TUESEAY, AUGUST 25, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 408, 25 August 1868, Page 2

TUESEAY, AUGUST 25, 1868.

To-morrow is the election day for the first Municipal Council of Greyinoutl^ and we desire to take the last opportunity that will be afforded us of endeavoring to obtain for the town not only a fair and equitable, but hlso a creditable representation intheCouucil. A very good opportunity was afforded the electors on Satimlay evening, at the public meeting, called by the " Greymouth Union League," of judging of the capabilities of a number of the candidates to represent them in the Council, and of the broad and intelligent yif \ys which they are likely to take of questions 'which m,ay cump under their consideration. "We h.ave no desire to- make personal reference to any of the gentlemen who addressed that meeting, because, altUc-ngh we do not agree with the selection of names brought forward by the " League" oil that occasion, we believe they are a.ll honest in their intentions, if elected, to do their dtity to the citizens according to their own ideas of what that duty consists, But we should have preferred that some of the other candidates had cor^e forward and addressed the nicet T ing, in order that the issue nijght have been, fairly put before the electors — r who wore considered the most fit and proper persons to. be the first Coun t cillovs in, Greymouth. This, however, tbe absent gentlemen did not consider it right to do., aa they did not recognise the authority of the "League," which called the ineetiiig, or the right of that body — whether self-elected or otherwise — to exclude their names from the list of candidates whom the public were to be asked to support. A,nd, consequently, the motion of confidence in the submitted nine was passed without opposi-

tiou, and the cause of the gentlemen who are thus placed under the care of the sacred league is being advocated ■with all the eloquence of which they are capable. It is with a view to assist this canvas, and in some degree to afford the electors an opportunity of judging of the capabilities of the aspirants to office, that we have reported their speeches tp-d.ay at as great length as they could be intelligently. We desire to make no invidious comparisons, but we canuot help asking if a careful selec-' tion was made by the " League" of the men most fitted by education, position, and ability to represent the town in the Council, when their list was drawn up % We also ask the electors carefully to consider this question before giving their votes to-morrow, aud not to be led away by a party cry that these are the nine selected by the people as their representatives. Personally w« have no objection to olfer to auy of the candidates (with one exception) as Councillors, because we believe the most of them haye been more accustomed to business transactions than to speechify,, ing ] but we hope the fact will not be lpst sight of that there are pandidates fpr tb.e honorable position wjio. are quite as hpnest and upright, qu^te as intelli. gent, and as Jit, if npt m.ore sp, fpr the office, whose names are net to be found on the list of the " League." Qf course, everything is fair in an election congest, except "bribery and cprruptipn," and as there is yeiy little probability pf those extremes beiug resorted to, the " League" is justly entitled, tp dp its best to return its select nine. \Ye do earnestly trust, whatever may be the result of t^v s contest, that the electors will not be influenced in the exercise of tbeir prerogative by personal feelings or local jealousies, but wiU return to the Council men selected from, the whole of the caudidates, on account of their intelligence and ability, fairly, honestly, aud equitably to represent the town in all its individual interests,