ELECTION OF COUNCILLORS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 213, 28 March 1873, Page 3

ELECTION OF COUNCILLORS.

Monday, the 24th ultimo,' was the election day. Previously, Mr. Newman in the East Ward, and Messrs. Creighton and Kirby in the South. Ward had resigned. As a matter of form, their names, however, were not struck off the ballot tickets. No excitement, or scarcely any interest was manifested all day, and the Returning Officers for the different wards- must , have felt time hang heavily on their hands. Towards four o'clock, small clusters began to collect round the! .< booths, and it was evident that Mr.! Mynn's party in the West Ward, and Mr. Stewart's in the South ward, were making a strong push to get their representatives returned. Shortly after four, the Returning Officer (Mr. H. W. Robinson) called on Mr. W. L. Bailey, the acting Town Clerk, to read the result of the poll. The votes were:— EASTWARD. h. W. Busch ... ... 31 v' Michael Brookes ... ... 29 W; Newman (resigned) ... 4 - WESTWARD. C. A. de Lautour . .. ... 29 James Brown ... ... 24 William Flynn ... ... 20 SOUTHWARD. Hugh Wilson ... ... 23*' James Hore.. ... . . . 23 y James Stewart ... ... 23 W. T. Kirby (resigned) ... 1 • John Creighton (resigned). 0 The Returning Officer .then said that it was his duty now to declare Messrs L. W. Busch and Michael Brookes duly elected for the East Ward; and also Messrs. C. A. de Lautour and James Brown for the West Ward. With regard to the South Ward, it would be seen, he said, that three gentleman had each polled 23 votes —it would be his duty there- , fore, to give a casting vote, which he did in favor of Messrs. Hugh Wilson and James Hore. After a good deal of maiden diffidence Messrs Wilson, Hore, Busch, and Kirby addressed the assembled citizens, all saying they were miners, and how essential it was that miners should be recognised as a power; and a good deal of fulsome nonsense of the sort that we are so well accustomed to. Just p 'as if every man who earns his living in the district is not as entitled to an individual opinion as the

gold-miner. All are members of is corporate whole. The business man by his- practical knowledge and hi-! competition provides commodities at lower rates than they could be obtained at by any other mode. The business man gives credit (more than is prudent) in bad times, keeping the miner, and: in turn the miner's prosperity is the business man's also. It is high, time this sickening bespatterings of the miner, as if he were, a spoilt child, or made of sugar candy and would melt, should be done away with. It is to be feared that this element cropping up so prominently on the , Court House floor is no very startling indication of the original brain power available by the Council. Perhaps it is best so, for we all know what a nuisance a precocious child is. At the conclusion of Mr. Kirbv's speech the Returning Officer thanked the assemblage and declared the proceedings closed.