The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1881.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6440, 3 December 1881, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1881.

The nominations for the Te Aro election have resulted in a satisfactory diminution of the number of candidates by the retirement of the gentleman whose chance of election was, from the outset of his candidature, very remote. Mr Peice explained at the nomination that, after consultation with Mr Shaw, who was a friend of his, he had decided to retire in his favor. Friendship is a virtue ever honored, and the electors will be quite willing to accept Mr Pbice's assurance that friendship alone has impelled his retirement; and will, moreover, be thankful to him for having narrowed the issue of the election to a contest between three candidates. If by any possible fortunate concurrence of circumstances in the interval before the day of polling Mr Shaw were to take counsel with himself and friends and also decide to retire, public satisfaction would be still further enhanced; and the contest between Messrs Johnston and Stattoed, equally matched as they are, would be one of the most interesting in the entire series of elections now impending. Mr Shaw is, however, endued with a dogged determination which will take him to the poll, even though his supporters number but scores where now he expects hundreds. Thus the merits of the three candidates become a subject of increasing interest to the Te Aro electors. We have already referred to the very evident objections to Mr Shaw as a member of the House, and his brief utterances yesterday only served to confirm the opinion that he is very much in error in his ideas on all things pertaining to colonial legislation. For instance, he declaimed yesterday against a “power held by a small but powerful class in the House —an oligarchy who had used their influence for the furtherance of their own ends, and, owing to this, the Public "Works policy had not been the success it ought to have been.” If this is not “ knowledge ill inhabited,” we know not. Comment upon Mr Shaw’s utterances may be deemed harsh, and we therefore forbear. The electors of Te Aro, while respecting Mr Shaw for his earnestness, still

have much reason to doubt equally his discretionand the soundness of his views. As compared with the claims of either Mr Stavfobd op Mr Johnston', those which Mr Shaw can advance, even with the most liberal acceptance, are weak. He claims to have a substantial property interest in each of the city electorates; but accepting such recommendation at his own value, it really amounts to nothing more than scores of his fellow-citizens could advance, and gives no assurance of abiding interest in the place, or any particular concern for its political welfare. Messrs Stanford and Johnston have manifold interests so indissolubly connected with the welfare of the city that it is difficult to imagine, from a social point of view, a choice of two candidates more fitted for the position they aspire to. Were the Te Aro electors privileged to elect two representatives instead of one, they could scarcely find in the whole city two more thoroughly representative men, or men with whom they could moreconfidentlyentrust their interests. The history of their lives is bound up with that of Wellington, even as we hope the political career to which they now aspire will be closely identified with the rapid and material advancement of the city and its environments. Whichever of the twain enters the House as the elect of the Te Aro voters will do so under the most favorable auspices. Coming new to the work of legislation, freed from all party pledges or influences, each possessingpractical knowledge of akind most useful in shaping the laws of a progressive community—each of good social status —each accredited with a soundly-intelligent conception of the responsibilities and requirements of the position—the electors have every assurance that upon whichever of the two candidates their choice may fall, they will find no reason for regret. In the more recent addresses Messrs Johnston and Stapbobd have made to the electors, they have shown how soon, in the hands of intelligent men, perfection follows on practice. Whatever little crudeness or hesitancy might have been apparent in their first public utterances has since disappeared, and the political platform each one adopts is distinctly defined, and in all material points is identical. To attempt to aid the electors in their final choice between the two scarcely comes within the range of present possibility.