Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8082, 24 September 1887, Page 4

It is unnecessary to refer at any length to the contest in the Manukau constituency. By this time the majority of the electors have undoubtedly mada up their minds to renew their confidence in Sir George Maurice O'Rorke, and to leave no stone unturned in order to secure his election. The principle we have been applying to all the other constituencies cannot properly speaking be brought to bear on this one. For, in virtue of his position as Speaker of the House, Sir Maurice could take no part in the debate or the division which resulted in the defeat of the Ministry and compelled them to choose between resignation and requesting permission to appeal to the country. In his candidature, however, he has made no secret of his thorough disapproval of the reckless and unsettling character of the policy pursued by the Stout-Vogel Administration, and may thus be regarded as being in complete sympathy with the views of the electors on the important issue now presented to the country. This being so, it is to be regretted that Mr. Osborne, the gentleman now opposing Sir Maurice, should have been induced to announce himself as a candidate. We have not the slightest wish, and are quite sure that Sir Maurice himself has no wish, to find any fault whatever with either Mr. Osborne or his friends in the action they have thought fit to take., They have done only what they were quite entitled to do in deciding to contest the election, and we w\ll do them the justice of saying that no candidate or his supporters could have conducted the campaign with a more strict observance of honourable procedure. Still, we are not the less constrained to adopt the conclusion that they have made a mistake. The association of Sir Maurice O'Rorke with the Manukf.j constituency is one of no ordinary kind ; the services he has rendered the district have been numerous ; while the honour he has reflected on his constituents by the distinguished manner in which he has discharged the important and onerous duties of the Speakership is such as any electorate would justly feel proud of. An impression may prevail among some of the Manukau electors that their interests suffer in consequence of their representative always occupying the Speaker's chair. This, however, we can assure them is not the case. When the House is in Committee the Speaker occupies the position of an ordinary member ; and, as it is when in Committee that all the real work of the House is done, the constituents represented by the Speaker are thus saved from having their interests in auy way prejudiced. The electors of Manukau may therefore be perfectly satisfied that so long as Sir Maurice O'Rorke has the honour of being their member, neither the opportunity nor the will to forward any matter affecting their welfare and the progress of their Parliamentary district will fail them. With this assurance even those of them who may have been doubtful about their course hitherto, will, we feel persuaded, give scope to their old attachment, and record their votes heartily for their welltried and faithful friend, Sir George Maurice O'Rorke. It is our firm belief that his return by a substantial majority would be a source of satisfaction even to those who have thus far deemed it their duiy to oppose him.