OUR FIRST MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 122, 17 February 1920, Page 2

OUR FIRST MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

ELECTION DAY-OCTOBER 3,1842 AT PIPITEA POINT (By "Eraswortk.") At nine-thirty'on the morning of Monday. October 3, in the year 1842, a Wet liiieton settler stood outsido the police station at Pipitea Point. If was rainiiiE filiahtly. with a moderate north-west breeze in attendance, bub the sailing vessels looked very pretty, riding at anchor 'off the shore, where the Lnmbtou railway station now stands. There were nearly a dozen of thein. Closo in shore rods the- small'schooners Maori, Mana, Jane, and Henry, the latter having arrived from Tcruwhiti the day before; further out lay tho larger vessels, tho fiohooner-Look-in and tho brigantine Success, both of 82 tons, tho schooner Elizabeth, the barque Mary Hay, and the brig Nelson, whilo further out still, and eliirhtly to tho ■ north rode the barque R-ea-ia. of 180 tons, and tho brig Lord Hobart.' of 101 tons. Even as the settler looked a 6mall rowing boat put off from the. Maori, and mads for the beach at Kaiwarrn. Tho boat was so clumsily handled that it attracted the attention' of tho watcher as it wended its slow way shorewards, and ho followed its roinrh ; 'pass'aKe' to the ,beach; where, stranee to'relate, the rowers succeeded in landing safely. Close bv Kaiwarra lay the two largest vessels in port, the -WO-ton barque Indemnity and tho similarly rigged Clydesicie of 2SG tons. Both were very- closeill shore, ns they were refitting preparatory to the long and arduous voyage Home. On the beach lay the email schooner Ann, undergoing repairs. The shipyards behind were very busy, men ran hither and thither, and rowing boats went to and fro between the shoro and the. two large barques at frequent intervals. The watcher was brought back from the contemplation of this scene, hy tho increatinff noise around him. _ lucre were numerous groups of colonists, set tiers, and seafaring men around him, ana the conversations going on often waxed fierce. Men' were constantly entering the police station in twos and threes, and sinelv. It was a day of great importance to the inhabitants of Wellington for was this not the day upon which the' first municipal election was being Owintr to the inaction of the Government at Home. Wellington.had declared itself a, Iwrough, and nominations from those desiring to stand as councilor* had been called for. 59 being received. Com miftocs had been set up, and meet nga had been he.ld almost nightly. The candidates had not, however, delimedl lorn speeches, indeed, in many cases they hud not even attended the m«hn« heM to their respective committees. Some of tho mcetir.es had been very rowdy, and at one the chair had changed hands twice during the evening. . ~ , j J In the. police station, which served d a pollinc booth, were scraps of paper unon which were to be written tho names, the addresses, and occupations of He fkhteen candidates the.voter desired to support. Proper voting papers were ' not Z d d. biit it was possible to obtain printed conies at the office of the :'tLTalarid Gazette." The coun I was to be composed of the twelve candidates receiving the largest number o votel tht next six in order being placed ''\he%eXcam; out the next mornJ and a arge"umber of settlers were ■down it the » afation to hear tho "suite cad out: The'rain of the pr - vious day had disapcpaTed and it ™s vrv fine, but clouds hune on the horizon. The returning officer Michael Murphy read out m>i& amidst cheers. Here is tho list. Wellington's First "City" Counil. Elected. ■: Votes, George Hunter, mcrolmnt,-.-. 2i. . William Lyon,; storekeeper -;» William Fitzhorbcrt, merchant ... Ui John AVade„ auctioneer * *" George Scott, carpenter ■ ... •••••• IJO Ss Alexander Molesworth, famier : • 176 John Dorset, surgeon Robert AVaitt, merchant » William Guyton, merchant ™ Abraham Hort, merchant "* Edward Johnson, merchant »' Robert Jenkins, publican • Reserve List. John Howard Wallace, merchant ... j« Richard Davis Hanson, solicitor- 6 William Anthony Cooper, carpenter U Edward' Danicll, gentleman ............ »j» Thomas Milne Mnchettie, merchant 1Henry Taylor, storekeeper •• "' About 4000 votes had been recorded Cheers for the Mayor-elect followed, and Mr. Hunter, in response, said: >■ . feel extremely proud f/hp posit, n , have been placed in by mjJ'™" l " Wirowes I have been elected by tmnin i SM suffrages of my fe ' \ have never crossed the threshold o my house to ask or influence asing■«to. 1 T think the list just announced bj m. • tf PouS^pre^H^ vou 'hnvo conferred on me. . r u_ I 5 °A g ain cheers rent the air, and JoiHj after tho sett crs dispersed to toast tne ' Kh of the lucky candidates and to 1 h better lucl for' those who failed ! when nexlJ they faced the electors. _

churchi Osborn, Chief Motor. Manamo A«tond, • Jonos A.TB., Slai Conkm. Foreman /If Wel l M.M.lt, Wellington; B. Dent, A u. ~,; c Chn chmc ;i md SnaSJ'Martin and .laughter, Wellington.