PICTON MAYORALTY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XVII, Issue 278, 28 November 1882, Page 2

PICTON MAYORALTY.

To the Editor of tin Expbess; Sm-^G'rant me'a small space to reply to "Inexperience" m the Picton paper of last Touraday, and to begin allow me first to congratulate yoa on the acquisition .to ; yo'ur list' of. •' Dwn Correspondent " a gentleman of integrity, of known ability, and/ established reputation, m the person of our respected Town Clerk ; and I have to thauk " Inexperience " for this bit of news, as it ia the first; I have had from that quarts'" for a long time. " Indxperiedce " says that our Town Clerk (he being the Express correspondent) did on the day of nomination declare,; the; gentleman nominated ,dijy eleoted to the office of Mayor, and he not being a duly appointed Returning Officer, the whole thing w«s illegal. Asaaining for ttie sake of argument tbat he did so, and I am certain he did not, it would not affect the question m the least, not if all Pictoa made such a declaration, for it would do neither harm nor good, nor does it touch the legality of the question m the least. If " Inexperience '" will turn up the Act, I don't mind, as he is suoh a muff, trying to make him understand that the day of nomination is the day . appointed by the Elections Act for receiving the names of candidates to fill certain vacancies, and tbe Act also provides that the public shall know the names of all such candidates so nominated on that day. And it appear* from the lbtter of " Inexporience " that the Town Clerk, or some one elsß, did inform the public through the medium of the Daily Exprksj," the name of the only caudidate nominated to the office of Mayor at Picton. . This was quite right and quite legal . The day of nomination over, the day of! election has yet to come, viz, the 29th November, and also the day of taking office, the third Wednesday m December, and I will wager my month's sorew against an old hat, that the newly-appointed

I Olllccr will, on the 20th day Of .•November, declare B;ITUUeI Swanwick, ifißfl.-duly elected to the office of Mayor ;fbr3lie Borough of Picton. f'.Of course the appointment cannot please Mveryliody, but it will be gladly accepted by the intelligent ratepayers who have the of the Borough at heart, t ;ISro<fonbt "Inexperience" and the newly -appoingKl Returning Officer are one and tlie Raaie, as they both whistle the same music, for just note which way the wind Hows. He says, "I am.prepared to make a solemn '"declaration that I know of more than oue person who would have been nominated for the office of Mayor, but they- knew the. Returning, Officer died.tkntmorning.'! What bunkum, foe it \va? after the time fot nomination had p.tsseJ that they iwere acquainted with the fact that ths Returning Officer, aUhougb he had; been ailing for some days, .had not duly appointed a deputy. No,, sir, wise after an event, biit not one of these wouldbe candidates went near the place of nomination, but commenced their howling when the time was passed aud gone, Touching the appointment of a uew returning officcer, perhaps His Worship will explain why the Town Clerk, who3o abilities and fitness cannot be questioned, was overlooked on this occasion. As all alerks to local bodies, with- few exceptions, are returning officers a150.., Rumour says that the business was done as 'part of a programme to try and keep the gentleman' nominated out of office. , But ■why' introduce Mr Mouat into tha, question 7 The treatmenfc.he received ,tfas as ctuelas it was discreditable to the parties who inanipuiated the Hollow dodge to "carry aipoiht/' Why n'ot^ave placed the 'matter plainly before the members of the .CoHaciL',amlst'ited.tbe known. facts.. ,iA !as returning officer will try and upset the nomination";, fi' will'nijit.' Here .'goes for A', 'then the but-gesses'wotild admire oantf'd'ur and manly' procedure, ■■ instead of the miserable! way it was, arranged outside 'the Clouncil Chamber. 'JC he. votes Ivere 'all' counted, and the election of a "returning officer was a forgone onnclusion. ■ !•- And now one ■ word 1 in' conclunion to < ! ' Inexpei ienoe" let me tell., him -that ; if .the legality of the. election of theigenfjle,man' is doubted, thai six burgesses can 'call upon 'the Resident; Magistrate' 'to'h'dld au inquiry into ' tho matter of the election ; ,4ud if the.evidenco^bbwa him tliat : there haa been.an nc|fairne3 he^ill declara.^he election void, and another,' election must '£afee' 'place. I B-it'l ' 'a'F cionndeHt' 'if ' i he , inquiry reflulted''ia£i (ion teitel' election, - [that ; there woiilri Jbe a repetition of the > ■declaratjiop ,f(f; MrjS,; being duly elected Mayor of Picton. — I atri &0., • ... ■ •■■■■. '■ .-^- M