THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5885, 24 July 1884, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

The-official declarations of the state of the polls in the Christehurch] and other constituencies were made yesterday. The following are the results :— CHRISTCJB.U ECH SOUTH The Oddfellows*" Hall in Lichfield street ■was crowded yesterday by electors anxious to hear the official announcement of the mult of the voting. Messrs Holmes and Jeynt, on appearing on the platform, were received with loud cheers. The Beturniag Officer formally announced the result of the voting to he— J. Holmes 638 T. I. Joynt 600 Majority for Holmes ... 88 He then declared Mr Holmes duly elected to serve in the Parliament of New Zealand for the electoral district of Christchurch South. [Cheers.] Mr Holstes was loudly cheered on rising to I address the meeting. He could hardly tell I them how deeply grateful he felt for the ' honor they had done him in placing him at the head of the poll. He trusted that in tbe future, as m the past, he would show them by his conduct tbat he was desirous of serving thf>ir interest, and that their confidence in him was not misplaced. The friend 3of his opponent, Mr Joynt, had thrown down a challenge to the citizens of Christchurch to elect the best man, and they had answered that challenge by electing him. [Cheers J He must do this credit to Mr Joynt, that he made a very good second; and while on this topic he must say that he greatly regretted that Mr Joynt's friends were so injudicious as to induce that gentleman to come forward and contest the seat with him— fApplauseJ— for by so doing the people of Canterbury had lost the valuable services of an able man. [Applause. J Had .Mr Joynt stood for some ether constituency—for the Avon —he (Mr Holmes) would have been found supporting him. There was not a man in Canterbury more desirous than he was to see Mr Joynt in the House. With himself and Mr Joynt working together for the East and West Coast Hailway, the obtaining of reserves fer the City Council, and other things, they could do a great deal of good for the peeple of Canterbury; and in tact, co-operating together, he did not know anything that they might not get. He deplored the fact that the consolidation of the town constituencies did not take place before this election I began, because then there would have been two or three seats for Christchurch, and then with his friend and himself running as candidates no doubt he would be at the top of the poll, and Mr Joynt would have been second, and the constituency would have had two of the ablest men representing Christchurch— [Applause] —in the Colonial Parliament. The votes had decided it otherwise, and for the present they had lost the services of Mr Joynt. He trusted that in the near future a vacancy would occur in Canterbury, ana that they would be able to put him in. No jealousies would arise between him and Mr Joynt should that appointment ocenr, for however desirous Mr Joynt might be of office, under no circumstances would he (Mr Holmes) take office which would compel him to reside permanently in Wellington. No rivalries would occur between them, and they would go hand in hand aad work shoulder to shoulder for the good of the people of Canterbury. [Applause.] He wished to be permitted to say a few words of thanks to his Committee, which, as they knew, were chiefly composed of working men. They had devoted their time and energies to working for him, in order to return him, because they believed that he was a man in whom they could place confidence and whom they could trust, and that he had not done anything in the past to disentitle him to the support ; they had hitherto given him. He could not too deeply and sincerely express the thanks which he owed to those gentlemen who had worked on his Committee, and he specially mentioned Mr Carmichael and Mr Andrew X iik. He had only a few words more to say, and these were in reference to his future action. While the election was being contested it was represented that be was a Vogelite. ; Now that the election was over, he was I going to make a pledge and a promise to them, and should he be found violating that ' pledge and promise in any way, he would resignhisseatif called upon to do so by twenty electors, and they knew that he would do what he said. The pledge and promise which he would make was this: Aβ soon as he would go to Wellington he would unite "«iith the, otJiPT f>fp-" ; * : '"' m«M».K«-«.' *«. choose a leader, and there were only two possible leaders, Sir Julius Yogel and Mr Ormond. Sir George Grey had lost so many followers that he was altogether out of it, and would return to the House shorn of a good deal ef his glory and strength. The position would be Sir Julius Yogel or Mr: Ormond as Premier, and when that came to the vote he pledged himself, and promised that he- would vote for Sir Julius Vogel. [Cheera. A Voice —" Ten millions, old man."] When Sir Julius would form his Ministry, and propomnd his policy, if he would stick to the policy which he had put before the country, and do what he promised in regard to the East and West Coast railway, then he would have his (Mr Holmes) thorough and hearty support. He would not be a joint in any man's tail, and if Six Julius deviated and did not do what he promised ia connection with that railway, ne would oppose him to the utmost, and vote for the ousting of his Government. [Applauee.J He had found by bitter experience in the p»3t that it was a mistake for a man to so intimately connect himself with parties that he should be compelled by the action of his party to do what was not beneficial for the interests of tbe country at large. He would never do that again, for the chief and first consideration of a representative was to look after the interests of the people, disregarding the interests of parties. He pledged and promised that he would so act. Once more he cordially thanked them for the honor which they had conferred upon him. [Cheers.] Mr Jotnt was received with great enthusiasm and prolonged cheers. He said that he stood before them in the position of a defeated candidate. [Laughter.] He felt that at that moment he occupied a highly honorable position indeed, because he came before them as a novice in politics, or, as bis friend had called[him, a " budding" politician. He stood in the honorable position of being only S8 votes behind out of 1238. One of the papers had said that this was the belt fought election in New Zealand. He thought that from the numbers polled it was the best contested election in the colony. He returned his sincere thanks to what he might call" The Gallant Six Hundred." He assured them that he felt the result to be such an earnest of the good-will, support, and confidence of the people of Christchurch, that it was a strong indicaf on ef his success should he make a future attempt for some one constituency. [Applause.] He thanked Mr Holmes sincerely for his expressions of good-will towards him, .and he hoped that gentleman would not take it as bad taste on his part in saying that he hoped the slight rebuke which, nearly one-naif the constituency had tendered him as a lesson would cause him to do his best during the next three years in Parliament. He must say that seeing the constituency which Mr Holmes served was nearly equally divided, he could not regard the victory as a flying one. He was glad that he had come forward to contest this election for several reasons, and one was that a wholesome rebuke had been administered to his friend on the other side. The election had also installed himself to a considerable extent in the good wishes of the people, and it also had the effect of drawing him out of the comparative seclusion in which he had been for many years. It had inspired him with such interest in the political life of the colony, tbat he would only be too glad when an opportunity arose to offer his services again to the people to represent them in Parliament. [Cheers] Next to being successful, he could hardly occupy a more satisfactory position than he did. He thanked them all very much, and also his Committee for the faithful and united manner ia which they had worked for him. He had never seen a body of of men so thoroughly organised ana bo tothena &s well ac -to *3xe xioble COO *wiio tiatl pxtt linn in tlie TK?aitXoii in. "wliielx \ A. -vote of thanlES to tlie Ketttrning Officer, proposed in most complimentary terms by Mr Holmes, and seconded by Mr Joynt; clesed the proceedings. _