DUNEDIN SOUTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7002, 25 July 1884, Page 4

DUNEDIN SOUTH

About 600 people assembled at Dunedin South polling-booth to hear the official declaration, which was mad.e_by the returning-officer (Mr Taylor) as follows :-— Jaine3Qore ... .. .. 457 H. :>. Fijh, jun .. . .. 441 Rlajoii y for Gore .. 16 Internal .. ~ .. 7

Mr Gore was declared .duly elected. Mr Gore, who was received with cheers, said : I have to sincerely thank you for thehigh honour you have done me in electing me representative of Dunedin South. I take this public opportunity of thanking the gentlemen on my Committee and others who have so kindly and disinterestedly worked on my behalf. You know it is almost an impossibility for one man to do the work required at electioneering time, and if it were not for the very kind support I received from my friends I am satisfied the result would not have been as it is now. I bolieva they have worked this election honestly and straightforwardly. — (Cries of "No, no," and "Anything but that.") At the two meetings I addressed I eppke without any prepared speech, and I have simply given you a plain statement of the faith that is in me; and the promises I have made I shall do my best to carry, out. When I have spoken, if I haye been carried away by a little warmth and said anything offensive to anyone, I trust they will take it in the manner in which it was given, and that they will not thuk that any personal offence was intended.—(Hear, hear.) Every promise I have made I will endeavour to the best of my ability to fulfil, and when I resign my' trust I hope I shall have merited the confidence of a majority of you. I believe it is out of the power, of any man—he must be something more than mortal—to please everybody j but when I resign my trust I hope you will receive it believing I have done my best for you. I thank you, gentlemen, for the high honour you have conferred on me.—(Cheers.)

Mr Fish was received with much cheering. He said: I appear before you as a defeated candidate, and I appear before you in the very best spirit to take my defeat in the way a man should take it. A man who cannot fake his beating well does not deserve to win; and although I appear to-day as a defeated candidate, the majority which my opponent has secured does not. leave me in any thing like a disgraceful minority.—(Hear, hear.) I have endeavoured to do my duty to you as your representative for Dunedin South, and I feel quite sure that my successful opponent will endeavour to do his duty as well as I have done mine. So far as 1 am individually concerned, and as he is concerned, I quit this contest without the slightest feeling of bitterness against him or againßt the majority of those who supported him.—(Hear, hear.) He has done his best to win, and has been successful. If I can be of any assistance to Mr Gore in giving him any bints — (laughter and che6rs), —or if I can give him any assistance which may be of use to him with regard to the minutiae of Parliament, I shall be only too happy to do so. —(Cheers.) I have no feeling against him whatever, and I trust now the election is over that all enmities and animosities engendered thereby will close at once and for ever. Ido not feel that lam defeated badly. I have had a great deal of opposition, as you know, to contend with, and under all the circumstances of the case, although I certainly did not think it would end aB it did, I do not think the result is much to be wondered at. However, aB I have already said, I have no ill-feeling at all. I take defeat like a man ; and I hope at some other time to receive your confidence in some shape or other.—(Hoar, hear.) I know it is an absolute fact—and my opponent will find it out— that the majority have really done me a good turn, because they have enabled me to devote that-time to my business which it very much requires, and which I have not been able to give to it in the past. My opponent, or any man not absolutely rich, will find it no easy task for him to get on with everybody. Ho will find he loses a lot of time, and so far from making money, it will be a decided loss to him in that respect. I will only say in conclusion to Mr Gore that we shall part now with feelings of the best friendship, and anything I can do or say to help him in his career I shall do.—(Cheers.) I trust when his term of office expires he will be able to come forward and say he has done his duty, whether a majority of the ejectors believe it or not. I beg •to thank my friends, and particularly my Commit fee, for their exertions on my behalf. I knov.' there are some members of my Committee who feel my defeat on this occasion far more than Ido myself. I had warm-hearted, honest, good friends working for me, and to those good friends I now, as a defeated candidate, return my most sincere thanks. Let me again say, gentlemen, I part with you in perfect peace, and wish you all good luck.

" Three cheers for Fish" "were called for and heartily given.

The proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the returning-officer.