THE MAYORAL ELECTION. MR. DWAN AT THE ARCADE.

Evening Post, Volume XX, Issue 265, 12 November 1880, Page 2

THE MAYORAL ELECTION. MR. DWAN AT THE ARCADE.

The Mayoral campaign was opened jesterlay evening by Mr. Thomas Dwan, who addressed an exceedingly large meeting at the Arcade. The large hall was filled from platform to door, and the galleries contained i considerable number of hearers: Probably bhere were 1500 people present, and the meeting was a most orderly one. Mr. Forwood, solicitor, was voted to the chair, and introduced the Candidate. Mr. Thomas Dwan then came forward, and gave an address which occupied an hour and a-half in delivery. He said he did not come before them as Thomas Dwan, Esquire, Auctioneer, but as Thomas Dwan, Esquire, the future Mayor of the city, (laughter) ; and in his conduct throughout the election he would prove that he could be a gentleman as well as an auctioneer. The office of Mayor was not so high as it was generally thought to be ; it was but a chairmanship, and was too highly estimated. He knew what it was, because ho had been in the civic chair 20 years ago. Mr. Dwan then went on at great length to explain, in answer to queries in a cortain newspaper, who and what he was. Ho prefaced this explanation with another that, if he had to play the unpleasant part of egotist, it had been forced upon him. He had hod ups and downs — been rich to-day, poor to-morrow ; had carried his swag over the Pyrenees, and two years before had the honor of leading an army. He was an Irishman, but, unlike the other Irish candidates, was not ashamed to own it. He was born of an old Irish baronetage, was educated in America, and was one of 20 who were offered a commission by Gortschakoff during the Russian War; had been a lieutenant in the United States Cavalry ; and had served under General Walker in 15 engagements when a very young man — all of which could be Bworn to in that hall. He returned to his native country, passed through the continent of Europe, returned again to England and Ireland, and 23 years ago landed in Australia. He had taken a prominent part in politics in Victoria, and had whipped Sir Julius Vogol in a contest for civio honors there. Fifteen years ago he landed in Hokitika, and sinoe then had been either a journalist or auctioneer, or both. In 1870 he contested the Superintendenoy of Nelson with Oswald Curtis ; and yet people say — "Who is Dwan?" Let thorn look at the provincial papers, many of which congratulated the people of Wellington that he was a candidate for the Mayoralty. He had not put a shilling in any, paper for the election, nor in any public-house. If he found he wtfs pat in through drunkenness, he would resign. He would not have one cab or express to take rotors to the poll, and if they wanted to vote for him they should rido in other men's carriages. (Laughter.) In answer to the question why ho sought their suffrages, ho replied on account of his experience. He was thoroughly conversant with the history of Wellington. [Mr. Dwan here g«fe the names of early • settlers, 1 and the headings of some of the chief events from- the year 1839.] If such men as the Hunters or Pearoos were to oome forward, he would bow and retire, but ho was quit* as good as those who were nutting up, and had only been here a short time. The arguments brought to bear against the cemetery were unfair and unscientific All dead bodies generated carbonio acid gas, and this gas would not rise to the surface. The man who preached the doctrine of zymotio diseases was not fit to be Mayor, because he was throwing a lot of scientific words in their ears, which he thought they did not understand, but which he (Mr. Dwan) did. The candidate then went on to reter to otir colonial indebtedness as having a connection with the financial embarrassments of the clfy. ' The colonial debt was. estimated at £35,000,000, and he estimated the available lSnd&B being worth only .£24,000,000. The total' debt of Australasia wfts^6l,ooo,ooo< out of which poor New Zeajanfl dwea brought about by political railways and unremunerative work's. The reductions made by the Government were only imaginary. , He was frightened similar .reductions might be made in the Corporation. Wherever unnecessary reductions were made it wasj only, giving those who remained an opportunity ' of doing the TaaonftOsJiina aftin^Amfciipi. jJ'Xheexgprts »nd toporfei had fallen .off, under ,tEe.j>rertnt state of things, and as a matter of tsotfrsd the centres suffered. Men had nothing to do, and the City Fathers turned their faces against domestic manufactures. He himself had convened a meeting to try and secure some of tho Samoan trade, but the Mayor refused to take the chair "because 'he did not know Thomas Dwan, Esquire."-Although our ratepayers' roll only numbered 1200 names-, we had a consolidated debt of £200,000, without interest, taxes, rates, or anything else. The population now only numbered some 15,000 people, and, taking every man, woman, and child, there was a debt on each of £13 6s 8d ; or taking the 1200 ratepayers, a debt of £166 13s 4d per head, without speaking of taxes or anything else. To wipe off this at tho rate of £2 per head per annum it would take 83 years. The excesses of the past few years had brought this state of things about. He attributed the Wainuiomata waterworks scheme to tho panic created by tho Te Aro fire. There was no necessity for this large outlay, as the present reservoir would provide all that was necessary for the population. The new supply wbuld be no use for machinery,. and might as well be taken to Terawhiti for sluicing purposes. He produced statistics to show that Wellington could not be made healthier by it, as it was now the healthiest city in the colony, and, he believed, in the world. The building regulations had. been brought about by the Insurance Companies. The Councillors— perhaps notthosenow in the Council— had been tampered with, and had put this damnable taboo upon the place; and now the Insurance Companies turned .round, and would not give anything towards the support of the brigades. It served the; Council right ; it was a case of the biter bit. The only chance they had was to take the To Aro Foreshore and block it out into allotments for salo on deferred payments before tho land was made, and in time they would have the greatest city in the world, supporting hundreds of people, who were now going away.in coal hulks. If elected He would sic in the chair and look at those 12 men of Gotham, and they would have to do as ho told them. (Laughter.) There was no man who could take up his pencil and put down grammatically a resolution without the assistance Of the Town Clerk— poor man. Beverting to finances, he said there was a sum of £80,000 for something, which no one appeared to know anything about. He thought a considerable saving might be effected by having a solicitor as Town Clerk, though he would be sorry to see the present Town Clerk ousted, eb he believed, if he was dispensed with, the Corporation would be bankrupt. The speaker then went into optics, polarisa* tion of light, &c, in some allusion to the Mayor, and referred to the loss of JB7OOO on piping through the Mayor nagging at the present inexperienced Councillors. It would not bo right to tell them all he knew in one night, as he was going to "address them every night. He again protested against the removal of tho Cemetery, add would vote against bodies being exhumed in obedience to one Councillor, who thought he knew something about chemistry. Mr. Dwan then sat down amid applause. No questions were asked. Mr. Newatt proposed, and. Mr. Meek seconded, that Mr. Thomas Dwan is a fit and proper person to be a candidate for the office of Mayor. The motion was put' and carried without dissent.