" LYINGG" AND THE BALLOT.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPEOTATOL1 SIR,—A paragraph in the second page of your present issue (November 8) reminds me of a conversation respecting the Ballot, which I have always thought worth noting. Three years ago I 'happened to be at Sydney for a few days just as a Parliamentary -election was going on. In the house where I boarded was a gentleman in government employ who was a staunch advocate for the Ballot, and with whom I had more than one argument about it. He frankly admitted the necessity, and boldly asserted the justifiability, of lying with regard to a vote when questioned about -it ; but he acknowledged that he himself was not going to vote on that occasion, and I judged that his reason was that the Govern- ment were particularly interested (as in the late Taunton election) in the result, and that he was afraid the ballot would not prove a sufficient protection, perhaps, without the lying, which, notwith- standing his bold words, he might not like sufficiently well to incur_ the riek of being obliged to resort to it.—I am, Sir, &c., 18 St. Leonard's Street, Edinburgh. FRANCIS CHASE.
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