GREY VALLEY ELECTION.

OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF THE POLL.

The closing act in the Grey Valley Election was performed by the Returning Officer, W. H. Revell, Esq., at 11 o'clock yesterday, in declaring officially the result of the poll. The four candidates were present and about sixty other persons. The Returning Officer announced that there had been 1846 ballot papers used, out. of which 26 had been rejected by the Returning Officers as being informal, and that 10 cases of personation had been detected by the scrutineers. He also stated that a very stupid trick had been performed by some voters, they having torn off the numbers from their ballot papers, but this foolish proceeding only had the result of destroying their votes, for he had rejected all such. He declared the actual state of the poll to be:- V Mr Woolcock 773 Mr Kennedy 721 Mr Newton 689 Mr Guinness ... „, 612 He therefore declared Charles Woolcook a nd Martin Kennedy to be duly elected.

Mr Woolcook desired to express the* pride he felt in standing before them as the chosen representative of one of the largest and most important constituencies; in the Colony. He hoped by plodding industry and strict attention to his Par- . liamentary dutiea td^ prove, to his constituents that their choice had been a correct one, as it would ever be his great ambition to devote himself to the best of his ability to the interests of the Colony in general, and this district in particular. To those who had supported him he tendered his most heartfelt thanks, and to those who had opposed him his sincere respect, and to whom he offered his hand in token of future friendship and good fellowship, and he hoped that all differences would be for ever buried. .He would now ask a favor of those who opposed, as well as those who had supported him, and that was that they would by their advice and co-. operation assist him in all matters connected with the interests and advance--ment of the constituency. Mr Kennedy thanked the electors for placing him in the. honorable position of being one of their representatives in the Parliament of the Colony. Although he had been returned by only a small majority, he was aware that by coming forward so late in the contest he had deprived himself of the support of many warm friends, but still he had reason to believe that he represented a much larger number of electors than those who had recorded their votes for him. The result was very satisfactory to him, for it had been obtained without the abandonment of any principle, or the holding out of delusive promises. As regarded the future interests of the district, he could only say that if perseverance, combined with such ability as he possessed, ; would attain their object, he felt confident the constituency would have no reason to complain of his action. He again thanked the electors, not _qnly of Greymonth, but also of the entire constituency for the cordial reception given him in his late canvas 3.

Mr Newton said unfortunately for him he bad to -address the electors in a different strain from- that indulged in by the two gentlemen who had preceded him. Still, although he stood before them a defeated man and an unsuccessful candidate, he was certain that he was not a disgraced one, and defeat when not attended with disgrace was not so much to be regretted. He was disappointed, as he believed were many others, at the result, because a different one had been expected, but to the causes of the result he should not allude. The defeat would be worth encountering over again, .to experience again the hospitality, courtesy, and kindness he had everywhere met with. He .desired especially to refer to the miners, because, it. had! been said that he was not rude and rough enough to represent them. He had never heard from one of them, however, a discourteous or unkind word, and he wished on behalf of the miners to : give the lie to the assertion that they would accept no candidate unless he were rough and rude. To his opponents, who had opposed him consistently, openly and straight 1 forwardly he had no word to say, except that he and they parted good friends. To his supporters he wished to say that any blame attaching to his defeat rested upon his own shoulders, where it ought to rest, and he would never cast it upon theirs. He wa3 certain that whatever errors they might have made were errors of judgment, and not of intention; and that whatever they had done they had done honestly and earnestly with a view to secure his election. Another opportunity might occur for him to solicit the votes of the electors, and he could only hope and believe it would be with a different result.. •:-..'

Mr Guinness was present in order that he might accord his thanks to the 612 electors who had voted for him. He could, say with Mr Newton that although defeated, the large number of votes recorded: in his behalf showed that he had: no reason to be ashamed of his defeat, jHe desired to tender his hearty thanks to: the electors throughout the district for the kindness and courtesy they had extended to him during his canvass. The electors had decided that Messrs Wooicock and Kennedy were the best qualified to represent them, and he was quite willing to acquiesce in that opinion, and he trusted those gentlemen would be of great benefit to the district.

Mr Guinness proposed, and Mr Woolcock seconded, a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer who, in reply, complimented the deputy returning officers for the efficient manner in which they had performed their duties. - "v i

And thus ended, the Grey Valley election. . .