ELECTION OF MAYORS.

Chbistchobch. The election of Mayor .fat. tUe amine year took place yesterday, at'the City Council Chambers. Present-His Wortbip the Mayor Crs Calvert, ■HobbiuJenkiui Jones, Bishop, Williams and Ick. The following gentlemen were also present in the body of the chamber, being either part Mayors or Councillors—Messrs W.'Wifan, Thomson, Pratt, Ollivier. and Kuddenklaiu TheTe were also ; presents-Messrs Ornish? M.P.0., W. R-. Mitchell, Dγ Foster, &o &c SIGNING THE ACCOUNTS, The minutes hajing, been read and confirmed, •

His Worship the Mayor said that this meeting was held in. accordance with the Municipal Corporations Act, for the purpose of electing a Mayor for the ensuing yeaj , , and also for receiviug and passing 1 the annual accounts. These matters were of vital in. tercet to the catizpna at. large, he was glad to see bo large a muster of old faces round him that day., He felt sura that the gentleman who would that day be elected by them to the high_end • ..honorable office of Mayor of Christcburch for" , the ensuing year would do, honor alike to tha office, and those who elected him. " He would ask the chairman! of the finance committee to more the resolution required b?^Se^Lct, c the accounts be signed by the Mayor as correct. Cγ Bishop moved —" That the accounts of the' Council be signed by the Mayor, and that the Town Clerk be instructed to publish aa abstract, of the accounts, in acpordapce with the clause of the Municipal CorporationafAct." Cr CalveST seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

The Mayor then signed the documents ac correct. . . : ■■: -. . VOTE OF THANKS TO THE EETIEINO MAYOB. Cr Bishop thro rose and said that it was with the utmost pleasure that he rose to propose 4L 1-esaMdii.k.iflM.iii Ma Mi ~wl=L*<zk± was =.—— •* 3ctii*fc .this Comica records a. . vote- ,o£. I. - ' to HeniT Sawtell, Esq. J 'tor -(he Satialactoxy manner in. which Kβ 11ES ilLfilllltt . lllfl duties, as.. Mayor for. the year,Jß72." In moving this, be might Bay that the Council had received the utmost courtesy at the hands oj£ "the ZMayor. oa .all occasions, - and "beyond .'thie frbin'-the, .iestfe--Ql! the debentures arid other heavy , Writ fafis, (lie year, the Mayor had tad to devote, a Very large amount of his time.. It.was therefure on behalf of the ratepajtrs , ' tlmjtfgb tk Council, that the vote of ttianks he' had moved, had come. There, would be a testimonial presented to hjs WorsMp jroia. 8 Council as a body, in recognition of the many acts of courtesy and kindness jeoefred by them on all occasionsi from tfceJtyiYor during his year of office. He fejt core that all the members of the Council would agree most cordially with the 4 puqpwjrtt ,0? ~}bi» resolution, and in moving it» ie_ perhaps be allowed to express his wish on behalf of the Council, that his Worship the Mayor would preSeffe the address and epergne as an heirloom in mc family r and as a perpetual 6 ~ e esteem arid respect in which he was held by his colleagues in the Council and the pnbho of ChristchurchVp hear.] , w { th ? afc further preface he would move the rii*ption he had read. , :_■ '*£-•;■?■•. Cr. Calvebt seconded the motion witu very great pleasure, Their worthy Mayor had been most assiduous and attentire in toe discharge of his duties, and most punctual in his' attendance. Their present Mayor natt had the pleasure, during his year of office, or carrying out one of the greatest woritt wb«* hadbeen carried out in the city of Christchurch. He alluded to the settlement of tfie vexed question rof the straishtenuig 01 tne roadway through Cathedral square. Awo« in which the Mayor had taken we utmost, interest, and to; whose: indefatigable efforts —the final settlement and ultimate excellent arrangement ot the road was mainly, if notfcU due. Dating the /ear that the Mayor had odenjned the chair, be had treated the ConDcil'mthtße utmost possible courtesy, and had discharged the duties of the high office to which he baa been elected, with honor alike to himself, and those who' had elected him. OP" plause.] Cr Jones said it afforded him the utaoet pleasure, as one of the oldest friendeoi m Worship the Mayor, to rise on that occmi°«» to support the motion before the Council. His Worship had been most assiduous; in w» efforts to carry out the datiee of and the ratepayers of Christchurcb owed nim a debt of gratitude tor his services, oa much regretted that His Worship could w* 1 fford the time to allow himself to he ajp«* nominated for the office of Mayor, and ne felt certain that every member of the oobut cil had cause to return thaoks to «» Worship on the occasion of hie leayuJS that chair for the uniform courtesy andl con eideration with which he had treated them. Cr Hobbs also desired to add btf W»« mony to that of the other Councillors, M w the admirable manner in which bis woraw had carried out the duties of the omw during the paat year, and would also to thank him, on his own part, fortne iw form courtesy and kindness extended towai« bl His Worship the Matob said it afforded him the greatest possible pleasure u> recei from the Council so hearty an «]»»«»* their goodwill and appreciation of toe ncr in which he had conducted the bueingj of the Council during his year of office. *v might say that he had endeavored to aoi» duty to the ratepayers ever since b" wkwb office, by discharging the duties of the M office to which he had been called, w fidelity and to the best of bis ability, inw hehai always received the hearty co-op**

tjAoiiiJtbfi--gfittiifinifitt wi«L.l»e_saw._befpre Cimas a Council,, and, it was. mainly owing to tbfe mat he had.bedii.enabled.todischarge those duties in such a manner as to meet trith their approval. He could assure them that he looked upon this record of their opinion as one of the highest compliments they could bestow upon him, and he could assorc them the remembrance of it would never be effaced from his memory. E The motion was then put, and agreed to unanimously. PRESENTATION* TO HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR.

Cγ BISHOP then rose and said—On behalf o f<the members of tbe Council, both past and present, he wished to present the Mayor beforene" left the chair,' wftTa "slight token 'of the respect aud esteem iv which he was held by them as a Council, and in acknowledgment of the manner in which during his rear of office his Worship had conducted the bdsipess of the Council. As would be seen j,j E iefereace to the address, not only the present members of the Council had participated in it, but also the members •who lad retired. He would not now make any further remarks, but would simply present'the epergne before them, and an address, hoping that they would loflg remain in the'family of bis Worship to testify of the high esteem in which he was held. [Hear.] The epergne was from the establishment of Messrs G. Coatee and Co, and it consists of. a fluted column of silver springing fiom v i Vase composed of three winged horses! the top of the column supporting a glass dish, while from the column .in a, horizontal ' direction, spring three branches, the end of which is formed of ram's heads connected with e*en other and supporting two finery engraved glass dishes initable either for fruit or flowers. On : the yase is a silver ■ plate, bearing the "following ' inscription:—" Presented by the ' present and past members of the City Coun- ; cil to Henry Sawtell, Esq, Mayor: of Christchurch, 1872." The dishes were filled with a choice assortment of flowers, prettily arranged by Mr W. Hislop, foreman to Mr Wilson, which had a very nice effect. : ' The address was illuminated in the mediaeval style with great taste and ability, by Mr Goodman. Round the text of the : address, the initial letters of which are brought "but in a J very handsome manner, being of silver, gold, kn, Tune a broad border of decoration, finishing with scroll ends at the head of the address and on the border is an excellent medallion portrait of Wβ Worrtiip tbe Mayor, whilst down each Bide, also' on the border, are the medallion portraits of the councillors past and present, the town clerk, the city solicitor, and the city surveyor. The portraits were executed hj- Mr Gaul, of Colombo straet, and for softness of tone arid delicacy of manipulation far exceed anything we have seen in Christchurch. While on the subject of portraits we may mention that yesterday there was 1 displayed in the Council Chamber a series of photographs of more than ordinary historical interest, being , the portraits of the whole of the chairmen and mayors who have presided over the City Council from its establishment to the present time. The following is the text of the address presented to Mr Sawtell:— " This testimonial, together with a silver epergne, was presented by the late and present members of the City Council of Christchurch, Canterbury, N.Z., to Henry Sawtell, Esq., M.P.C., as a mark.of esteem and regard for the courteous and able manner in which he discharged the important duties of Mayor during 1872. The present members of the

Council have also much pleasure in placing

upon record in tbeir minute book a cordial Tote of thanks to Mr Sawtell, in recognition of the services rendered byiiim to the city of Christchurch during the time he has held the Mayoralty. ,, Signed E. B. Bishop, W. Oalvert, F. Hobbs, E. Jenkins, T. D. Jones, M. B. Hart, C. T. Ick, T. Williams, J. Anderson, W. Pratt, and J. P. Jameson; George Gordon, town clerk ; 0. J. Foster, city solicitor C; Coff, city surveyor." , Hie Worship the Mayob saidthathe could hardly have expected that the efforts he had made to carry- out the duties of the office •would have been bo,, munificently and

so. handsomely acknowledged. It was far too great- a return and he felt himself not to be worthy of it. It was more 'particularly pleasant to him to see attached to that document the names of the past as ■well as the present Council. It was no small matter to him to receive such a handsome

testimonial ; but it came to him with more than ordinary pleasure, when he saw those gentlemen who had worked with him so many years, coming forward and joining in the: testimonial which Jhey had that day

presented to him. - So far as his discharge of the duties of the office devolving upon him during the year of office, he might say that he went in to do -his best, and he had done

iebt [Hear, hear.] He had not a large . amount of permanent works to boast of r daring his term ; but it must be, remembered that he had .not a, large amount to work with. He, however, might say that he had done the best he could* with the means at his disposal, and in this he had been ably and vigorously assisted by the finance committee. He had, as well as other - Mayors who had preceded

him. a permanent work to look back upon, and one upon which he hoped to see his name. He had during his term of office had that most useful article a reservoir erected, r and one unlike that of the other Mayors, which did not leak. [Hear, hear.] Indeed, he might say that he had the honor of having .■: the only one erected in Christchurch. which was finished and perfect. [Hear, hear.] With respect to other works there -was one which he took exceeding pride in, viz., ta«^ . settlement of a difficulty which had been the

bugbear of the Council and the ratepayers for some time. He alluded to the straightening of the roadway through Cathedral square —[cheers] —a -work which he knew, from the expressions of opinion which had reached him, had met with the approval of the ratepayers generally. Daring the year the work of the outfall drainage, initiated by his successor Mr Jameson, had been steadily progressing, and he was enabled to say, on the authority of the surveyor, that about one mile and a quarter had already been completed. With regard to the handsome present they had that day made to him, he could only say that he should preserve it in his family as a memento, and ib would act as an incentive to to endeavor to deserve the esteem and respect of their fellow citizens as he had done, [Hear, hear.] His year of office had been one of peace and progress, and he hoped that the term of his successor might be also, and that the city would advance and prosper under his rule and guidance. [Hear, hear.] Before sitting down he desired to pay a tribute to the zeal and energy displayed by the officers of the Corporation, more especially the Town Clerk, Mr Gordon, with whom, of course, in his official capacity he had been brought more particularly in contact. These gentlemen had been of the greatest assistance to him during his year of office, and he felt sure that his successor also would be aided by them most materially in the carrying out of his vrork. [Hear, hear.] In resigning the office he had held for the period of twelve months be again desired U> thank the Council for their kindness and forbearance toward him, a kindness which he could assure them would never be effaced from his memory. [Cheers.] ELECTION OF MAYOB. The MATOB then said it now became the duty of the Council to elect his successor to serve as Mayor of Christchurch for the ensuing year. "He felt sure that the members of the Council would, in the election of a Mayor, take due care to select a gentleman who would do honor alike to their choice and to the city. [Cheers.] Cr Jokes said that as one of the Mayor 8 oldest friends, it would have seemed to him to have been a matter of deep ingratitude on his part to move the appointment of his successor, but the jovial manner in which the Mayor had alluded to his retirement wSeemed to him that he would be glad to join that happy band of ex-Mayors and chairmen which he saw before him. The present condition of the city of Christchurch reflected the very highest credit upon the Mayor : and " Tisitors to the city had given it as their opinion that the city of Christchurch. was

second tp.norie dh the Anstrelian continent. He could not eulogise the past mayors more than their works did, but he desired to add ha testimony to the many high qualities possessed by the mayor now leaving the chair. He had ;sow to propose Mr Edward Breuchley Bisiiop as the Mayor of Christchurch for the ensuing year. While doing this he might express a, regret that one of their old members, Councillor Har', was absent from ilin ss, and therefore the duty of proposing the nnxt mayor had devolved upon him as one of the most inefficient members of the Council. He would now ask the Council to elect the gentleman he had proposed unanimously.

Cγ Ick rose, with very great pleasure, to second the nomination of Cγ Bishop. That gf'ntler.mn had, during his lengthened term of service as a councillor, rendered excellent service to the ratepayers,, and he felt sure that the election, by the Council, of Cγ Bishop to fill the vacant chair for the ensuing year would be one that would reflect great credit alike upon the Council and the ratepayers generally. He (Cγ Icki had not been long in the Council, but he had, during that time, seen much of Or Bishop's tact and business abilities, and he had the greatest possible pleasure in seconding the nomination of Cγ E.-B. Bishop. Cγ Hobbs spoke in enlogistic terms of the candidate for the mayoralty, and said that he felt sure at the end of the term of office Cγ Bishop would be found to have discharged the duties of the office with, honor to himself and credit to the citizens of Chrietchurch. [Hear, hear.] Cγ Calvert also spoke in high terms of commendation of Mr E. B. Bishop, and the selection made br the Council.

The Mayor put the question, which was carried unanimously. His WoBSHIP, H. Sawtell, Esq, said that he must now consider himself defnnct, but before leaving the chair he wished to express his high commendation of the selection made that day by the Council for his successor. He felt perfectly sure that Cγ Bishop would discharge the duties efficiently, as he had found him one of the most active and painstaking member of the Council, always at his post, and always ready to give the benefit of his advice when asked. He had the greatest possible pleasure in vacating the chair in favor of His Worship, Mr E. B. Bishop. [Cheers.] His Worship the Mayor Elect then took the chair, and said that he felt the very high honor which had been conferred upon him by the Council that day. He might say that his forte was work rather than talk, and he trusted to be able to carry out this during the term of his office. The position of Mayor of one of the chief cities of New Zealand was an honor and a dignity to be coveted and prized by any one, and he felt this. They would recollect that as chairman of the finance committee it had fallen to his lot to bring under the notice of the council the necessity of retrenchment in view of the overdraft likely to take place during the present and next year, and it would perhaps not fall to his lot to carry out any large amount of permanent works during his term of office. However, the works now in progress would have to be carried on, and he would also take an early opportunity of inviting the Council to accompany him over the new drainage works, and also to the protective works at the Rakaia in which they were deeply interested, as receiving and paying a large amount of rates to the Board of Conservators. He wished that, like his predecessor, he should so wisely administer the affairs of the city that at the close of his term of office he might deserve the same commendations which had so worthily been bestowed upon the late Mayor. [Cheers.] He agaia begged to thank them for the honor they had done him by selecting him as Mayor of Churistchurch. [Cheers.]

This concluded the business.

Cr Cai/vest moved the adjournment of the Council until Monday next, which was seconded by Cγ Ho bbs, and agreed to. At the conclusion of the business of the Council, the toasts of his Worship the Mayor (E. B. .Bishop, Esq.); the retiring Mayor (H. Sawtell, Esq.) ; Mr John Ollivier; the officers of the Council, coupled with the names of Messrs G. Gordon (Town Clerk), and C. Cuff (City Surveyor); the Resident Magistrate (C. C. Bowen, Esq.) ; the City Solicitor, &c. were proposed ; after which the meeting adjourned.