WELLINGTON.

' I From a Corespondent of tlie Lyttelton Times). ■ Dec. 27.

For tho last few weeks wo have been over ?;> head and ears in electioneering turmoil. First " of all came the election of Mayor. For a good while this seemed likely to be a walk- over for Mr Gisborne, but some aotion whiohjio took in favour of Denominational Education, as a Member of the Education Board, led to a cry of "No Popery" being raised against him, and as he had the temerity to announce himBelt as a candidate for the representation of the City in the Assembly, the friends of vtaMesara Pearoe and Hunter determined to bihring forward an opponent to him as Mayor, "ii& groat number of gentlemen were unsuooess- ' fully solicited, and at last the only candidate a who could be found was Mr William Hutohior- flon, formerly proprietor and editor of the n Tribune, a comparatively now arrival ia the 1 City, and without any property in it. He >L consented to stand, and although his own J backers could not say he was a fit man for the "- position, they were glad of anyone who would sorvo to oppose Mr GHsborne. The latter is by no means fond of spending money, and as the • other sido spent a good deal, Mr Gisborne got beaten, md Mr Hutchison was elected Mayor. After such & defeat, of course Mr Gisborne saw that his chances of getting in to the . ,'Aesembly for the City wore very slight in- '•■;., deed, so he rotired from the contest. This left four candidates nominally, but in reality only three, for the fourth, Mr Moody, was simply s a marplot. Mr Travers had to fight tho two old Members, Mr Pearce and Mr Hunter. A very powerful Committee was formed to support the two latter, and money was very freely spent. The general impression seemed to bo, however, that Mr Travers was likely to oust '"-, Mr Pearco, and almost everyone regarded it as a certainty that Mr Hunter would head tho poll. The result, however, disappointed both expectations. Mr Pearco was returned at the head of the poll by a considerable majority, and Mr Hunter boat Mr Travers by 14(5. An unusually largo number of votes wero recorded. Out of about lCßomamos on tho roll, nearly 1300 voted, and the number of ' plumpers given to Messrs Pearce and Travera was very great. I am told that fully one , third of tbo total votes recorded were plumpers 1 for a singlo candidate. Mr Moody only polled ili 43. Mr Travers owes his defeat to the large monetary influence of His opponents, and to the pQreißtont manner in whioh tho New Zealand Times kept up the cry of his being 1 brought forward by the Roman Catholic interest. Mr Travers donied this in tho most B ' J "emphatio manner, and unmistakeably declared himself a secularist in Education, as indeed he n always has beon, but the Times said it knew better, and simply repeated its statements in spito of tho denials, and people wero found to believe that Mr Travers must bo a dangerous Jesuit in disguise Of oourso tho Government influence waa all on tho Pearco and Hunter side.

Mr Hutchison, having been returned as Mayor, has since had the cheek — really no other word properly characterises tho aolion— to offer himself as a candidate for the Hutt, in opposition to Mr Fitzherbert, Had a really good man stood against Mr Fitzherbert he would probably have pot in. Mr Imdlam even could have made pretty sure of tho eeat, for Mr Fitzherbert is not particularly popular amongst his constituents. But to set up an opponent like Mr Hutchison was to make the affair an absurdity, and the Hutt electors are not at all likely to repeat tho mistake made by 0 the ratepayers of the City, by electing him to a position for which he has not a single quali--1 floation. The offeot of his opposition, how- ' ever, has roused Mr Fitzhorbort into deolaring himself very plainly on publio «mttors. The principal feature of his declaration is his openly avowed hostility to Sir Julius Yogel, and his unequivocal disavowal of being one of the " leading men of Wellington " who approved of, or wore willing to support tho four j?rovinoes on Separation ideaß. The poll for the Hutt tabes place on Wodnosday, find tho general idea is that Mr Fitzherbert will poll at least four to one.

For tho Country District thero aro throo candidates — Mr Brandon, Mr Q-illon, and Mr

' Wallooo—but tho latter is entirely out of the running. At the nomination ho was proposed by a man who wae not in a state to Know what he was doing, and ho had to get Mr Brandon's proposer to eccond h'fl nomination proformd, The contest between Mr Brandon Mr Gillon will bo a very olobo ono indood, „tbo chanccß of tho latter boing deoidedly tho boßt. Tho poll lakes pJuoo on Friday. In tho Waimmpa, thoro aro four oundidateß for ; tbo two Beats, and tho two old 'members, .Meaerfl Bunny and Androw, who hato each .other most cordially, and who wore novor known to agree on any one point, aro actually running together against Mr Charles Pharazyn, and Mr 0, It. Cavler, who is in the Held as a candidate, although he has not yot returned to tho Colony from England, where ho has been in the Agent- General's offioo for some years. Mr Carter formerly reprcßentod Waira- - rapftj but ho baß very little chance of doing so again. M» Bunny'B return ie a mattes* o( ftlaloet absolute cortftinty Mr Androw would

not get in again were there a good man against him, hut Mr Pharnzyn is in every way bo miserably his inferior, and bo utterly unfit for ÜBof ul publio lifo, that I fanoy Mr Andrew will again be Mr Bunny's colleague. In the Manawatu the oonteet between Mr Johnston and Dr Bullor will bo a sovoro one, and an impression seoma to provftil that Mr Johnston will have to yield the seat. This will bo a matter of regret, for ho is a very promising and able man. In ■ Rangitikei, Mr Ballanoo, who distinguished himself so much last Session, and took up suoh an excollent position in the House has had a stupid cry about " a local man " raised against him j and a local nobody, a settler named Bull, has been invited and has accepted the invitation, to contest the seat. It is said that ho will probably do so successfully. Mr Ballance will be greatly missed from tho House, although he has sab there only one Session. Wanganui will almost oertainly roturn its old Member, Mr Bryoo, and for its new seat Sir Julius Yogel. . Except eleotion matters, there is really very littlo to write about. Tho oojoymont of our races was quite spoiled by bad weather, and a heavy flood, necessitating tho postponement of tho second day's sporfc for a week ; and although -the Stewards mado up a third day's programme, all spirit was gone, aud tho attendance on tho second and third days was very plight. Those who speculated in tho purchase of tho privileges of tho courso were heavy losers. Tho Christmas holidays havo beon flno, although rather hot, and yesterday thero was a littlo rain. At tho Thoatre Royal, Mr Wheatloigh concluded his season on Saturday night. Tho wet weather in tho first plaoo, and tho election excitement afterwards, militated against his sucooss. Tho "Shaughraun" was, however, admirably produced and § played. To-night a Grand Christmas Pantomime is to be brought out. Tho breaking of the cable aoroßß tho Straits is a great nuisance. A little steamer called tho Tui is engaged in aoting as a ferry boat for tho conveyance of telegrams, but tho oommunication so maintained is of tho most irroI gular oharaotor. Thus tho first nowa whioh wo had of the result of tho Ohristohuroh eleotion, was on tho arrival of the Arawata, on Thursday morning. Mr Richardson ro» turned by her, and a telegram, which ho had sont on the Tuesday evening, did not arrivo until ho had himself been at home for sovoral hours. Tho result of the oleotion was received hero with great satisfaction on account of the roturn of our late Mayor, Mr Moorhouflo. The Luna leaves to-day to try and pick up tho cable. Tho heavy maohinery which was sent out with the cable has beon fitted up on her, but it is a matter of regret that a moro suitable boat is not available. The maohinory is very bulky and heavy, and ia almost too muoh for the Luna. Dr Lemon and a staff of workmen of all kinds go, and if thft, ends can only be got hold of they will very quiokly bo spliced, and communication bo restored, Tho officers of tho department attribute the break to some drift-wood carried along tho bottom by tho under current. Tho late floods brought down somo very largo snags. Ono great troo anohored itself in the channel just inside the heads for a day or two in a very dangerous position. Such a troo carried along by a rapid undor current would easily snap tho cable if it got foul of it.