THE MAYORALTY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 7947, 2 December 1886, Page 4

THE MAYORALTY.

RESULT OP THE CONTEST. 1 The election of a Mayor of Wellington for | the ensuing year was the all-absorbing topic ' of the day on Wednesday in this city. The caudates were Mr George Fisher, M.H.R. for South Wellington, and Mr Samuel Brown ; and public opinion seemed tobe that they were well matched. In one respect, at any rate, they were, viz., hi what is commonly called “electioneering,” and the result of considerable energy and ability in this shape was that the election was keenly—though apparently very good naturedly—fought out. | Very early In the morning the supporters of the respective candidates were all over the town working up the ' free and independent electors, and generally doing what they could to further the interests of “ their man.” The polling booth was at the City Council Chambers, which formed a temporary centre of gravitation to which all voting bodies were attracted. Here the the candidates themselves might be seen anxiously pacing the pavement in front of the Chambers, nodding to male and lifting hats to female voters* conversing earnestly with gentlemen of worried appearance, who were understood to hold positions of trust and responsibility on “the committee.” Around the doors of the polling booth a select crowd of people, who did hot look like voters —though for the matter of that the voter has not established a characteristic individuality —■ assembled, and amused themselves by making rude jokes upon the election and the. candidates, and speculating gravely upon the probable result of the contest. This was the state of things all through the morning. Between 12 and X o’clock there was a rush, and great was the excitement thereat. The rush, however, duly subsided, and things returned to their form er condition. At 5 o’clock again, there was another rush, this time still more exciting, because the poll closed at 6. And at 6 the doors were closed. By this time a considerable crowd of people had assembled, although rathersmallconsideringtheoccasioD, They waited patiently around the doors of the Council Chambers until nearly 7 o’clock. The doors were then opened, and the Returning Officer, Mr J. Ames, appeared and said 1 something, the result of which was that the people immediately in front of him cried excitedly, “Hurrah for Brown!” What Mr Ames did say was that the result of the poll was as follows : Samuel Brown 864 George Fisher 645 Majority for Mr Brown ... 219 Consequently, Mr Samuel Brown was elected Mayor of Wellington for the ensuing year. There was now a cry for the candidates ; and Mr Fisher, being observed ooming calmly along Brandon-street, was promptly waited upon by numbers of people who communicated to him the state of the poll. - Mr Fisher walked on, to the footpath in front of the Council Chambers, Then he stood on the steps, and there was a rash. Having an audience in front of him, Mr Fisher, after apologising for speaking with his hat on, went on to address the crowd. He was going, he said, to take his defeat very good-naturedly. (Hear, hear.) He was not going to say anything unpleasant of any kind whatever; but say this, that if they could understand properly and thoroughly the combination of forces which had been brought into play to produce this result, they would, he believed, marvel at the result. And this was not only a triumph to those forces —lt was also a triumph against them (the people). There was a good deal of the personal element involved in a contest like this, and every man who had any down to use a col-loquialism-—upon him had had an opportunity of giving expression to his feelings in the course of this election. Farther, this election had been made a vehicle for giving expression to the opinions of those people. He thought the result of the election was a very great result, taking into account the forces which had been brought into play. He was not at all down-hearted—(hear, hear) —and he asked them, to bear in mind in future that the question they would have to consider, after they had been taught this very useful lesson, would be that when they got a man who had the courage to defend their interests as he bad, they would know how* to appreciate him. There were few of them who knew what ho had undergone in advocating and defending their interests. From all his public positions —and he had, been in many—he had derived no personal or worldly advantage, though he ] might have done so to a very considerable : extent, and be might have been, that day. In a pecuniary sense very much better off. 1

However, he had no right to complain to them 'of his pecuniary losses. He pointed out that this was a triumph from which many of the people would saner. He looked at the matter in this way, and he thought it a very great pity—a thing to be reflected on with compassionate feelings —that a number of meu whom he had served so well iu this city should have allied their forces to those which were unquestionably inimical to their interests. For himself, his abstention from public life would be to him a personal gain. He assured them positively that the time was coming when they would be able to avail themselves of such lessons as these. There had been in this election too much of the feeling of leaving the election to take care of itself. A number of people who ought to have organised to secure hia election had not done so ; and though he admitted that the time was short, yet at the same time there should have been in the minds of those people whose interests ho had defended so much in the past, not only a feeling of loyalty, but also an esprit de corps, in bring, ing their man to the poll. He knew that many men, when they saw the result of the poll, would be sorry for it next day. (Hear, hear.) But let them remember at the same time that it was due to their own inaction. (Hear, hear.) He had nothing to say against his opponent. They had been on good terms throughout the whole day. Mr Fisher went on to say, in conclusion, that the result of this election would be this—that he should expect them in future, when they requested him to con* teat any public position, to be prepared to assure him of a very considerable amount of support. When he entered upon the election he did so to protect their interests. And he said now it was not they who had voted apainst him. He knew who it was, and, tbongh he was not going to say there, he would tall any of them privately and quietly; and they would wonder if he explained to them, that he ever got where he was. (Hear, hear.) He had to thank them very heartily for the support that had been accorded to him. He had labored under the disadvantage that he occupied the position before, and many, he knew, had voted against him simply on the unreasoning plea that a new man should have a turn —altogether forgetful of the very large questions that lay behind. He again thanked them for having recorded so many votes in his favor, and he hoped that when he again contested an election the result would be—(A. voice; “The same.”) —reversed. Mr Brown was not present, and the crowd dispersed.