THE ELECTIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 746, 17 March 1866, Page 9

THE ELECTIONS.

THE DUNEDIN POLLING.

The polling for two representatives of the city, in the House of Representative*, took place on the 9th inst. ; and the Hon. J Paterson and Mr W. H. Reynolds, "were re-elected by large majorities. The Haces caused, no doubt, a larger proportion of the votes to be given during the forenoon, than would otherwise have been the case ; and hence there was more bustle in the neighborhood of the polling booths. These were — Milton Hall, Stuart street, and the North Dunedin School, Great King street. Three of the candidates, Messrs Paterson, Birch, and Millar, employed cabs to fetch up voters ; and those vehicles bore the ordinary " Vote for Paterson," &c. placards. Mr Millar issued placard", containing the catch-lines of his printed address ; but, with that exception, there was little or nothing in the way of printed appeals to the electors. Most of the candidates were represented by energetic canvassers ; and one or two of the more prominent supporters of Mr Grant were very busy in button holeing electors near Milton Hall, and expounding the claims of that candidate. Altogether, real interest in the election was very visible ; and there was a good deal of hard ■work done — as there ought to be on such occasions. By four o'clock, there ■was a crowd of 400 or 500 persons in front of Milton Hall, waiting the non-official declaration of the poll. About half past four o'clock, Mr John Gillies, the Returning Officer, came to the front of the Hall. He said that he would announce the numbers polled, as they appeared from a hasty making up of the books. He believed they were correct ; but the official declaration would not be made until noon on Tuesday. The numbers were —

The announcement of the different numbers was received with cheer* and groans by the supporters of the different candidates. The Hon. James Patersox was greeted •with loud cheers and groans. He paid : Electors of the city ot Dunedia: — (Cries of "You can't speak, mon;'' and "Take him inside.") Gentlemen. — (" Oh ! oh," and groans ) It was made an accusation again3t a gentleman, the other day (A Voice: Shut up. — Confusion.) It was made an accusation against a gentleman, the other day, that he had iv suited the constituency oi Dunedin through the.r representative. ~Now, I say that ynu are insulting the electors through their representative, if you refuse to hear me speak. — (" Hear, hear," and applause.) As I stated at the nomination, I came at the request of the electors of Dunedin, to offer them my services in the Parliament cf the country. I then gave my rea«ons for doing so; and I stated as plainly as I could the course I would adopt, if I was chosen one of their representatives. It has pleased them to choose me, and to return me at the top of the poll — (hear, hear) — a position I have never occupied before, but which I shall claim to remember as a testimony that I have at least the approbation of the electors — (hisses and groans) ; a testimony that they approve of my conduct in times past, and have confidence that, in time to come, I will act in the same way — (applaufe) — and will do my duty towards them, and towards the country which we have adopted as the land of our home. — (Applause.) I thank you heartily for the position in which you have placed me, and I hope that you may never have cause to regret what you have now done. — (Applause.)

Mr Reynolds: Gentlemen. — (Hisses and groans.) I trust you will hear the few remarks I have to make, aud then you can hiss as much as you please. I have to thank you for the position in which you have placed me to-day. I certainly did expect that I should be placed in it. — (Oh, oh !) 1 hold that I have done my duty during the twelve years I have represented the city ; and the result to-day is a satisfaction — it repays me lor all the trouble and anxiety I have had.— -(" Oh, oh ! " and hisses.) It is all very well to think or to say that there is no anxiety connected with such duties ; but I can assure you, many a sleepless night I have had. in connection with my duties in the Provincial Council and the General Assembly. I wish now to assure the electors; whether they have voted for me or not, that I intend to look after their interests. I shall be most happy to receive from any one of you a recommendation as to what will be for the benefit of the Province ; and if any of you will so write to me about anything that can be brought before the Assembly, I will undertake to reply, and to state the reasons why I will, or why I cannot, give the sugges-

tion my support. — (Applause.) I sincerely thank you.; and I assure you that my best endeavors shall be used to promote the interests of the city of Dunedin, the Province of Otago, and the Colony of New Zealand. — (Cheers.) Mr Grant was greeted with applause and laughter, as he stepped upon the cbair brought out for the convenience of the speakers. He looked — scowled would, perhaps, be the better word — -at the crowd for about a minute ; and then solemnly flourished an electoral li*t which he had rolled in his hand. This caused much laughter. He said — Just allow me five minutes, and I am done with you. — (Cries of "For ever," and "It's to be hoped so.") I hope that the Old Identities, who so vociferously applauded the successful candidates, will have the common courtesy not to interrupt me for a few minutes I need not say, not on my , own account, I am disappointed at this affair. I care not, individually ; but I declare before you this very day, and proceeding from my own conscience — (laughter)— and before (laughter) : only let me say what I have to say, and you can then applaud or hiss as you like and I can also put my hand upon my heart and declare before the (loud laughter, applause, and hisses.) I also de clare before the whole body of the people of Otago, and before the final tribunal to which I shall have to give an account of my actions — (hisses and groan-*) — that I did not expect such a result. — (Laughter.) And moreover, I call upon the Registration Officer to deliver up the lists of those that have voted. — (Groans.) That honesty has not prevailed to-day, I declare before God and man.— (" Hear, hear," applaus--, and groan*.) If M> Reynolds is a successful candidate, I hope that a petition will co to Cook's Strai's, to His Excellency the Governor, demanding that the names of every elector that voted to-day shall be recorded and sifted. — (" Hear, hear," applause, and groans.) I know that bribery, that gross corruption, has prevailed here. — (Hisses and confusion) I know that one of the candidates was in that room [the polling booth] and had communication from the Returning Officer, and that he was hissed out. — (Cries of " name ") Mr Reynolds : there are honest men who will prove it, whose word is their bon'l, independent of their oath. — (A Voice: It's too true. That's too true.) It is a disgrace, I say. lam not a wealthy man, and therefore I am despised, perhaps ; but it is shameful for any man that earns his breid by the sweat of his brow — (laughter, and " You do !") — and that has profited ftora the exposures I made in the Review, if he voted against me to-day. It is all very well for a few men that came here and made their "pile," to lord it ov>r their 'ellow-electors. — (Laughter, and aery of "Oh! never mind that.") Never mind that! Never mind bribery and corruption! I <-ent into the booth a scrutineer who is prepared to take his oath that th_' thing is s > managed, that he doei not know anything of the matter. — (Loud laughter.) Excuse me, when I say, I never felt so hurt at heart as I do to day. I never dil, because I have acted honestly throughout. Not a single cab had I — if able to pay for them, I wou'd not employ them. 1 have aced honestly ; and no man, not the oldest settler here, can say that F bear the reputation of being a liar.— (Laughter.) I have injured myself — I have sacrificed myself. I left home with a testimonial from the man that pave me " M.A." — Sir David Brewster. The last words he saiJ to me were, " You ought not to go to those colonies."— (Loud laughter.) I have coaie out — (" Hear, hear," and"Mores the pity") — I have done some service to this Colony — and the reward is, that by force of money, aud by force of intimidation, I am prevented from tioing to Wellington to save the land from bung swallowed vp — (laughter) — by the of Otago.' — (Groans and hi^e-.) The very ciergy (cries of " You've gone too far, now," and " Withdraw that expression.") I will withdraw it, if it's too strong. — (Cries of "■ Withdraw.") I withdraw that expression, then. Three clergymen in Dunedin came to me to day—groans) — and they said that they had voted against me. The more shame to them! The more shame to them, I s>iy ! that they would exercise personu Iteling. Their kingdom is not of this world ; and they ought not to mingle in politics. — (Groaus, and cries of " Down !" and " Cut it short.") One word more, and I have done. Gentlemen, in conclusion, I say, if you will allow the proceedings of to-day to pass without in* vestigatiun— (A Voice :Oh f rot) — I care not if I never present myself amongst you again.— (Laughter and applause.) Mr Birch : Gentlemen, I may inform you that I had no scrutineers, and that I am perfectly satisfied with the result of the poll. I don't believe that there was either bribery or corruption exercised. Mr Gkant : How dare you say so ? _ I see you are in harmony with the identities. Was not Mr Reynolds in for several parts of the day ? How dare you say so ? Mr Birch : I have my own mind upon

the matter. -I say, I don't believe it. I take a different view of matters to what Mr Grant does ; an<S I can assure you,, gentlemen (Cries of " Corruption," and "You v?c-nt in as a blind to Reynolds. 1 ') I can tell you for a fact, that I have worked as hard as ever Mr Grant has, to return myself. I did, indeed; and I seriously meant it.— (A Voice: What about old debts cancelled.) Mr Grant says my debts have been cancelled.— (Mr Grant : I did not speak the words.) A very good job, too : it would be a very good job for all the people of Danedin, if they could have their debts cancelled. Although you have not returned me as one of your representatives, I can assure you that I went in honestly to return myself; and had you returned me, I don't believe you would have been ashamed of me. You have returned two others, who, I believe, are quite as good as myself. — (Applause and groans. Mr Grant : A piece of old leather ! an old saddler that's as ignorant as a sow !) But I will not allow them, or either of them, to imagine they are superior to me, in any respect. lam not a merchant. — (Mr Gran* : You never was a tea seller in Princes st. you mean.) I have been a hard-working man in Otago, and I am not ashamed of it. — (Mr Grant : Don't you believe it.). I have been a hard worker in every way. — (A Voicb : Colonial beer.) I am very much obliged to the 119 electors who voted for me, and I hope that when I come befoie you again, that number will be doubled. — (Laughter and applause ) Mr Millar : You are all aware, no doubt, that I have a mathematical turn of mind ; and nothing could be more gratifying to me — save and except my being returned— than the state of the poll to-day. — (Mr Grant : Oh ! you were for Paterson.) When I take into calculation that the deputation from the requisitionists that came to me simply had eight hours' work in getting up the requisition, and that I have received 215 votes — (A Voice : Only 213) — and place that in parallelism with the results of those who have been at work for days and weeks, for months, in fact, I cannot help thinking where should I have been, if my friends had had the same time? — (A Voice : At the top of the poll, of course.) I should have been so ;no doubt about it. I have no intention to make remarks scattering dirt upon either of the gentlemen returned today. — (Mr Grant : Gentlemen do you call them, sir ? Snob 3!) I judge others by myself. I signed Mr Paterson's requisition. — (Mr Grant : And more shame of you.) I stated upon the hustings, that John Millar never repudiated his name nor his signature In consequence of signing the requisition, I considered myself pledged ; and I am not ashamed to announce that I voted for James Paterson. I doa't know whether he voted for me ; but I think he should have done so. — (Mr Gkant: How much money did this election cost you?) Ihave no doubt that had the city been canvassed properly by m}' friends, I should have been at the head of the poll. I return my most ardent and sincere thanks for the votes accorded to me; and I have no doubt that, at some future time, the 200 votes may be made 2000.— (Laughter and applause.) Mr Graham was greeted with cries of " What about the cats ?"' and a good deal of mewing. He declared that he was disappointed. He came forward to perform a public duty ; and. although he had not been returned, he had been the cause of the subject he had chiefly at heart being so thoroughly ventilated, that he did not doubt his object would be accomplished before the end of the first session of the Assembly, by the Registratian Act being brought into operation here. He came forward, also, to weaken the chance of Mr Paterson, because he considered that that gentleman did Dot answer questions satisfactorily at the nomination. He was asked several times to resign ; but he replied, "No ; perhaps I may weaken Mr Paterson." He had a decided conviction that Mr Birch would have been returned ; and he thought it would have been no loss to the country if such had been the case. He could not, like Mr Grant, boast of his education, or of the characters he bad got from different professors; but he could say that he was sorry a man of such education should put it to such a bad use. — (Loud applause and laughter.) He supported Mr Grant to some extent — (Cries of " Get down, and " Bribery")— not that he believed iv the man, but because he wished to have certain things ventilated, and cliqueiem and hole-and-corner work, in the newspapers, and other ways, broken up. The Returning Officer had been insulted — (hear, hear) —by its being thrown out by Mr Grant that there had been false conduct going on. He (Mr Graham) had no such idea. If Mr Grant had lost by c io votes or less, he might have objected ; but when there was such a wide difference in the polling, to raise a cry of bribery, and corruption was the merestclaptrap. He (Mr Graham) had got but four votes. This was, however, only the

fixst time he had come before the electors % and it would not be the laßt.— (Laughter.) He would bide "his time ; and if proper men were not not brought forward at future times, he should be very glad again to come before the electors.

The proceedings were concluded with a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, which wa3 proposed by Mr Patebsox, and seconded by Mr Biech,

1 lames Paterson .. fVilii^m H. Reynolds James G. S. Grant... Fohn Millar Pfiomns Birch Milton Hall. 516 524 186 161 94 North School. Total. 94 — 610 84 — 608 29 — 215 52 — 213 25 — 119 4 — 4