THE ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 51, 2 March 1867, Page 2

THE ELECTION.

To the Editor of the 'Evening Mail.' SiR — Is it true that Mr. Blackett, one of the candidates for the Superintendency, is about to withdraw from the contest ? I have heard this from several mouths to-day. if he has made up his mind to do so, he shows his wisdom ; for, though he may be a pretty good practical engineer, he is not fit to be Superintendent ol a province. Pie is just as fit to be Lord Chancellor of England. If we have Mr. Blackett, we may as well have any one of the engineers from one of the steamboats. We require a Superintendent who does not belong to the original clique, just a few men who want to rule the town and province. We want a change, and not a man who it is well understood is to act under the guidance of Mr. Edwards' part}'. This should not be ; and it is better to have Mr. Curtis, who best comes up to our desires. It will break the heck of the old compact. Now this can be done if we as electors determine one and all to vote ior Air. Curtis. Mr. Curtis is bound to go on with the railway, and I hear it will be immediately arranged on his being elected .' Mr. Curtis by great perseverance obtained the Act to enable the railway to be made. This is a guarantee that he will devote himself to it. At the eleventh hour Mr. Blackett speaks about the raihvay, which until his party began to see it was no use shirking the matter any longer, he says of course he meant the railway — now of course he did not until he was obliged to or have no chance oi a vote. He has been constrained to speak about the railway against liis will. Mr. Blackett said "he had had quite enough work connected with the duties of his office to keep him employed" without studying politics. Of the former he knows something ; of the latter he knows nothing (that is, to govern the province, for the benefit of the whole community.) Let Mr. Blackett attend to his professional duties, and not meddle with things he does not understand. Are his engineering duties to be neglected or the Superintendency to be neglected if he should be chosen ? With regard to liis address, did he write it himself? I fear not, for he hesitated very much as if he could not read what was written : a charity boy could read a learned book but not know the meaning of half. Mr. Blackett's very silly ideas about the railway, shows that he knows very little about it. He also says he will not undertake to survey the line, this is wise for be assured it must be a man from England with proper stafi : — it is no disgrace that he is unable to do it. To adopt Mr. Blackett's plan of compiling a book and going to Parliament again would involve the loss of much time, nay years, and the people of Nelson would never get a raihvay, but it would answer the plan and de-ire of his party. I can't refrain from quoting Mr. Blackett's own words relative to his fancy bird and figure of speech, when he says that for the sum that a survey would cost a good horse road had been made, this was over ground that in a great many places a crow could scarcely fly over it was so rough. Please Mr. Blackett don't take us with yourlittle black bird over the hills that he can't fly over, nor should you venture so high yourself. It is the man who labors for his living and the farmers who are most affected by the clique, and every vote should be registered to break up this obnoxious system which has existed to long. Yours, &c., Observer. Nelson, Ist March. 1567.