THE MAYORALTY. THE NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 712, 21 July 1865, Page 15

THE MAYORALTY. THE NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES.

The nomination of candidates for the first election of Mayor of the city, took place on Monday at noon, in front of the premises of the Fire Brigade, in Princes street. There were about 300 persons present.Mr E. B. Cargill, who had been appointed by the Acting Superintendent to preside at the first election, took his place on the hook and ladder can iage belonging to the Brigade, which formed a very convenient rostrum. Mr Lazar, clerk to the Commissioners, who had been named to assist in conducting the election, was also present. Mr Cargill read the notice in the Gazette, by virtue of which he was acting, and also the notice of the election which he had published. He then opened the envelopes lodged with Mr Lazar, and read the nominations therein contained, as follow : —

Robert Henry Forman : proposed by Edward M'Glashan.of ?ine Hill ; seconded by Martin Sholl, of Rattray street. William Mason, of London street, architect : proposed by Richard Bowden Martin, of Belle Vue, merchant ; seconded by James Smith, of Cargiil street, solicitor.

James Paterson, M.H.R., M.P.C. : proposed by Andrew Mercer, of Mercer's Buildings, Princes street, merchant; seconded by John Duncan, of Rattray street, corn merchant.

Wjluiam Wjltred Wilson, solicitor : proposed by George Hyde Campbell, of Maclaggan street ; seconded by William Wilfred Wilson. — (Laughter.)

Joseph Alexandek James Macgregor, of Rattray street, solicitor: proposed by ■John M'Cubbin, of Rattray street, hotelkeeper ; seconded by Thomas Morland Uooken, Rattray street, doctor of medicine. Mr Cargill ": I regret to add, that there has been sent to Mr Lazar what processes I<o be a nomination, but which is so far out of form as to render it unnecessary that I should place it before you. In this paper, the opportunity is taken of playing ■off what may be considered by the perpetrators to be a joke; but which is, in fact, of an obscene and filthy character, and very disgraceful to those whose names appear on it. — '(dries of " Read," and *' G-ive us the names.") I decline to read it, as it is informal. — (Cries of "Name," and v No, no >1 ) Here is another very informal document : — " We beg to propose David Nesbit, Esq., alias ' Scotch Jock.' " The names appended are, J. S Raphael and John Barnes — but I believe they are both forgeries. Mr Barnes : LSO for the man as'll tell ■who done that. — '(Langhtir)

Mr Cargill : This is certainly not Mr John Barnes's signature ; and lam told that Mr Raphael is not in Dunedin. I hope that some -means will be taken to discover the parties who have drawn up this paper; and, if it is possible to punish them by law, to do it. — (Hear, hear.)

Mr Cargill added : There having been a greater number of candidates proposed than is required by the Act, it will be necessary that a psll shall be taken. It will, therefore, be taken on Friday, the 21st inst., commencing at nine a.m , and closing at four pm. The polling places will be — South Ward, the Police Barracks ; High Ward, the office of the Commissioners; Bell Ward, the Oddfellows' Hall; Leith Ward, the premises known as the Albion Hotel. Each candidate will have the privilege of naming a scrutineer — the names to be sent to my office, at the office of Mr Lazar, Princes street North. God save the Queen.

Mr Lazar : Before we separate, I propose three cheers for the acting Mayor. — (Cries of "Let's hear the candidates," "Let the candidates speak, 11 &c.

Mr T. Birch : Will a person having property in more than one Ward have the privilege of voting for the Ma} 7 or in each Ward ?

Mr Cargill : lam not in a position to explain the law. You must refer to the Act.

Mr Lazar : I will read you the clause referring to the matter, and you must put your own con traction upon it. Mr Birch : Just so ; but it is a very important point, and ought to be clearly understood.

Mr Cargill : It is very important, no doubt ; but I cannot interpret the law.

A Voice : You'll have to give an interpretation when the time comes Mr Lazar: This is the Clause, the 22nd — " Every citizen entitled to vote in the elections aforesaid, may give a separate vote in each Ward, in respect of the property for which he is assessed therein, and has duly paid the rates according to the provisions hereof."

Mr Birch : Does that apply to the election of Mayor as well as to the election of Councillors ?

Mr Lazar : To all the elections, Sir. Mr Birch : Very well ; that's all we want to know.

Mr Lazar : Three cheers for the acting JJayor. — (Three cheers were given.)

There were cries for " The Candidates," and "Let them speak.' Mr Cargill : I suppose there can be no objection whatever to allowing the Candidates to speak, if they are here. Mr Macgrkgor first came forward and said : On this occasion I did not come here prepared to make you a speech, or otherwise you might have been troubled with a long and very uninteresting one ; but being called upon by so many old friends, who have known me for many years, I cannot be silent, and I will therefore address to you a very few words. We have met to-day on a very eventful occasion — the first nomination of a Mayor for the city of Dunedin. I have been very kindly proposed and seconded by my friends, and I will leave it to you, on the day of election to show whether you think me worthy of your confidence or not. If elected, I need hardly tell you that my utmost endeavors will be used to promote the interests of the city, coupled at the same time with a due regard to economy. lam troubled with a very bad cold, and I hope, therefore, you will take the will for the deed, so far as addressing you longer is concerned. All I ask is, on the day of election, to have a clear stage and no favor, and that you will return the man whom you consider to be the best fitted to be 33 r our first Mayor. (Applause.) Mr Mason: I must begin by making the same excuse as the gentleman who has addressed you. I am suffering from a very bad cold, and consequently must make a very short speech. I am highly flattered by the compliment which has been paid me, in asking me to come forward and represent you as Mayor of this city ; and should I be so fortunate as to secure your confidence, and be placed at the head of the poll, you may depend upon it, that I shall exert myself, to the best of tny ability, to advance the prosperity of Dun edin. — (Hear, hear.) I am almost a stranger amongst you. I have been here two or three years, but I have, during that time, been living a quiet secluded life ; I have been attending to my own private business; and I did not anticipate, at any time, that I should be called upon to fill so important an office as this for which I have been proposed ; but having been called upon, I feel that I should be very remiss, iadeed, if I did not give you an opportunity of registering your votes for the gentleman whom you may consider the best calculated to fill that office. — '(Applause.) Should I be -elected, my first object would be to examine into the state of your finances ; I should inquire of what the property of the City consists — what our income is; and then, according to the result, I should recommend the Council to make their arrangements, always taking care to keep as nearly as possible within the limit of our income. I shall certainly not go in for a large loan — for encumbering this city with debt. We are at the present mo.Tieut laboring 1 under a certain amount of depression. 1 What is the cause of that depression ? This : we have had a fever, and we are now feeling the effects of that fever ; and we must remain quiet for a 6hort time, until we gather strength, and then go to ■ work as men with strong arms and sound ; heads. — (Hear, hear.) If there is any '• question that any of you wish to put to me, I shall be most happy to answer it. I have several times been addressed in this way : " Well, Mason, you are a member of the House of Representatives, and it will be impossible for you to attend ! to the duties there, and to those of Mayor." ! I quite agree with those who say that ; and if I am elected as your Mayor, I ■ shall feel it to be compulsory on me to resign my seat in the House of Representatives, although I cannot but feel that the coming session of the Assem- • bly will be the most important we have ever had in New Zealand, and that there are questions to be discussed in it which, ; to me as an old colonist, would be of s very great interest. Therefore I should i certainly regret not being able to be in my place in the House of Representa'- • tives ; but if I am elected to the perfori mance of more important duties nearer home, why then" I shall feel it my duty so ! to arrange, as to be able to give the whole : of my time and energy to those more stfictly local duties. Mr H. Bayliss : How long did you keep the Exhibition Building shut up, Mr Mason ? 1 Mr Mason : I did not keep it shut up at all. Mr Bayliss : Why did you keep the key so long ? i Mr Mason : I did not have the key at all. i Mr Bayliss : Well, who had it ? : Mr Mason : lam asked how long I kept the Exhibition Building shut up. I can only say that until I got the key, I ' certa'nly could Dot hand it over to the Government ; and consequently I could ! not get my pay. I was only anxious to get the key, but it was not in my hands — it was in the hands of the contractor, who held it as security until he was paid. Mr Bayliss: Plow much money did you get when the key was given fup? — (Cries of " That's not the question here," and " Yes, it is a public matter.")

Mr Cargill : I think that these questions are rather irrelevant on the present occasion. Mr Bayliss : Tell the truth, Mr Mason — never mind. Mr Mason : I have nothing to hide in the matter. I got my commission. An Elector : Do you think the money already borrowed has been judiciously expended. I mean the L 35,000. You are a practical man, and you can give a practical opinion ? Mr Mason : Yes, I am a practical man, but as I have interfered with nobody's business but my own, I am not in a position to give a practical opinion upon the matter mentioned by you. But if elected, I shall feel it iry duty to inquire how that money has been expended, and to satisfy the public vith respect to it.

The Elector : But you will never learn that.

Mr Mason : That will be my endeavor, at all events.

An Elector : Are you in favor of keeping up the present high salaries of the officials ?

Mr Mason: I shall be guided entirely by our income, as to what our expenditure ought to be. I shall endeavor to do what I think the best for the city ; but, at the same time, I shall always keep in view the amount of money there is actually to spend.

Mr Wilson : I, certainly, like the other candidates, did not expect to be called upon to mpke a speech. I considered, and I was informed, that it was contrary to the spirit of the Act, that the candidates should address the meeting — that the election was strictly to be, "vote by ballot." Speeches delivered to-day cannot be taken as any criterion of the speaker's meaning of what he will do if he is called into the Council — (Laughter.) For my part, I am not going to state now what I will do if elected ; nor do I think it is so much the duty of a Mayor to state what he will do, as it is to abide by the acts of the Council over whom he may rule. lam not, under present circumstances, going to tell you whether, if elected, I should approve of loans or disapprove of them ; but if I was to state my present opinion, formed hurriedly, I should pay that a loan judiciously obtained and judiciously applied, was better than no loan at all.— (Hear, hear.) I am not, however, going to state whether, if a loan was to be proposed, I should oppose it or be in favor of it. You have known me for some considerable time — for three years, at any rate; aud you must know pretty well whether I should be likely to perform the duties of Mayor in a manner creditable to myself and of service to yourselves. If you think so, elect me ; if not, don't. If you do not elect me. I shall not feel offended, because I cannot expect to obtain the suffrages of every man in the city. Mr Mason is a very worthy gentleman, I believe ; Mr Macgregor is the same ; and when the election is over, I shall be able to shake hands with every other candidate, and not one of ur>, I am sure, will feel the least enmity because of the result. I am content to leave the matter in your hands ; and I shall be perfectly satisfied with the result — (A Voice: Haven't you got a cold, too?) Ye", I have a cold, like all the rest. Who hasn't, in Dunedin, I should like to know ? — (Laughter.) ,

Mr Paterson : I have been called upon very unexpectedly to appear here to-day. It is not yet half an hour since I consented to allow myself to be nominated for this office. — (Oh ! oh !) The other gentlemen who have spoken have declared themselves unprepared to address you ; and I may certainly follow their example, for I had no expectation this morning of being nominated, much less of being called upon to make a speech. I believe I may say, however, that I am not unknown to the electois of the city of Dunedin. I have been one of the citizens now for upwards of eleven years, and I am fully identified — (laughter) — with the prosperity of the place. I have no wish to say anything regarding the other candidates : you must choose for yourselves; judge who is the best man, and him appoint to the office. My friends have advised me, almost against my will, to com? forward on this occasion ; and I trust that you will use your own discretion, unswayed by anything that has already passed, in making your selection of your first Mayor. If you think me best fitted for the office, return me ; if you think otherwise, don't return me. I have no intention of referring to the duties of the Mayor ; for Ido not suppose that any of us are very well up in those duties, seeing that the office is new here, and we have its duties really to learn. The success of this experiment in our Municipal affairs will ver y greatly depend upon your choice of Mayor and Councillors. The Mayor will have little power for good, unless he is supported by the men whom you send into the Council ; their joint wisdom may be fully employed in devising and carrying out measures for the benefit of the city. With these remarks, I leave the matter in

your hands. If returned, I shall do all that lies in my power, properly to . discharge the duties of the office devolved upon me ; if I am not returned, I shall be quite contented that you chose a better man.— (Hear, hear. — A Voice: Where* your coo ?— Laughter.) I have not one,, I am happy to say. This terminated the proceedings.