Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1883. MEASURES, NOT MEN,"

The recent election for the Peninsula has been, in its various aspects, one of the most interesting that have taken place in New Zealand. The seat has always hitherto been held by a staunch supporter of Mr Macandrew, of whom, indeed, the late Mr Seaton politically was an alter ego ; and when by the lamented death of that gentleman ; a vacancy occurred in the representation, the present Opposition confidently regarded the field as their own, and were, in fact, only perplexed as to the choice of a candidate in their interest who could be depended upon to vote straight in the House, and would not be of sufficient standing or importance to interfere with the claims to office of certain honorable gentlemen representing city and suburban constituencies. At first, all seemed to promise well : Mr Cutten came forward as a sort of flaccid Ministerialist, and would evidently not have been difficult to beat, owing to his constitutional laziness and his general laissex fairemanner of doing business. The Opposition held a private meeting in Dunedin, and determined eventually to run Mr Michael Donnelly, who contested the seat at the general election, and on that occasion came in a good third, having been supported by the Roman Catholic blocks-vote. Mr Donnelly, who is very ambitious to enter Parliament, in which he thinks he is designed to make a figure, appears to have jumped at the phauce, and at once declared himself a candidate in the Opposition interest. He does not seem to have sufficiently considered that constituencies have good memories — memories also certain to be jogged by a watchful Press, and he was soon reminded that jn December, 188Q, he had conses£ed

9 the seat .against Mr- Seaton Us a Ministerialist candidate, whilst his motives for a change of front were keenly. criticised. He did' not mend matters in l*he*oburse of 'his election campaign. Finding that, as a Romag Catholic, the yiqwa in regard to estate* education which he 1 had 'expressed % th/gefnerAl .election werejtot' likely to '.btf^eptabhi to the of the electors, he deliberately" Shallowed his principles and declared himself so far satisfied with the established system that he would not even advocate the claims of his co-religionists to specific aid for their schools. • This course not only alienated tFe block-vote, bub lost Mr Donnelly the v respect of all conscientious men. Mr Cutten,' as' is well-known, did not even face a contest, bub retired ao soon as he found'he would have to fight, leaving the 1 field - practically 1 to ■ Mr Larnach, also a settler in the district, but a man of very different calibre. From the first, he went in to win, and did not leave a stone unturned to ensure success. The platform he advocated was thoroughly Liberal, and entirely consistent with his opinions and actions wben formerly in the House ; he did not pledge himself* to an out-and-out support of the Ministry — what reasonable man would? — but he declared Tumself satisfied as to their administration 1 and policy so far, and was prepared to give fair consideration to their proposals in the future. Two-thirds of the electors who recorded their votes on Monday have signified, in this most practical manner, their approval of these principles, and it may be taken for granted that the late Mr Seaton retained the confidence of the constituency rather on personal considerations than because his political views were generally acceptable. Tbe election of Mr Larnach is undoubtedly a great blow to the Opposition, and very great exertions were made at the last to place him iv a minority. Mr Fish and Mr Barron were especially conspicuous in their endeavors to influence the votes of the "free and independent," and the Trades and Labor Council, instigated by certain active local politicians, fulminated a ukase in favor of Mr Donnelly, and unsuccessfully endeavored to " boss " the working-man's vote in his favor. The most remarkable feature, however, in the election, was the appearance on the huntings of the Roman Catholic Bishop. Dr Moran came forward, avowedly not with any idea that he would be returned, but for the purpose of making a marked protest against the injustice he considers is inflicted on the Roman Catholic body by the present system of State education. As a candidate, he had the opportunity of stating his views before his fellow-electors of all denominations, and this he did in a most able and eloquent manner. His meetings, all over the electorate, even in the heart of the Peninsula, were crowded with attentive audiences, and he was received and listened to with great respect. It is not to our present purpose to discuss the Roman Catholic claims, so vigorously advocated by the Bishop ; he made it, however, clearly to be understood that he demanded nothing more than a share of the education appropriation proportionate to the number of children educated in the Roman Catholic schools, whilst he expressed not only his willingness but his desire that their schools, if aided, should be to the fullest extent subject to Government inspection. The Bishop had, it may be implied from his statements, a secondary object in his candidature — namely, the preventing Mr Donnelly, as a Roman Catholic, trading, as it were, on the block-vote, whilst truckling to secularist opinions in regard to public education. Dr Moran, no doubt, feels that in Parliament the worst enemies of bis cause have been " those of his own household," and he did not desire any addition to their numbers.

Our attention has again been drawn to the scarlet fever epidemic, which was supposed at one time to have been pretty well rooted out, but which through the carelessness of parents and others is again extending its grip. We understand that notwithstanding the attempted concealment by some, who render themselves liable to a penalty for such, there are cases known in the township and at our very doors, so to speak. For the information of those who may not know that not only by concealment of the disease but by not giving notice of the same to the authority for receiving such notice, they render themselves liable to a penalty, we will again quote the words of the Act, which ace as follow :: — •' When a householder knows that a person within the house occupied by him is taken sick of small-pox, cholera, or any other highly infectious disease, dangerous to the people, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Local Board of the district in which he dwells. If he refuses or neglects to give such notice, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding £10." It shall be the duty of the medical practitioner in attendance on such case to state to the householder aa early as possible the infectious nature of the disease. The term Local Board, we may inform those of our readers who may not understand its meaning, so far as the residents of Lawrence are concerned, means the Borough Council ; so that the Borough Council is the body to whom information is to be given in cases of infection within the Borough. For the benefit of another class who are known to have manifested gross carelessness in intermixing with others when comiug right from the fountain-head of the epidemic, we will quote another section of the Act, which is in the following terms: — "Any person who, while suffering from any dangerous infectious disorder,, wilfully exposes himself without proper precautions against spreading the said disorder in any street, public place, shop, inn, or public conveyance, or enters any public conveyance without previously notifying to the owner, driver, or conductor thereof that he is so suffering, or being in charge of any person so suffering, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £5." It is therefore, to the interests of all parties concerned, that care and discretion should be exercised by those who have the infection on their premises, as in the event of any oases of carelessness or contravention of the terms of the Act coming under the notice of the Board, we understand the penalties will be enforced with the utmost rigor. If parties by their own carelessness and grossly culpable conduct transgress the bounds of discretion so far as to require that means be taken to have certain districts proclaimed infectious, they will find themselves under surveillance, which, although perhaps not agreeable to their feelings, they will be bound to submit to. We cannot reprehend, with too* strong language, the highly-culpable conduct of parents and others in the district in which the disease had its origin ; for instead^ of doing everything jn their ppyer to banish it from their dqora, it is we}l r known that, in a number of instances, it was as it were wooed with open arms.