AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XI, Issue 537, 15 November 1862, Page 4

AUCKLAND.

THE NOMINATION. [From the New-Zealander, November B.]

The event of the nomination on Wednesday has had the effect of creating a " sensation," and it seems now probable that the contest for the Superintendency will not be wanting in any of the incidental excitement which has distinguished similar struggles in times past. A great deal of misapprehension, we believe, exists as to the circumstances which led to the nomination of Mr. Williamson, which it is but just to remove, and for this purpose a simple statement of the facts which have come to our knowledge will suffice. The reasons by which Mr. Williamson justified -his retirement from office are, we presume, familiar to the electors ; they were in chief these : that the recent change made by the General Assembly in the mode of acquiring land for settlement was, in his view, fatal to the work of promoting immigration to and settlement in this Province under the Fortyacre system, which was the most important business of the office which he was chosen to fill, and that under these circumstances, and with the well-known antagonism which existed against him in the Provincial Council, his prospect of continuing to be as useful a public servant as it was his ambition to be, were not encouraging. There seemed no hope, except by the process of bringing about a general election, that the relations between himself and the Council could be altered.

A very short time before the day of nomination, we believe, a deputation of influential electors, comprising some members of the Council who had been amongst his most strenuous opposers, waited upon Mr. Williamson to invite him to allow himself to be put in nomination. Such assurance of support in Council from, these gentlemen had been conveyed to him as made it clear that if he were again elected he would find a majority of the Council who would cordially co-operate with him in doing all that could be done, under the altered circumstances of the Province, to promote the general welfare, and to encourage immigration and settlement in Auckland.

Under these circumstances the nomination took place, and they are, no doubt, as gratifying to Mr. Williamson as they are honourable to the public spirit of the colonists who were able to sink party spirit and personal differences in their desire to replace in the post of Chief Magistrate one who has acquired knowledge of the duties of that office, and who has for six years diligently, conscientiously, laboriously, through good report and bad report, laboured to discharge those duties.

It may be taken for granted, we presume, that Mr. Williamson will accept the demonstration in his favour, made at the public meeting on Wednesday, as evidence of the general feeling, and will go to the poll on the 26th ; but having left town on Monday to attend to his private affairs, he is, at present, absent from Auckland ; and up to the time at which we write, we believe that none of his friends have had communication from or with him.

[Since the above was in type, Mr. W. has returned ; his address to the electors will be found in another place.]