PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

RAGLAN— XOMIS r ATI •>!? OF CANDIDATES. At tw. Ivc o'clock >ost-rdsv Hid nomination if CHivlHiii.-s for this district, tcok place in the r'ulw; Hall, Otuhahu Tin-Retolwtsg «'"-fpicsk, ' ait. Symonds, havinir read the Govern ic'a writ, and the advertisement appointing the day for the n •m ; ask d th,. ek-stors present to iivo the several ciudrdatei a f.h hearine;. Mr i'lciiAKD llcGe proposed Mr Joseph C<i-p-, who. he d'litl, was a mas well acquuni?d with fhe wants of tha province of .Vtii'lclmd, and ready and willing to promote its interests. Mr. J-SEFJi Ciabke seconded tbc nomination of Mr. (,'uit.e. [ M>. Lj-ek proposed Mr. John Gordon. He Slid Mr. John Gordon was well known ; that gentleman had alroaiv served the public in the Provincial Council. They nil knew how he hid attended to thuir wants". Mr. Gordon's 2c f si wov.ld sneak f>r him. Mr. W. T. Ba«sett seconded the nomination of Mr. Gordon. | Mr. Bassbtt proposed Mr. Ebenezer Hamlin. They al! !. now Mr. Hamlin, who had been brought out by the Waiuku people. If it wa'j only as a matter of courtesy, they should give 3U?port t f > '.ho member put forward by a lir»a number of the jejple of the <2ii>£ii-t. F.ut even independently of that, Mr. Kbenezer Hamlin was in every way qualified to repressnt the district in tho Provincial Council. Mr. Ahxaxdir MiCD3sito, of Pu'-rekohe seconded the n-inain-.tion. They should sand men into the Provincial Council who would co orerate for the r.urcose of forwarding the interests of the out-dhtricts. Tho recent contest for the 3upe:intendeney proved how : greatly disss'isfied w e re tho people of the nut-districts with tho couduct of tho late Government. The present boundaries of districts were veiy imperfect, and such alterations should be made as would give a frontage to each district to a recognised highway. Then, as to education, there ought to be handsome endowments for the purposes of education. There ought to ha five acres of land set apart for the use of fach gchool teacher and school. As to Government works there should be a3 little day work as possible, in which money had hitherto br.en squmlered. The condition of the railway was at present a disgrace ; but in the advance of the Waikato Plains was the chief hope of the province. It was said by Mr. Gillies that if they elected a > nperintendent they should send a Council to support him. That was questioned by Mr. uiid the Cross, but neither the Cross nor Mr. t'ri<po had the depth to understand so profound a remark. He would make one to send in a Council to support the Superintendent. Mr. Ja3ie3 Uoßsiiiox (Mangarei) proposed Mr. Joseph May. He conld not follow the oration of Mr. Macdonald. But he had a duty to parform, of which any man. might be proud. Ho had known Mr. Joseph May for twenty seven years, and during the whole of thit time he never heard of Mr. May deviating from what was good, true, and honorable. (Cheers.) Mr. John Wallace (Flat Bush) second d the nomination of Mr. May. He also had known Mr. May for twenty-seven years, and never knew him to deviate from the straight line. (Ch.ers.) Mr. Josfpii Ckispe proposed Mr. Daniel lynch, who was an old stager, a gentleman whom they al! knew. Mr. K. McGejs seconded the nomin tion of Mr. D. Lynch. Mr. Ceisi'E caaie before elaeto os.as an "Id settler to claim their suffrages. He did not know why, bat there was apparently a great set male aga-'nst him. A remark had bc?n j.ist m".de that those who helped to re'.urn Mr. Gillies shoull support Mr. Gillies ia the Council, and only such persons should be returned. But if that was to he the case w,,at wa3 to beccme of an honest opposition to Mr. Giili°s if he "should desire to pass wrong t:i» asures. There was what was called the '• ti :kat system" introduce.!. He heard that three gentlemen had been put forward on tho card. But the ''gut phia would he to vote for such a candidate as the elector thought' eligible, and tear the card afterwards. Then 'as to highway.*, he would support any imr prove merit brought forward in the law relating to this subject. He would support a thoroughly liberal edueati'in. An to payment of members, if members were to ba paid for attendance he thought they should be fined

fir non-attendiuce. -Members should be punctual and constant in their attendances. If elected he would do all that he could to promote the welfare of the country. Mr. James Bobeetson asked Mr. Crispe where he had his information from ? Mr. Crispe said he had heard it from several people. Mr. Mat : It is very well for Mr. Crispe to make assertions, and then deny the opportunity of proving the charge he makes. Let the name be given. Mr. Crispe said he had heard it spoken of by several gentlemen. A Voice : Then it's false. Mr. JoHif Gordon came forward to addreßS the electors. He would not allude to the charge made by Mr. Crispe but that he knew it to be a most unfounded charge, and the offspring of a diseased imagination, (laughter ) It was absolut ly false. The three centlemen referred to were wholly independent of each other. The reason the electors did not support Mr. Crispe was that they did not believe Mr. Crispe was the man. For hia part he couid no longer respect hia word— Mr. Crispe : If I am to be charged 'vith. faisehoed I must claim protection. Mr. Gordon said be would pursue the same line of conduct in the Council that he did last session. If elected, he would give all subjects his best attention. Mr. Ebbnezer Hashis said that he came forward in obedience to the large requisition which had bem addressed to him. He came forward as a free and independent person. He might say, t,s to education, he believed it would be the ciuty of the Government to briDg dewn a liberal measure of education. As to the representation, he was one of the first to ask the candidates for the Superintendency whether they would he prepared to amend the Representation Act. Therefore he was in favor of amendment. As to the Highway Act—he would advocate any judicious alteration. He wo aid be willing to attend to all grievances that, should be made out to exist, and try to redress them in every possible way. /' s to " the ticket," he (Mr. Hamlin) had never spoken to any one to go in with him. The only person that ever spoke to him on the subject was Mr. Crispe himself. (-Laughter and cheer- 1 -). Mr. May came forward, and was received with cheers. He was glad to see so many old friends. As to the ticket system, he believad that a great deal too much had been made of it. For his own part, if there had been three, candidates on each side he would have no objection to see both parties pulling in two 1 teams. There would be nothing unfair then. At the same time, unfairness in elections was productive of great evil. Ho would oppose anything that was unfair. But the truth wa% that nothing had been said about it. As to his conduct in the Council, he wculd do everything in his power to redrefe evils which might exist. As to education, he would advocate any system that would have a practical result and be of benefit to the community. He would like a general system provided for hy some genoral measure. As to the roads, he did not' think that the Provincial Government were in a position to do anything at present in regard to that, hut when there might be a possibility of carrying that work out, he would be happy to supp rt it. In the next place, as to the banding together ; so far as hi was conctrned there was I nothing of that kind. Parties were sometimes

blind. But unfairness at elections did net always end with the election ; they produced very bad consfquences afterwards. He regretted to sea by Mr. Williamson's speech that he hud rather excused, than d> nounced the proceedings at the Thames. If dragoons were neceF.-arv to keep tho p' aco in the place that gent'ftnnn came from, he lut'ed they would never be net e*?nry in New Zo-lnnd. Tho N]btuiiNin& Officer took the show of hands, with tho fallowing result: — Way 23 Hamlin 19 Gordon ... ... ... ... 14 Crispn Lynch ... 9 Mr. t'HK-r demanded a poll, which will fake pluco on th- 20th instant. A vote thank- fas p-ss-d to the Upturning Officer, mirt the r>r -re-dim;< e'included.