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Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1635, 13 March 1866, Page 2

"While Canterbury has been fighting several rather anxious election battles, many of our neighbours have taken the matter very easily. The Auckland members have been returned without opposition. In Nelson and "Wellington there have been some sharp contests; but they have been short and merry combats, compared to the serious and prolonged campaigns which the Canterbury candidates have carried on. The city of Dunedin has seen a contest of the same kind, in which a majority of the candidates only announced their intention of standing a very short time before the election. At Invercargill, the return of Mr. Wood is announced by telegraph, though so late as the departure of the last mail only Mr. Heale was spoken of as ready to come forward. Some of the elections have gone off in even a more singular manner than these. At the Taieri, Mr. A. J. Burns, who held a seat in the House of Representatives last session, was anxious to be re-elected. He was opposed by Mr. Eeid; and at the day of nomination, Mr. Burns was defeated because no one happened to be present to second him. The newspaper report of the circumstance reads as if the defeat were a mere matter of accident, and Mr. Burns was not so lightly esteemed as to Jiave only one friend. The nomination appears to have been attended by only a very few gentlemen, whose names are mentioned in the paragraph. There was a more singular case still at Riverton, where Mr. Rous Marten was opposed by Mr. D. Hankinson. There was a principle at stake between the two, for the former was a Separationist and the latter declared for the unity of the colony. But Mr. Marten's friends had forgotten the day or hour when their attendance was necessary and he had neither proposer nor seconder. Mr. Hankinson was elected, and admitted that' it was very hard' on Mr. Marten. We can scarcely understand a contested election where it is possible that such mistakes should happen. Very often there is an unopposed return because no second person can be found who will give his time and labour to take upon him the duties of a representative; but we never before heard of a choice being offered to the electors, and the whole constituency being so stupid and apathetic that no one will even go to see how the election passes off. Without doubt these are symptoms that the extension of the Representation which was granted last session is not yet absolutely wanted, whatever may be the case before the Assembly now under construction shall expire in 1871.