THE THORNDON ELECTION.

Evening Post, Volume XXVI, Issue 74, 25 September 1883, Page 2

THE THORNDON ELECTION.

? Mr. Herbert Williams, who is contesting tho municipal representation of Thorndon Ward with ex-Conncillor Maginnity, made his first appearance beforo tho ratepayers last night. He delivered a very clear and senaiblo speech, displaying^ a degree of readiness and acquaintance with the subjects touched on not often found in a novice at public speaking. Wo believe, however, that Mr. Williams can hardly claim indulgence on the scoro of inexperience, for, if we are rightly informed, he has already had considerable experience as a member of a local governing body, and is by no means new to the duties which, if elected, he will be called upon to fulfil. It is said, too, that he has had some engineering training, whioh also wonld tend to render him a useful member of tho City Council. However this may be, it is at any rate certain that Mr. Williams last night showed himself quite at home in the questions he dealt with. In particular he appeared fully to grasp the strong point in the present moyeinent for appointing a lawyer Town Clerk, namely, that this, if carried out, not only would enable disastrous litigation to be averted by timely compromise, but also would often prevent the primary cause of action from arising, and so avoid compromise as well as litigation. This point has been either inadvertently overlooked or wilfully ignored by nearly aU those who have yet spoken on the question. Mr. Williams also scored rather heavily against his opponent by directing attention to the fact that although Mr. Maginnity hod bestowed such enthusiastic praise on the Corporation officers, whom he appeared to deem of irreproachable excellence and capacity, he had failed to explain the remarkable fact that frightful blunders of a most costly oharacter had been committed, and yet the responsibility could not he fixed on anyone. A sharp contest may be anticipated between Mr. Williams and Mr. Maginnity, the latter being personally deservedly popular, although his attitude on the Town Clerk question, and his eccentric proceedings with regard to his^resignation, have forfeited his ojaim to re-election on the present occasion.

Somo interesting particulars regarding tho Ischia earthquake and other reading matter will bo found on our fourth page. Wo have to apologise to our roaders for tho delay which occurred yesterday in issuing the Evening Post. Just after we had commenced printing off the town edition an accident happened to tho machinery, which, although trivial in itself and easily repaired, hnd tho effect of rendering tho machine totally nseless for tho time. In this emergency recourse was had to tba njachine at tho Now Zealand Times office, whi^h was very courteously placed at our disposal by the proprietor, to whom we desire to express our acknowledgments, au4 the paper was got out with as little delay as possibja, The damagq to our machine has been repaired this morning. Wo are requested to explain that Mr. Mullen's stock-in-trade, referred to in a report of the fire at Tawa Flat, is not insured in the Liverpool, London, and Globe Office. It ia insured, wo believe, in Borne other offioe. F Still another notice of motion to bo dealt with at the next meeting of the City Council has been tabled. It stands lin the name of tho Mayor, as follows :—" That the City Surveyor be instructed to prepare an estimate of the cost of levelling so much of Town Belt sections 56 and 57 as may prove suitable for the purposes of a recreation ground for the Thorndon end of the city." A somewhat sudden death occurred at Thorndon this morning. For some days past an elderly man named John Harris, aged 63 years, has been attended by Dr. Grace for general debility, but a fatal termination to his illness was not anticipated. The death tcok place at 10 a.m. at the residence of the deceased, in Mnlgrave-street. He was a widower, aad a carpenter by trade. He has a daughter residing ia Sydney and another at Pelorous Sounds. An inquest will probably not be neoessory,. ' ' '

Tho Meat Export Company were to commence loading the s.s. Doric thi^ afternoon with 51& i sheep and 20,0001b3 of beef. Mr. Maginnity will address another mooting of the Thorndon electors at the Princess Hotel, Molesworth-street, at 8 o'clock this evening. It is notified that tiie second lectnre of the course now being deUvered at the Rechabite Hall, Manners-street, will be given on Monday evening. Nothing has transpired as yet to lead the Government to believe that there is any material political significance in the misconduct of a few Maoris at Kawhia and elsewhere during the lost few days. We understand that suitable steps will be taken to deal with the offenders. It is understood that arrangements are already in process of initiation for the_ complete reorganisation and reclassification of the whole civil service, as shadowed forth in the Colonial Treasurer's Financial Statement. This is a very formidable undertaktaking, and is expected to occupy the greater part of the recess. Altogether no fewer than 16 notices of motion appear on the order paper of the City Council for Thursday. The latest has been tabled by Councillor A. W. Brown, as follows: — "That a committee be appointed, consisting of the Mayor, Councillors FitzGerald, Newman, and the mover, to prepare conditions of Bervice for tho Lawyer Town Clerk." A few of the members of the old Wellington Boating Club had a meeting last Saturday night, and determined to start the club on a new footing. Mr. Charles Stewart was appointed treasurer and Mr. G. Purdy secretary. The club, we are informed, are sending Home for a new four-oared outrigger, and are negotiating for an inrigged boat here. The members further express their determination to go into active work at once and to do their beat at the coming regatta. A special meeting of the members of Court Sir George Grey, A.0.F., was held at the Foresters' Hall, Lambton Quay, last evening, Ranger R. E. Harman presiding. There was a good attendance. The objeot of the meeting was to consider a proposal that a new lease be given to Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Stains for the use of St. George's Hall, and after discussion it was resolved to agree to tho proposal on terms similar to those under the previous lease. A correspondent sends us tho following, for the truth of which ho vouches, remarking that it may be interesting as showing the hardships of child-lifo, cvon in Wellington :— " The other morning a bright little chap of barely six summers called at a house in To Aro, when thiftfollowing dialogue took placo between him and the good lady : — Quoth the child—' Give me a bottle, please.' ' I havo none to give away,' said tho lady. ' I see one under the honse ; may I get it ?' Permission being given ho said— 1 1'se got no mother; she's dead.' ' Have you a father ?' ' Yes. Iso hungry ; havo not had any breakfast; havo to get enough bottles before breakfast.' The child was hungry, and a blackened eve showed that ho was no stranger to ill-usage." The concert which was given at the Theatre Royal hist night, under the auspices of the Wellington Early Closing Association, proved a complete success. The principal feature of the performance consisted of the violin solos contributed by Mr. Allpress, while Mr. Macintosh executed a clarinet solo with his usual skill. Tho vocalists included Mrs. Greenwood, Mrs. Webb, Messrs. W. R. Waters, R. P. Johnson, F. J. Gooder, and C. J., J. W., and E. J. Hill. A recitation was contributed by Mr. F. W. Haybittlo, and the orchestra performed one or two overtures, a set of waltzes and a polka. Several encores were obtained, and the whole of the performers acquitted themselves with the greatest credit. There was a numerous attendance in the dress cirolo, but the lower portion of tho auditorium was very scantily patronised. The ordinary quarterly summoned meeting of the Loyal Britannia Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., was held last evening. There was a very numerous attendanae, and Bro. J. Jordan, P.G., presided. The following officers were elected for the ensuing term : — Bro. E. Meek, N.G. ; Bro. Armstrong, P.G.; Bro. R. Broadbent, E.S. Bros. Madeley, Leslie, and Kershaw were appointed sick visitors for Thorndon, To Aro, and Cook Wards rospeotivoly. It may bo montioned that in connection with this Lodge a juvenile branch of the Order has been established, and, although only just stained, already nnmboM about a dozen i jnembers. Its meetings will be held every alternate Monday, the next meeting being appointed for the following week. The attention of the juvenile portion of the community is dircoted to this branch of the order. The annual installation of officers of the Waterloo Royal Arch Chapter, No. IC6, S.C., took placo in the Masonic Hall, Bouleottstreet, last night. The officers, most of whom were re-olooted for a second term of office, were installed by Most Excellent Compauion Powles, P . Z . , and presented by Most Excellont Companion Gillon, Pi_Z. They were as follows : — First Principal Z., Most Excellent Companion Eliott ; Second Principal H., Most Excellent Companion Lindsay; Third Principal J., Most Excellent Companion Greig; Scribe E., Excellent Companion Crease; Scribe N., Excellent Companion Leatham ; Treasurer, Most Excellent Companion Powles, P.Z. ; Conductor, Excellent Companion Williams ; FirstSojourner, Excellont Companion Light; Second Sojonrner, Excellent Companion Tinnoy ; Third Sojournor. Excellent Companion Gillespio; Janitor, Companion Harris. A painful scene occurred in St. John's Church, Brisbane, recently, dnring a baptismal service. The Rev. H. T. Tranmer (says the Queensland Leader) was called upon to baptise a little girl aged five years, named Amy Shackleton, the daughter of a cab proprietor, of Mary-street. During the ceremony the clergyman noticed the child appeared very weak, and just as she was sprinkled with the water she fainted away. She was immediately carried into the porch for fresh air, but she failed to rally, and saying to her father, who seemed much distressed at her condition, " Daddy, take me home," gently passed away from this life. Tho scene at the church was a verymonrnful ono, and the poor child seemed hardly to realise that she was dying. Tho poor father is in sad distress, having four other children down with the whooping cough. A contributor to a Melbourne paper says : — This was in the suburbs. _ The scene is in tho front garden, and the time after dinner. She is showing him how nicely tho camellias are getting into flower, and how well that sprig of daphne has come on. There now passes through the opened gate a visitor, who brings with her a dog of that pug breed which is apparently gained for sheer ugliness of faco only. Thjs one particularly excelled in that way, even to abusing the privilege that pugs have to be ugly. After the new comers— lady and dog— had passed into the house, he aßks of the fair gardener, in reforenoe to the latter, " Now which would you rather kiss— that dog or me?" He thought to score there, but feminine wit was too much for him. " Wait awhile," she said, leaving him, "I'll go in and have another look at the dog." Mr. S. Pope writes to ns as follows: — — 'Looking through the columns of your paper last evening I was surprised to see a letter from Mr. Edward Watts, Mul-grave-atreet, compiaining of a large dog knocking his son off the breastwork, by Mr. Burne's shed. Now, sir, the facts of the case are these: — I was standing talking to Mr. Martin by Burne's Bhed when we heard a cry from a child in the water. Mr. Martin immediately jnmped down on to the stringer of the and saw the boy, who had tumhled into not quite a foot of water (not several feet as Mr. Watts says). The boy walked to Mr. Martin, and he handed him up to me, and he walked away home with the rest of the children, apparently little the worse for the fall. The large dog he sneaks about is a small English terrier which was sitting by me all the time I was talking to Mr. Martin, whioh was about an hour. He also states we stalked away directly after the occurrence. I must inform him we wero there half-an-hour after this took place. I think it a groat pity Mr. Watts does not take more care of hts-«JMl*en than to allow them to bo playing on such a dangerous placo as the breastwork. If it had beon high water at the time and no one therems son wonld certainly have been drowned." MM C ?srs. Loery & Campbell will hold their usual market sale to-morrow.