THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

♦— — BETURN OF MR R. 11. RHODES FOR AKAROA. Pursuant to a public notice, the nomination of candidates to represent the district of Akaroa in the House of Representatives, took place at the Courthouse, Akaroa, on Friday the 20th inst. The Returning Officer, Mr W. H. Filliet, having stated the purpose for which the meeting was held, proceeded to read the Writ iisued, under the authority of which tbe election took- place. He would remind the electors that candidates would hare to be proposed and seconded by electors of the Akaroa district, but thaj jhe qualification of the candidates themselves was that of having their names on any roil within the colony. He hoped a fair and patient hearing would be given to those who might wish to address the meeting. He now -called upon any elector who might wish to ndminate a candidate, to do so. The Rev. W. Ay^mjer proposed Mr Robert Heaton Rhode* as a 1 "fit and" proper per eon to represent tbe electoral district ol

Akaroa in the House of Representatives. He thought that Mr Rhodes for years past bad testified to his wish of farthering the interests of the district by every means in his power, and that a better man could not be elected to watch over the interests of the electors in the General Assembly. Mr James Hat, of Annandale, Pigeon Bay, bad much pleasure in seconding the Rev. W. Aylmer's proposition, and in endorsing what had fallen from that gentleman. Mr Rhodes had the confidence of the electors, and, he felt sure, would do all he could to continue to deserve it. The Returning Officer asked whether any other elector had any candidate to propose. No other candidate being proposed, The Returning Officer said he had much pleasure in declaring Mr Eobert Heaton Rhodes, to be duly elected member for the electoral district of Akaroa in the Houße of Representatives. Mr R. H. Rhodes then addressed the meeting, thanking them for the honour they had just conferred upon him. He promised that no effort should be wanting on his part to secure that which they had had in view when placing him in the position of their representative. He touched upon certain points of the Government policy, which he thought would be conducive, if carried out, to the welfare of the community, and reviewed briefly some of the main questions of the day. Mr Rhodes concluded by proposing a vote of thanks to Mr Pilliet, the Returning Officer, for the able and impartial manner in which he had discharged his duties. The Rev W. Atlmer seconded the motion. The Returning Officer thanked those present for the quiet and orderly manner in which they had allowed the proceedings to be conducted, and the meeting dispersed.