ELECTION OF CITY COUNCILLORS.

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1303, 10 January 1867, Page 2

ELECTION OF CITY COUNCILLORS.

The polling for the election of five members for the City Council was taken yesterday, at the office of the Council. The candidates were seven in number, viz , Messrs. Calvert, Hislop, Anderson, W. Wilson, Thomson. Cooper, and Buxton. Some little interest was manifested in the event, and during the polling several ratepayers were congregated outside the building, and at the time for declaring the poll, in spite of the rain, there were about one hundred persons present.

■ The late chairman, Mr E. B. Bishop, at the 5 termination of the proceedings, declared the state of the poll to be as follows :— Mr Calvert 153 MrHislop 153 ! Mr Anderson 146 ; Mr Wilson 131 , Mr Thomson 122 ; Mr Cooper 91 Mr Buxton 39 . He therefore declared the first five gemle- > men duly elected. i The candidates then returned thanks. Mr Calvert said that at present his feelings would not allow of his addressing them at any length. He must however thank them 1 most cordially for the honor they had done ' him by returning him at the top of the poll. ' He could assure them that when he entered ■ the Town Hall yesterday he had no knowledge « that he was to be proposed. Some kind ! friends, however, seeing that there were ' not likely to be a sufficient number ' nominated, had proposed him ; and afterwards, 1 when two other names had been proposed, he had wished to retire, but was not allowed to ■do so by the ratepayers present. He had no ' idea however that he should be returned so 1 high on the poll, and he could assure them that ' the result was a most gratifying one, and he would use his best endeavours so long as he ' represented them to do his utmost for the welfare of the city. Mr Calvert then : gave his opinions on the drainage and other questions in almost similar terms to those used by him on Tuesday in the Town Hall. He ' would do his best to stimulate the firebrigades and to supply a proper supply of water for the use of the fire-engines. He would advocate the measures which he considered best suited to their requirements, and wished again to return them his most heartfelt thanks. Mr Hislop said he was very grateful for the position in which they had placed him. He also was at the top of the poll, but still he would of course give way to Mr Calvert, who was the elder man. He wished to make no promises, still he could assure them that he would do every thing that he possibly could for their interest consistent with honesty and integrity. It was very probable that the pre sent councillors would only hold office for about three months, as by that time the new Ordinance would be passed, when they would be called upon to elect representatives for the different wards, as well as to elect a mayor. He hoped that when that time came it would be found that he had done his duty to their satisfaction, and that he might again be returned. Mr Hislop then stated that he considered that the Government should construct the main drains : it had received a very large revenue from the city, and contended that it should make some adequate return. He would sell the pipes if they could possibly do so, and if not he should like to see a public meeting of the ratepayers called to obtain their sanction to such a step. He thought the sooner the side channels were laid down the better. He concluded by again thanking the electors. Mr Anderson said that in the present state of the weather they could not expect him to make a long address, but he was afraid that if the weather had been different they would still only have had a short one, as he was by no means a good speaker. He was most thankful, however, for the honor they had conferred upon him that day. He had not asked for a single vote, nor was he aware that any of his friends had done so for him. He should at all times be happy to do his best, and before pledging himself to any great change he would consult the ratepayers on the step. He would do all he could, and he hoped that at the next election he would be placed in a similar position to that in which he Btood that day. Mr W. Wilson said that five years ago he had been returned as a member of the City Council, and he thanked them for again electing him on the present occasion. He thought that the Council was at present in a very fair position. The sum of £1850 had been passed by the Provincial Council for the purpose of j carryingEout the improvements of the city, and j he was happy to say that he had supported that vote in the House; that sum with the i rates might, be expected to do much. He had , before when elected served for twelve months with some credit, and be hoped that he might do so now. He had great respect for the opposition, ; but at the same time hearing that only seven i had been proposed he had consented in conjunction with Messrs. Anderson and Hislop j to stand, so as to prevent the municipality - from falling to the ground. He hoped that at the end of his time they might consider j that he had done his work satisfactorily, and i that he might be again returned. Mr Wilson also returned thanks for Mr i Thomson, who was unavoidably absent in " Lyttelton. When returning thanks for himself he was always at a loss, when ; returning thanks for another person, more especially one for whom he had so great an es- i teem as he had for Mr Thomson, he became I tolerably fluent. He thought Mr Thomson < would reflect great credit upon their choice; 1 he had always known him to be a very shrewd and clever gentleman, and was sure I that he would do their work well. fJThe i speaker was here interrupted by Mr Hart, 1 who asked a question of Mr Wilson.] He { really could not understand the purport of < Mr Hart's question. Mr Hart and himself had been old friends. He knew him sixteen years ago, when he (Mr Hart) was selling t meatjand he vending cabbages, and could assure < them that he valued Mr Hart's opposition, and < was glad to find that he had been returned in opposition to it. He believed that Mr Hart < found that in the present contest he had been in the wrong, but he believed however ' that he knew it, and was severely repentant. « He was glad to see the election carried out 1 in so good humoured a manner - in fact an ' election would be nothing without a little chaff. Mr Wilson then gave his views < on the different subjects mooted during 1 the election. He hoped to see the pipes turned into money, and a system of « arterial drainage carried out as soon as practi- < cable. At present surface drainage was highly necessary, and the pipes if sold would bring 1 the necessary money to carry it out. More < artesian wells were required, all of which t should be connected, so that in case of fire J there would be an ample supply of water. The « fire brigade should also be encouraged by the t Council. He would do his utmost to carry t out measures which he thought would be conducive to the welfare of the city, and again thanked the electors on behalf of Mr Thomson < and himself for the honor they had conferred * upon them. \ Mr Cooper said that he supposed that they imagined that he did not hold quite bo enviable a position as those that had preceded him, but though he was a defeated candidate such ' was not his opinion. He had been drawn into it by the ratepayers, and at their request ' had contested the election. He thanked those : who had voted for him most heartily, and he ' stood higher on the poll than he had expected, ' and though defeated on this occasion he had not ' been beaten. He would "Try, try again," 1 until ho did win. Some of those who had gone before him had stated that they wanted no little man in the Council; he did not see £ what they wanted with big men, who put the c tramels upon the people. Mr Cooper then gave his opinions on the topics of the day, 8 and concluded by thanking those who had a voted for him. * Mr Buxton said that they could not expect t a long speech from him, as he was not gifted c with the powers of eloquence the Banie as his i predecessors. He begged to thank the thirty- c nine electors who had" voted for him. It was c pretty generally known at the outset that he t did not intend to contest the election, but as & two or three of his friends had urged him f, he had consented. He had made no efforts _ to secure his return ; ho had not asked any j] one for a vote, but perhaps at a proper time g he might do so. He was glad to see such an influential Council returned. t ] Mr W. Wilson said that at the late c; nomination in the Town Hall one very im- b portant duty had been neglected. He meant tl the recording of a vote of thanks to Mr E. ft B. Bishop and the retiring councillors. The v late members had had ft yerv arduous duty to perform, and bad doae their work satis* a

factorily, leaving the affairs in a much bettestate than they had found them. Ho would ask them to givo three cheers for Mr E. B. Bishop, and other three for the retiring members. Three cheers were accordingly given, the meeting taking time from Mr Wilson ; and at the instigation of Mr Cooper, three more were triren for the mayor that is to bo. The meeting then dispersed.