CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH SEAT.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 6849, 6 September 1887, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH SEAT.

TO THK KDITOB OF TUB PRESS. Sir, —The proposition of "Coioui.st" it monstrous. It violates the principle of the ballot, and would deprive the people of their glorious privilege--the right to vote. The question that urines is, Who in the enemy of the party i Let us for a few minutes endeavor to review the .situation. We have all heard of the origin of tht Electors' Association—l may say of itsrist and fall, and how a few self-elected committeemen endeavored to dictate to an electorate of over JJ7OU voters who should be their member. Surely this was equal to disenfranchising them. For a long t\m» the soat was being played with. No oa* was in the field in the Ministerial interest, and every opportunity was alTordud to th« Opposition to make the running. Mr Ayers, our worthy Chief Magistrate, who has been so well tried, and found so trut to his party, then, on the 10th July, comes forward, at the solicitations of Humerout electors, aud save the seat shall be n» longer in jeopardy, but that if a more able - man or one more acceptable to the electors can be found he will retire, lie even goes so far as to solicit Mr Perceval to coo* forward, but ho declines. Hs had previously urged Mr John Holmes not tonlinquish the seat, feeling the irreparablt loss to Canterbury and the colony. The next Shase Is the advent of Mr Hulbert, a met* , , er of the Electors' Association, ex-member of the Political Keforrn Association, whether he has rebired or not we know only by rumour, for ho never had the decency to announce the same, although ho was fast enough in publishing his address. Mr Beeves, as President of the . Electors' Association, then waits upon Mr Ayers, and asks him to sign a document, expressing hia alleglanee to the party, about which, however, there could liav» , been no manner of doubt. This iv duly signed, and one would take that as a tacitunderstanding that he was accepted M the champion of the party: but no, that would not suit the book of Messrs Warner* Louisson, Hulbort, Hobbs, Julius Parker, George and Co. Anybody but Ayera; Ut even the party bo sacrificed so that Avert I shall not nave that which, for him, I contoad, is a well merited honor. Weil, week after week, they played about, afraid to proceed to the election of a candidate, while they knew Ayers had a majority of friends on the Committee. At the tint* that Halbert was before the electors they had proposed that the names of Ayers, Perceval, and Hulbert should be ballUe* for; but Ayers Indiunantly declined tbla, but expressed his willingness, if hie friends were agreeable, to be balloted for in conjunctioirwith Force »al. But I happen ale* to know that Perceval refused this, saying he had determined to have nothing to d» with it, aud that Ayers and Hulbert could fight It out. It is much to be regretted that this could not have been carried out, 80 that the long standing feud could Jut* been determined. '.The next thing we hear of Is a requisition going round forelgnatAresforMr Perceral, and .the signature* were obtained, in this way. Many of my brother electors assured mc that they wen Induced to sign on the representation thai Mr Ayers only wished to secure the seat for the party, ho did not wish to stand, and that if Mr Perceval could be induced by a strong requisition to come out ht would retire. But the time had now gone : by for this,; In the first Instance Ayer* was willing that Perceval should be tb» candidate. But at this period he was pledged to his friends and his Commute* to fight the soat. Then the Electors' Aseoclatlon meet, and by the introduction ol nine new members they carry a vote pi * majority of five in favor of Percevah t» votes being twenty-four to nineteen. H las a matter of figures we d 'duct nip* ; from twenty-four, wo have flf oeou only, showing that Ayors had really a majontT of four In the ranks of the original ana legitimate Committee. It makes owe absolutely indignant to think of these shuffling. meantactici»,butwhichlamsurethcelector» will resent at the ballot Iwx. The earn* evening Perceval's address must have new penned, for the next morning it appeal** ,< In the newspapers. Perceval, an onew the originators of the Association, ana one who has touted for members of It, must have known all along what irjett were being played, and cannot be held innocent of Its actions. If he be true to W» party, why does he not sacrifiV self ana fersonal ambition, and not rink the seat I t Is enough that there is a good sterling Government man to expound the «****• and hin place should beat his side to aew* him. Doun this beardless youth prceumt to think that his ability, hie position, bl» experience excel that of the Chief Magistrate of tho city—the people's choice for two successivo years ? I do not wwh w be peritonei, but I, and many othem—* hear it on every side—are not at all satistied v.-ith his interview with tho Mayor, whose word wo thoroughly believe. Why does not Perceval say what uiu !*»• place I Why don't he deny that he earn n» was being made a " cat's paw " of by c clique of the Electors' Association i I wa» present at each of his pnblic; meetings ja* tho second he was an absolutely changed man, both in sentiment and style. Hemuel have hail a good coaching; but when left to his own resources how b* floundered. He got terribly mixed on the Stock Exchange, and on education *na rolfgiouH teaching is very stbuky ana changeable; aLso on the San Francisco mall service, together with his attempt to eet das* against class, and his tttt*«c upon imputing to it Ireland* miaery. This would have heenjMWy near nigh treason a few years ago. »• pretended to be choice in his vocabulary, * yet he quoted somewhat- ;ih follows m,tu* presence,of ld'lieH:-

"The porpenuioHLjr r.\ya at the emit pietdvg \VV. :-. , V *.ttto iWb. u-Kiiming w> rtWeftt,one* " ! tor-.-.r- ; », ijowhotirivHl hu: 1nt.... H- . •iiittohonorreflßct.niHitfteei* show a., >1 a irco.d as the iwjhiu t »d----dldatei the ppopleV choice, let }uw aP* declare hlraeelf or for over holrt his pwice. Can he deny ho admitted and toW tn* Kloctori* Association that- Aivrs had a very large foliowinir. and which lie has.or, *if "you ask m^, ,, ray www > s ,lOt _ Tom ÜBAHKt