CITY ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 204, 9 September 1879, Page 2

CITY ELECTION.

DECLARATION OF THE POLL. The formal declaration of the poll took place at the Provincial Hall at 11 o'clock this morning ; when the numbers, as given before, were read out by the Returning Officer, who declared Messrs Pitt and Adams elected. Mr Pitt desired to return his sincere thanks to the electors, and especially to his Committee for their strenuous exertions and for the great trouble and personal inconvenience that many of them had put themselves to. It was a matter for all to congratulate themselves upon that the election had been conducted with such thorough good temper, aud he hoped that if there had been any ill feeling aroused it would speedily disappear, and that he and his colleague would receive the general support in working for the good of Nelson. There were many new members in the House, aud he hoped they would be found free from all prejudice and prepared to recognise Nelson as a part of the colony, aud entitled to a fair share of the public loans. The electors bad now done their part, and it remained for him and his colleague to do theirs. He had the full determination to do the best he could for them, and he trusted that none of them would be disappointed in him. Mr Acton Adams desired to express his sincere thanks for the position in which he had been placed. He had every reason to be satisfied with the way in which he had been received by his constituents after his short novitiate in Parliament, having been accorded votes of confidence on every occasion that he had met them, and received 70 votes more than at his previous election. Ther* had been no contest between himself and Mr I ltt for the position at the head of the poll and he was in no way disappointed at being second. He thought that Mr Graham had fought this election in a most fair and honorable manner, but as an active member of his Committee at the last election he had no doubt taken some votes that would otherwise have been given to him (Mr Adams). He felt snre that he and Mr Pitt would work cordially together in their endeavor to secure justice for Nelson. Mr Curtis who was received with loud and continued cheers, said that as one of the defeated candidates he had but few words to say beyond thanking those who had supported and worked for him. It might be thought that he ought to have a feeling of humliation at his defeat, but he had nothing of the kind bnt regarded the position he occupied on the poll as owing to one of those changes in public opinion which all public men must expect and be prepared to submit to, nor did did he think that it was calculated to materially affect his reputation in the eyes of the colony. It only remained for him to. say that if he could be of any use to the citizens or their representatives his services would be willingly placed at their disposal. fLoud cheers) v Mr Graham said that was not the time or place for long speeches. He had never expected to win, and considering the position of his opponents, he thought that he and his friends had great cause for congratulation in the number of rotes he had polled, seeing that there were against him two such men as Mr I ltt and Mr Adams of whom they had every reason to be proud. He could not claim the popularity of Mr Pitt, while, considering the short time Mr Adams had been in the House, and the fact that he had done nothing material to forfeit their confidence it was but justice to them to return him again He hoped, however, that though defeated on this occasion, the time might come when the electors would see fit to place him in a different position. During the whole contest nothing detrimental to him had been said except once by the editor of the Mail, and that was based on a false foundation, but he must admit that on finding he had been misled the editor like a true gentleman took the earliest opportunity of expressing his regret, and explaining how he had been mistaken. The mischief, however, had been done and lie hoped that in future nothing would be written against him until the writer nad made perfectly sure of his fact 9 . He could not be expected to agree with Mr Sclanders in saying that the greatest calamity that could possibly happen to Nelson would be to reject Mr Curtis and elect him (Mr Graham). To the 202 who had voted for mm he desired to return his most sincere thanks and he thought it something to be proud of, that one fourth of those who went to the poll had voted for him. Mr Pitt proposed, and Mr Graham seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the Returning Officer for the impartial manner in which he had conducted the election tarried by acclamation.