NOMINATION FOR CITY WEST.

New Zealander, Volume XXIV, Issue 2603, 14 February 1866, Page 3

NOMINATION FOR CITY WEST.

The nomination and election of two I candidates to represent the above district in the ensuing session of the General Assembly, to meet on the 16th day of April next, took place yesterday at noon, on the hustings in front of the old court house." Colonel H. C Balneavis real the writs, nljio the election notices, and concluded by asking the gentlemen present to propose their respective candidates. Mr. Alexander Black said he had a gentleman to propose who had often fought their battles. That same gentleman he had proposed before, but ho was then absent. Now, however, he was present, and could answer any j questions for himself. He hud buen I many years in tho public servico, and i hod always done bis duty. The gentle* ! man ho meant was John Williamson, i Esq., whom he begged to propose as a ! fit and proper person to represent them in the forthcoming General Assembly. Mr. Patrick Dignan seconded tin; nomination of Mr. John Williamson, and he wis quite sure that in SO doing nothing which he could say would increase the estimation in which that ! gentleman was held. Mr. Williamson • had always done his duty—and all they ; could ask of him was to continue in the same course, and carry out iu tho I General Assembly the policy he bad ' inaugurated, and he (the speaker) was quite sure that the interests of the I province would not suffer. , :-.Mr. ). (J. Fntb proposed Mr. James ! Williamson f.s a fit ind proper person i< sit iu the approaching General As- ' HCinbly. lie was no new man —and 1 indeed nt the present time it was not ! advisable to have new men to repre- ' sent them. Mr. Williamson was well worthy of their confidence; be had served them faithfully before, and he ; was quite sure he would continue to do

si). Referring to the difficulties of tlio pt'oviuco, the speaker said that no man ought to be returned unless ho pledged himself to separation. Mr. J. S. Maefarlanc seconded the nomination of Mr. James Williamson. No other person coining forward to proposea third candidate, the Returning Officer declared John Williamson, Esq., and James Williamson, Esq., duly clectod members of the House of Representatives. Mr. John Williamson then stepped forward to thank the electors. lie said he need not tell them how much he valued the faith which they reposed in him. He had always endeavoured to serve their interests as best he could during the late Parliament. (Hear, hear.) He had the happiness of being in unison with the other representatives of the whole province. Formerly they might have differed in trivial matters, but at Wellington, on the cardinal points affecting the interests of the province, they were united as one man. (Hear, hear.) He had the pleasure of sitting side by side with many of the gentlemen who would again go down with him ; and he had stood side by side with the gentleman th«y had just returned (Mr. James-Williamson) at the most critical times of the province. He thanked them heartily for having

returned Mr. James Williamson, and also for having returned himself. But if he had consulted his own interests he should have retired from the field to look after his private affairs ; but a work having been begun, he thought it only right that that work should be carried out by the same gentlemen who had commenced it, and who must be present for that purpose. But still he felt that, if he could, he would not shrink from the work that lay before him, and bo that day accord i ugly came before them as a candidate. He assured them that he would have their interests at heart during the forthcoming session. Mr. Dignan bad told them that he (the speaker) had given great attention to Auckland, and in so doing, he had but benefitted himself, for he had been here so long that his interests were identical with those of Auckland. Ho trusted that he would always do his best for the province while his health permitted, without being, at the same time, traitorous to the colony at large, so long as it remained a colony iu its present form. He thanked them heartily for his return. (Hear, hear). Mr. James Williamson also thanked the constituents for the honour they had shown him, and he could assure them that lie would always do his utmost to merit their confidence. Referring to separation, the speaker said that the feeling of all Englishmen was that they had a right to minister to their own affairs. He thanked them again for returning him, and assured them that he should always do his best for the interests of those who had placed him in his present position, and for the province at large. Mr. John Williamson then proposed a vote of thanks to Colonel Balneavis, seconded by Mr. James Williamson, after which the proceedings terminated.