the day of the poll give public notice of the number of votes given to each candidate, and shall declare the candidates who have received the greatest number of votes not exceeding the number to be elected, to be duly elected. And if two or more candidates shall have received an equal number of votes, the returning officer shall have the casting vote.

15th. When the proceedings at any such elections shall be interrupted or obstructed by any riot or open violence, the returning officer shall not finally close the poll, but shall adjourn the taking of the poll to the day following, and, if necessary, the returning officer shall further adjourn such poll until such interruption or obstruction shall have ceased, when the returning officer shall again proceed with the taking of the poll.

16th. The said Mining Board shall hold its first meeting on the second Tuesday after every general election, and shall have power to adjourn from time to time, but it shall be lawful at all times for the Chairman to convene a special meeting of such Board on giving fourteen days' notice thereof by advertisement in one or more newspapers, published or circulating in the said district.

17th. At the first meeting of the said Mining Board, or at any meeting thereafter whenever the office of chairman of any such board shall become vacant, the members of the said board shall proceed to the election of a chairman, and the member who shall receive the greatest number of votes shall be the Chairman, but no member shall be entitled to vote for himself; and in case any two or more members shall receive an equal number of votes, the Chairman shall be selected from such members by lot.

18th. Any five members of the Board shall form a quorum, and all questions before the Board shall be determined by the majority of votes, provided that the Chairman shall have no vote, unless in case of an equality of votes, when he shall have a casting vote; and provided also that in case a quorum shall not assemble within one half hour after the time appointed for any meeting, or having so assembled shall disperse, the Board shall stand adjourned till the next day at the same hour.

19th. In case of the absence of the Chairman it shall be lawful for the members present, being a quorum, to appoint an Acting-Chairman, who, during such absence, may exercise the powers of the Chairman.

The schedule above referred to:—

Mining District of

Candidates names.

A. B.

C. D.

&c., &c.

The voter is to strike out the name or names of the candidates for whom he does not intend to vote by drawing a line through the same with a pen or pencil.

He must be careful not to leave uncancelled the names of more than the number of candidates to be elected, otherwise his ballot paper will be invalid.

The ballot-paper so marked by or for the voter is to be dropped by him into the ballot-box.

The voter is not to be permitted to take his ballot-paper out of the polling-room.

Given under my hand and issued under the public seal of the Province of Otago, at Dunedin, this fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.

J. L. C. RICHARDSON,
Superintendent.

By command,

JOHN HENRY,
Provincial Secretary.

Printed for the Provincial Government by D. CAMPBELL, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.