ELECTION PETITIONS. 137

No penalty is incurred by a member who sits or votes
without taking the oath. In 1875 attention was called to the
fact that Mr Orton, Member for the Electoral District of
Centre Wellington, had sat and voted without taking the
oath. The Committee of Privileges, to whom the matter was
referred, held that, as there was no law on the subject, he
had neither incurred any penalty nor vacated his seat, but
that his votes recorded before taking the oath should be
struck out of the division list and the journals
Since the year 1879 all new members elected after or Introat
 a General Election, including Ministers after re-election, apna :
have been introduced on taking their seat. Previous to that
year the practice was not uniform. The practical advantage
of a formal introduction is that it secures the administration
of the oath not being overlooked.
The form of introduction is as follows: the new member
standing between two other members is presented to the
Speaker in these words,
“Mr Speaker, I have the honour to present to you A. B,
Member for the Electoral District of who has
taken the oath and signed the roll and now claims the
right to take his seat.”
The Speaker thereupon replies: “Let the Honourable
Member take his seat.”
The member then advances to the Chair and pays his
respects to the Speaker.

5. ELECTION PETITIONS.

The trial of Election Petitions is regulated by’ the
Dominion Controverted Elections Act ®.
Any corrupt practice committed by a candidate or by
his agent, with or without the candidate’s knowledge, voids

1 See Burinot, p. 143,

2R.8.0C.c9.