NOMINATIONDAY AT CITY EAST.

The nomination of a member of the Assembly to represent City East took place at noon today in the hall of the Mechanics' Institute. Colonel Balneavie, the Returning Officer took the chair and read the writ, af feer which he called upon the electors to nominate their member. Mr Peacock proposed Mr James McCosh Clark in a lengthy speech. Mr Upton seconded the nomination of Mr Clark, Mr Stannns Jones proposed Mr W. L. Bees. Mr B. Levy seconded Mr Rees' nomination.

The Returning officer now said it was open for the candidates to address the electors.

Mr J. McCosh Clark was the first to come forward. Ha would not keep them long. He had foandout from the accounts of the colony that Separation meant rain for the Forth Island. He had expected to have had some arguments against his views to have commented on this morning; but he had only seen two references to his figures—one was in the Evening Stau and the other in the Herald. As to the Set aid's reference, it was the weakest reference he had seen. Why it said that the Federal Government would take over the £4,000,000 of debt. Last night, in addressing the electors, his opponent had shirked the question. Whether it was from his own less imaginative or more practical mind he knew net, but certainly he thought the great questions of the present crisis were very intimately connected with pounds shillings and pence. (Hear, and Oh!) He would just sift what ho had heard sirce he had last addressed them. He had heard much of land jobbery and other abuses of the Ministry. With many of these attacks he sympathised, and felt inclined to say "Thems my sentiments," but a great many of the attacks were made upon matters which Were nothing to do with the Ministry. Then aa to the Abolition Bill he quite agreed with those who said that it went too far in the direction of localising the land fund. The Abolition Bill, imperfect as 'it was, was a step in the right direction. (No no.) to Separation, Mr Clsrk spoke of the article in the Evening Star. He considered that the estimate of £450,000 revenue available for Government shewn _ in that article, although correct, was misleading, because the cost of government was not stated. He believed no material reduction conld be made on the estimate of departments Which be had given before, and which left only £411,000 available for education, immigration, and public works. The figures given in the Star, £55,000, as all that the North Island provinces received from consolidated revenue under the past system might be taken as correct, but the calculations he had made under the Abolition Bill, defective as it was, showed that the North Island receive £164,000 from that so«ce. Prom Mr ReeB 5 figures last night, ke wished Mr Rees had goae more fully into figures, and he would have had him on the hop. (<&¥»<iMm, and .hear, hear.) iMr Clerk here jCjvoured to ahowphat.jSMr Reeß had spoken incorrectly in saying the falling offof the revenue last quarter was £80,000.

U™ TJ osal. to follow a man wiHl°ut any bearlnlfi^ emaDated from »•» with beards on their faces.. aß d pretty black ones too he should have thought it childish. If tuf- S f,* 0 doßbtne Ao»ld often be tound in-the lobby with Sir George. Mr Clark S aid with regard to the runs, he was of opinion that they should be assessed «hn m™ W ed to Public auction- Nothing should be done to hinder public settlement -He thanked Mr Rees for his courtesy to himBfilf and hoped he sdould not be behind-hand •He wished to state publicly that he had not been concerned in any speculative land transactions, except in two unimportant instances,and he should not do it again. Mr Clark concluded with some arguments intended to destroy the theory that the large property ho ders were being enriched at the expense of the masses.

Mr Rees' opening remarks were directed to answering Mr Clark's taunt, that he had not examined affairs from a pound, shillings and pence point of view. If Mr Clark would read his little book, he would find that he had done so, money had been far too long looked upon as the highest considerasion in Auckland. Men of money were the persons spoken of by Mr Peacock as thoroughly independent men. These thoroughly independent men were the very persons who had been responsible for all their misfortunes. It had been said that they wanted business men in the House. They wanted statesmen ; men who would" not satisfy all other considerations to £ s. dThe compact of 1556 was one of the results brought about by men of thoroughly independent views, and considerations of £ s. d Mr Clark bad said that the General Government under the Abolition Act would provide for education. It had not done so. And what had this paternal Government done only yesterday ? Why they had stopped the whole of the capitation money, about £15,000. (Cheers.) The Government could not pay anjr-of these amounts they had promised to, and they knew it. They would not use the only two methods they had at their disposal—namely, the distribution of the land fund and the taxation of the property-holders. As to servility, of which he had heard much, he did not think he could be accused of thab. He believed he was the first who had dared to take up the cudgels against the Ministry. He bad suffered for it in many ways. Let each member act conscientiously was the arguments used on every contest before. The result was always the same, Auckland was virtually unrepresented. It would be the same again, and they would be told it served them right. (Cheers.) Mr. Rees coacluded his address amid loud applause. A show of hands was then called for and resulted as follows :— Mr. Rees 57 Mr Clarke ... .-. ... 23 Messrs. Peacock and Buckland demanded a poll for Mr. Clark. This was conceded by the Returning Officer, and will fcake place on the 30th inst.