THE ELECTIONS.

DECLARATION" OF THE POLL FOR RAG-LAN. The declaration of the poll for the district of Baglim took place at noon yesterday, at the Otahuliu Public Hall. Very few people were present, and little or no interest appeared to be excited by the prooccedings. Punctually at twelve o'clock tlio Returning Officer (Captain Symonds) came forward and announced the state of the poll for the district of Raglan, which is as follows : —Mr- May, 227; Mr. Hamlin, 219 ; Mr. Gordon, 179 ; Mr. Crispe, 135. It now, therefore, became his duty to declare the three first-named gentlemen, viz., Messrs. May, Hamlin, and Gordon, to be duly elected members of the' Provincial Council for the electoral district of Raglan. In conclusion, he had much pleasure in bearing testimony to the gentle-, manly manner in which the election had been carried on. Mr. John" Gordon briefly returned thanks for the honour which the electors had. done bim in choosing liim a second time to serve their interests in the Provincial Council. He was quite sure that they would not find their confidence misplaced ; and as he had worked on former occasions for the benefit of that district and the province large, bo his endeavours would in the future be di-

reeted towards doing his best to forward the common interest.

air. Ebenezkp. Hamlix briefly thanked the electors. He had come forward at the wish of many of the Wniuku settlers, who felt that that part of the country ought to b<; represented, and the electors generally had shown by returning him, that they were of the same opinion. He would make no proposition as to what he would or would not do, but this lie would assure them, that while in the Council his best efforts would he directed towards promoting such measures as were calculated to benefit the community at large. Neither Mr. May nor Mr. Crispe being present to return thanks, the proceedings concluded with the customary vote of thanks to the Returning Officer. THE DECLARATION OF TnE POLL FOR FRANKLIN. The poll for the above district was declared at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, at the Panmurc- bridge. The only per.-ons present were Messrs. W. F. Eucklaid, Every McLean, William Hav, John Wallace (four of the candidates), and Messrs. Hurst and Gordon, neither of which latter gentlemen were voters for Franklin, bo that, in fact, with the exception of the candidates themselves, there was not a single elector of Franklin present. At three o'clock precisely, the Returning Officer (Captain Symonds), addressing those present, stated that his labours were now drawing to a close, as the election for Franklin was the last with which lie had to deal for the present, and brought the Provincial Council elections to a close. It ouly now remained for him to declare the state of the poll' for that district, and which was as follows : —Mr. McLean, 251; Mr. Hay, 235 ; Mr. Buckland, 209 ; Mr. Douglas, 198 ; Mr. Wallace, 164; Norris, 113 ; Mr. Kelly, 91,

It therefore became his duty to declare Messrs. Maclean, Hay, Buckland, and Douglas duly elected members of the Provincial Council for the electoral district of Franklin.

Mr. McLean, addressing those present, said he could not very well commence with the usual word, " Electors," as, besides ( hemselves, there was not a single elector present, and for that reason it was not necessary for him to thank them at any very great length. He would, therefore, briefly thank them for having returned him to sorve them in the Provincial Council once more ; and he would assure them that he would do his best to promote their interests

Mr. Hat thanked the electors for having returned him at the hca lof the poll. It was a very high distinction to confer upon him, and he would assure them that their confidence would rot be misplaced. He confessed that when he first came before them at the nomination he had little hope of being successful. He had come out at the last moment aud under several disadvantages, the field already being fully occupied by a number of really first-class men. For his own part he would have been quite willing to have withdrawn to save a contested ekciion, but his friends would not agree to such a course, considering that that part of the country from whicii he came required representation. Had he consulted liis own interests he would not hav came out at all ; but he was urged to so by his friends. His desire, now that he was elected, would be to go into the Council perfectly untrammelled, and with no other object than to do his part for the advancement of Auckland generally ; and with regard to the country districts he might say that they would receive his special attention, for their wants were nearly all akin. What was wanted in the first place was local government as complete as it could be got. If the Government had any money to spare the country members would try and get it equally divided among their various districts for the purposes of education, road making, and oMier necessary requirements. He again thanked them sincerely for having returned him as one of their members.

Mr. Btckland said be should be very glad to thank the electors for returning Mm if any had been present themselves. He could only regret the laxity which was sliown in these matters by the country settlers.

Captain Symouds agreed with Mr. Bucklaud that great apparent apathy had been shown by the electors ; but then it must- be borne in mind that the place where they now stood was very unfrequented, and by no means suited for the purpose.

Mr. Buck LAND continued: He thanked the electors, however, for returning hiin, and could assure them, through the medium of the press, that no effort should be wanting on his part to secure the advancement of the province. Mr. John Wallace said that though an unsuccessful candidate, he was there to thank those of the electors who had voted for him. He had to apologise to the electors for having so warmly supported Mr. Douglas, of Tauranga, and he was sorry that gentlemen was not then present to hear what he was about to say. Mr. Douglas was introduced to him by Mr. James Foley, jun. Mr. Douglas told him that the people of Tauranga had determined to support him (Mr. Douglas) for their district. He (Mr. Wallace) had replied that he should want something more than mere assertion to support such a statement, upon which Mr. Douglas produced his credentials, and be (Mr. Wallace) thought it was all right, and that Mr. Douglas was the "chosen" of the Tauranga people. Mr. Douglas then said if he and his friends would support him in their own districts, he would get the people of Tauranga to support Mr. Wallace, who, however, did not ask for this, as lie would not wish to control the votes of any persons. Mr. Douglas afterwards produced a ticket with the names of himself, Wallace, Buckland, and McLean upon it, and those four, he stated, would be supported by the Tauranga people; but what was the fact, for about three hundred votes given to Tauranga in their districts, Tauranga in retnrn only gave thirty-three votes to them. It afterwards turned out that Mr. Douglas was not the accredited candidate of Tauranga, but that Mr. jVorris was. On visiting Papaknra, Mr. Douglas had told Mr. Hay that he would put him on the car.i, and would do all he could for him at Tauranga, in return for his support and interest in his own immediate districts. What was the result ? Why, that Mr. Hay had only polled one vote at Tauranga. He therefore thought tliey had great cause of complaint with regard to the way the Tauranga people had behaved, and he much regretted that he had taken the course which he had done twards Mr. Douglas, for if he had known that Mr. Jforris was the choice ] of the Tauranga people, he should certainly have supported him. He had not canvassed for a vote himself, nor had he employed any one to do so; if he had the result would have been different, but although he had not been returned he should not relax his efl'orts to do whatever good he eould for the province outside the Council. He was not angry with Mr. Douglas because ho (Mr. Wallace) had not got into the Council, but he was angry that he had got in partly through his instrumentality in supporting him when he had himself been deceived in the matter. Mr. Hubst apologised for the absence of Mr. Douglas, who was unavoidably absent, having had to go to Tauranga in order to be back in Auckland when the Council opened. He did not in any way identify himself with Mr. Douglas,, or with the action Mr. Douglas had pursued—whatever that was, but he had been asked to apologise for his absence, and he did so. This concluded the business of the elections for the Provincial Council.