THE CHRISTCHURCH ELECTION.

MR SANDFORD ELECTED. Polling was brisker at all the booths, except the Provincial Council Chamber, between the houro of five and seven o'clock, when the poll was closed, and the result was shortly afterwards made knows as follows :—

Majority for Mr Sandford, 742. The returns were made known from one of the windows of the Lyttelton Times Office as each was received, and when the totals were announced showing a substantial majority for Mr Sandford, the cheers that went up from the large crowd assembled in front of the office Bhowed very clearly that the success of the Liberal candidate was immensely popular. In response to repeated calls, Mr Sand' ford appeared at a window of the Times Office and addressed the crowd in the street. He said that the proud position in which the electors had placed him was an emphatic endorsement of the policy of the Government. It was now for him to prove that the confidence which they had reposed in him at the ballot-box had been worthily bestowed. He congratulated the electors upon having repudiated the statements of the Conservative Press that a reaction was rapidly setting in against the Liberal party, and heartily thanked the electors for the efforts they had put forth on his behalf. Cheers were then given for Mr Sandford and the Liberal party, and the crowd dispersed. At Mr Sandford'a Committee-rooms a number of those who had taken part in the election gathered together. Mr HallJones, the member for Timaru, congratulated the Christchurch Liberals on retaining their position, and cordially welcomed Mr Sandford as a colleague. Mr C. Louisson followed in a similar strain, and explained that he had declined to become a candidate and take up a position which would probably have svhi the Liberal vote. Messrs C. J. Eaej W. W. Collins and others addressed the meeting, and a most hearty vote of thanks to Messrs T. Gapes and C. Scholfield, for the manner in which they had conducted the contest in the Liberal interest, concluded the proceedings.

1 77= £ -a S, a _ .-S "*• ft tn xn a m 1 »»»•****-■*«■*-• — esssM-ts-^sn-. *< Gov. B'ldings... 388 390 173 3 Oddfel'w's Hall 818 457 378 19 Sydenham ... 342 97 48 3 Selwyn street 129 66 20 3 StAlbanß ... 60 55 7 _ Knightstown ... 114 44 u 1 Total ... 1851 1 1109 1 637 29