WAIKOUAITI ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 744, 3 March 1866, Page 8

WAIKOUAITI ELECTION.

The nomination of Candidates to rei present Waikouaiti in the Assembly took, place on Tuesday, in front of the Courthouse, in, the presence of about seventy people. The Returning Officer, Mr Murdoch, having read the writ, Mr. Johh Orbelx, proposed Mr Vogel. He had much pleasure, he paid, in doing so, as he was convinced Mr Vogel would prove a good representative. MrJ R Jones seconded the nomination. Mr Swallow proposed Mr Murison. They all knew him, and would be glad to accord him support. The shortness of the time prevented Mr Murison being present to explain his views. Had there been a mail train, he would have been there to seek their support. Mr Dueden seconded the nomination of Mr Murison. Mr Pearce proposed Mr Andrew Thompson as a fit and proper person to represent the district in the Assembly. Mr Bates seconded the proposition. No other candidate being nominated, Mr Vogel said he ■would a9k the usual indulgence accorded to candidates. Mr Swallow had, no doubt unintentionally, misrepresented the case. He (Mr Vogel) was in a position to say that Mr Munson told him, if he came to Waikouniti it would be to vote for him. He would not believe, without distinct evidence, that Mr Murison was, as represented by Mr Swallow, a willing candidate. On the contrary, he had twice made the offer to Mr Murison i - esign in his favor. He (Mr Vogel) was placed in an embarrassing- position . He had been anxious to avoid a contest, and now he found a more disagreeable one than previously was forced upon him. Mr Murison was his intimate friend. He would gladly have retired in, his favor, and he was sure he would make a good representative. It was bard, that this fighting Bhould be forced upon him — and he might say the same for Mr Murison — because. if that gentleman wished to be returned, he was sure he would have preferred being so ■without entering into a con f est with him (Mr Vogel). The whole of the action taken in Waikouaiti, was a mystery to him until tha r morning, when a gentleman, Mr Chapman, who opposed him, explained it. He was told by that authority, "We all know you are the better man — you were worth three of Mr Murison in the Council. Personally we would vote for you to a man. We support Mr Murison, not because we believe he is so good a representative, but because of the action taken by your Committee." This was, verbatim, what he was told. After all then the oppopition amounted to nothing more than this, he was made the innocent subject of tbeir village squabbles. It was hard that he who neither knew uor cared anything of their petty local jealousies, should be made the victim of their neighborly animosities. They did not want to secure I\lr Murison a seat, they looked upon h ; m only as the embodiment of their personal quarrels. He need scarcely say that his (Mr Vogel's) supporters had been actuated by no such feelings. They had stuck to him .throughout. As far as he knew there was but one seceder, Mr Whinam, and he had said he would not vote against him. He certainly would rather be defeated, knowing that he bad received genuine support, than be victorious upon the terms on which Mr Murison"s supporters confessed they would elect him ; and he was sure Mr Murison would feel the same. He did not hesitate to say it would be disgraceful to the constituency to forg< t the high purposes for which the franchise was given, and to use it as an instrument of local squabbling. He must not be understood to reflect upon Mr Muri^on ; he did not believe he was a willing candidate, and as he had before said, he would make a good representative. What he (Mr Vogel) said was disgt aceful, was, that a portion of the electors considered, that the privilege of returning a member to the Assembly should be used for the promotion of personal quarrels. His supporters had stuck to him, and to them at least no suspicion of petty motives of the sort attached. He was in their hands, and, if they wished, he would go to the poll. If elected, it would be gratifying to think that those who opposed him would be quite content with him as a representative, and indeed admitted as much. A show of hands was then taken by the returning efficer, who declared the numbers to be — for Mr Vogel, IS: for Mr Mnrinon, 12; for Mr Thompson, 5. Only electors were allowed to hold up their hands. Mr Swallow demanded a poll on Mr Murison's behalf. We are indebted to Mr Robert Mitchell for the following result of the poll. It will be seen Mr Murison was the successful candidate. The polling was i»s follows :— • Murison. VogeL Thompson. Palmerston ... 12 5 0 Waikouaiti ... 25 30 1 3? S5 ' 1