NELSON PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1641, 7 November 1873, Page 2

NELSON PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS.

V COBDEST. .:■ The nomination of candidates for the representation of the newly-constituted electoral district of Cobden took, place at the Court ■ House, at noon,- yesterday. -• Mr Warden Whitefoord acted as Return-" ing Officer. The attendance was veiy small. „ - . ; .J. William HARVEYBoASEwas nominated as a fit and proper person to. represent the district, by James Ryan, seconded by Thomas Coulson. !■ . 1 , George James :Fowier was nominated ; by; William John Wallace, and seconded by James William Archer^ ; ' ;; ■ No other pandidate 'being . proposed, a show of 'hands was taken with the following result :—^Boase, 10 ; Fowler, 4.i '." ■ ■ A poll was demanded'byW. J. Wallace and J. W. Archer: on 'behalf of rG. r J.\ Fowler, who was riot present. ! : ■ : ; . Mr W; Hi BoA^E, rb in'addressing : the electors 1 present^ said' 'he did 'not intend 'to make a long speech upon that occasion, as he"was ! w^llkribwri by them \ r> h*)'nad niot grown up as a mushroom amongab iherb^ ' but had taKen an 'active.. part. in every : movement that he thought conduced jbd;their welfare. ,' To -whatever moveirient he adhered he remained stedfast, unless, reason and commpn" sense -rshpwed him cause to wayer, until he carried :his point. 'With reference : tp ; the position of the people resident'iiiiGo.bden and its vicinity,, he thought that if a stranger dropped" suddenly amongst them,' aridw&id nbt know their positibriiiand l walked through" the street, he. .would na'turally'^ask' what had ) ;: induced ? so many persons to ;. settle; ] down.[ in ; Cobden, Aas there were no manufactures and/rio public, works,.; going on.ii iThe' natural answer would ; be : that • the people had purchased this land- and had settled on it; and the question might again be asked what had beeri-dorie iOr them iri/retifrn. In the first place, they had riot been fairly' represented.' No later than the last session of the Coimcil a Nelson gentleman brought' forward a. .mqtipri 1 for ' a vote for Cobden Wharf arid Cp^al Creek road, arid even, that, was opposed byVthe local members. On thatipecasion Mr JPinlcerjbpn was stated to have said—" Oobden !' there's only two men and a boy in ; Gpbden." But for bs|d representation, bad administration, poMtical intrigues, and injustice, Cobde'n would now. be one;of the most flourishing little towns in thelColony. He based that assertion on the fact that they had within thediscrict alLthe resources, and facilities , for making it s6.' ; t3?Er'bugh political intrigues they were deceived by those wlio ought nbt to Have' deceived them,"when Mr Blackett was asked to report, as io which side of the : Grey -was ■ the best on which to bring down the railway- from tIU mine, aod they had just cause to complain. They were now entirely handed over ; the props ,of .their, hopes -.had been 'knocked from under their feet^ and 'unless theyj elected a, imember ; who j would "make ja struggle for'j -their interests,- one ,who would be ;no mere ; puppet to be puUed.by strings, they would never', .better; their, prospects.' It had been said that Oobdem had a distinctiveness of its own. He 'was' glad jit was so, and that they could stand up for their o wn ' "rights j : 'arid at ■ the same time respect-the rights of others. If they failed in the, firs fc attempt to assert their Tights they wbuld still toritiriue ' to co'riterid for them,, and if at last they were starved' out and compelled to leave the place, thiy would leave it asa lasting memento agairist those whose administration, had 'ruined those who were interested iri making-it' one of ythe most;. flourishing towns in the : whole .Colony. r ><He<. would remembfer Gromwell's advice and .^' keep his powdjer dry," but he trusted the electors would do their best to support him, and he; promised to do his best to forward their interests if -elected. He thought the ; fii-st thing the new Council should' do shpuld' be to infuse new blood into the Executivje, for- after all the prosperity of the Province depended^upon the .diggings, arid he corisidered that- the diggers had never been fairly treated, no more than the residents of Cobden. After V few other remarks, Mr Boase s.at down;amidst applause. ;. : An Elector 'said he had to apologise for the absence of : (Mr: FowlerJ but he believed that gentleman would take an early •opportunity,' of addressing the electors. | The Returning Officer announced that the poll would [ be; taken on the 33th instant, at the Court House, Cobden, and (the Government, Building, Brunnerton. [ He had requested the Gpvernriient; to appoint an additional polling-place aiGanoe Creek, and he could only express his regret that it had. not been granted, as the miners in that district would be, able to exercise their privilege. .

,On the motion .of Mr Boase, a vpte of thanks was tendered to the, Returning Officer, and the .proceedings terminated.