THE ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 921, 24 July 1869, Page 10

THE ELECTION.

Probably no Election which has ever taken place in Dunedin has created as much excitement and interest in the publio mind, as that which terminated on Wednesday in the, re-eleotion of Mr Thomas Birch as Mayor of Bunedin for the third time. During the past week it has been the allengrossing topic of conversation ; and the candidates and their supporters have been indefatigable in their exertions to procure votes. Meetings have been held in all parts of the City, and the current questions of interest to the citizens have been exhaustively dealt with by one or ether of the candidates. There were four gentlemen in the field, all of whom had a certain circle of admirers ; although from the first, the generally expressed opinion was that the contest would be between Messrs Birch, and Fish, Messrs Dods and Millar being, in stable language, viewed as "outsiders." It cannot but be deplored that the zeal of indiscreet partisans of one side or the other has, since the day of nomination, not unfrequently led to acrimonious feelings and the use of personalities which will be, doubtless, regretted as soon as the heat of party feeling has passed away. Before the contest actually com- , menced, and when the various gentlemen who offered themselves for election to the Civic Ohair had advertised their intention of standing, if nominated, there was a feel* ing in favour of the probability of Mr Birch being re-elected, and we believe many bets were made, the odds being given in favour of that event. Later, the current appeared to change, and Mr Fish's backers were jubilant over their anticipated triumph — offering, we aro informed, so high, at the commencement of the week, as five to two on his return. Unquestionably, there was a very strong belief that Mr Fish would be successful, oven until yesterday, although the contingenoy of one of the other candidates r«vsigning in favour of Mr Birch was thought not at all an improbable one. From an early hour yesterday, the city was alive withcabaand other conveyances, plaoar&od with invitations to "Vote for Fish," or " Vote for Birch " as the case might be, dashing to and fro to convey voters to tho poll — their busiest time being, probably, just after noon. So far as oould be judged — and that was of course only mero surmise —it was thought that tip to about two o'clock the voting was about equal, but just at that time it began to be bruited abroad that Mr Dods had retired in favour of Mr Birch, and that his supporter* wero throwing their weight into that gentleman's end of tho scalos. This report, however, wu only partially correct, m Mr Dods did not withdraw from the contest ; although, we understand, ho, seeing hit chance hopeless, reoommonded his supporters to givo thoir votes to the candidate ntmod. This, to a oorUin extent, probably influenced tho termination of the •leotion, so far at numbers went, although whother the result would have been different had It not taken plaoo it is, of course, impossible to say. Tho various poll-ing-booths wero attended by numbers of HMr partisan* throughout tnoday, the one ftttto newFMtOffio» in part loulsr ; but tht

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and, , orderly ,in .the .extreme, and- in marked contrast with ,the scenes of riot and confusion which^mafjy of us can remember as concomitants' of an election. The poll closed at four o'clock, but it-was not until- afte* fi'Ve'tbatHhe 1 ' result wa f B made known. ' A vast-'dfowd, perhaps the largest -ever seen in Dunedin, had'congregated .in f ront (vl( pf,>, the terrace- > at the, Government buildings.,^ ,and much harmless chaff, with not a little jostling and other similar horse play, was indulged in by a number of tho3e who appear to think that tlierVia a special license for "larking-* at elecioxi time. However no harm was done, 1 nor did We see eyen an incipient, symptom • of a fight the whole time. At about } a .quarter.pHst five the Town Clerk accompanied by the candidates reached the terrace, after some difficulty silence was obtained. Mr J. M. Massey, Town Clerk, declared the result of the poll to be as follows :—: — j Birch „ 668 . Fish 614 Dods 74 , Millar, „., , 38 . „; Majority for Birch 54 Mr Birch was therefore declared duly elected. Mr Biboh, who was- received with' great cheering, remarked that, after a very keenly contested election, the ratepayers, he was pleased bo state, had returned him for the third time as Mayor of the city, of Dunedin.— (Cheers and cries of disapprobation. ) ,He should look* upOn the result of. the present .election as, a proof that he still retained the confidence, of the ratepayers — that they approved' of hia conduct and the course ho had pursued in the past, and that they were willing to oonftde in his integrity for the future. — (Cheers. ) He believed that had the ratepayers returned Mr Fish as Mayor, he would in the discharge of the duties have given equal satisfaction, but he (Mr Birch) could not but be eminently gratified that he had been chosen as the Mayor for Dunedin For the third time. He "believed that Mr Fish had lost a good deal of support simply because he was proposed at the nomination by Mr E. B. Cargill, a gentleman who had made himself' Very obnoxious to a large portion of' the citizens.— (Cheers, and loud cries of. disapprobation.) He would do all he could to reduce the taxes ; in fact he would leave nothing undone that could be done or ought to. be done to. effect retrench-, ment. — (Cheers.) He was aware that the ratepayers had been waiting to hear the result of the poll for a considerable length of time, and "he would therefore not detain them longer, but dimply return his very sincere thanks for the honour thrice conferred upon him. — (Cheers. ) ' Mr Fish, who was also received with great cheering, observed that although he appeared before the electors as a defeated candidate, he was not in the least discouraged. — (Cheera, and cries of "Bravo, Fish.") He had fought a battle, a valiant ba 1 tie. —(Applause.) He had fought the battle of the citizens of Dunedin. — (Great cheering.) He was perfeotly well aware that his rejection had been caused by an amount of influence that had been directed pgainst the interests of the ratepayers.—(N"o, and yes.) They might not Uiink so at the present time ; but he did not hesitate to say that in connection with the questions which were at stake in this struggle, they had by their voices done a very great injury to themselves.— (Cheera and disapprobation.) Mr Birch had reterred to the gentleman who proposed him on the day of nomination. He did not hesitate, to say that Mr E. B. Cargill was as respectable and as gentlemanly a man- as any man in the province. — (Cheers.) It was an insult to the intelligence of the ratepayers to impugn the integrity of such a man. They might differ from . him in regard to .the political opinions which he held, but. they must admit that he was a thorough gentleman. — (Cheers.) The ratepayers by their votes at that election had stated emphatically that they did not consider it would bo to their interests to have a gas works in tho hands of tho Corporation.—(Yea, and No.) Well, up^on that question he had been defeated now, and they could, not blame him if, when returned as a member of the City Council, he took a different course to that which he had hitherto pursued in regard to that question. — (A Voice : You aro not going to turn round, aro you ?) Before retiring, he desired to refer to another cause to which, to some oxtont, he attributed his defeat. Mr Dods— (cheers, and disapprobation) — Mr R. S. Dods; he did not hesitate to aay that tho conduct of that gentleman on the prcsont occasion, as well as on a lato occasion when he claimed the suffrages of tho electors, wan, to say the least, unfair, and on this occasion, unfair to himself.— (Cheers, and disapprobation.) At the last raomont, Mr Dods, rather than stand his ground liko a man, retired in favour of Mr Birch,— (Cheers, and disapproba-

of Mr r DodB he attributed his defeat! But ifvhe Were spared^ >£euwoiildunofv fail 'it> contest the election iorthe'Givid^h air next year. J-i(Oheerfl.)' 'i "He tWißted "thai* Iff Birch would then have no excuoe to' oome forward for the" fourth* time. He was not aware that tliat^ gentleman poaeeeaed, suph : ,an immense .amount' Oi abilityj that,,. -the .^electors should :.,be expected ; to i say that ; tie. must- be per-, petually.ithe Mayoi of Dunedini He had himself advocated, on i the present occasion that the office of Mayor should b© a 1 rolling one, that,there should be a ohange : annually, and he now emphatically stated that the ratepayers Jiad> given the death 1 blow, to the .aspirations > of councillors ; [that, in fact, ,theyi had t t done tmore to-pre-tyent goodj mem coming forward in ! the, , future than, they were at the' present time 1 aware of.'* To the 51 r 4 r'ate'payerS ,who" hac['j voted for hini— wh6 Had Tecdrded theiir' votes - r^n hiri'faivour, tbcauae' th^. ( b6l^e^cp in' the principles 'which^e^'enijinciat^aTx-j he' reWrlied his moat cordial and heaxi^, felt thanks. He was sure that in twelve imonl;hß^h«riCe"we^isteeteFw*6uTJ¥dTml^ (that all he had said %duVfcg that contest Tvas strictly true. Notwithstanding his present defeat, he' wouldT be* prepared r|b contest .the eleotion for "South Ward as ,Councilior.T-(9h eers t) * He would. do! all ihe could to give .effect to^ the , principles !he had brought forward in the Council,, land if he lived to see those principles jvindicated by facts, he would, tljen say that he had not lived in yain.--(Gipat cheering. ) He never anticipated, that he. ,could "win that election. He knew, full, •well that a particular clique would Idoall they could to oppose him effectually ;r; r he knew full well that Mr Stephen' Hutchison. had been working his hardest! against Mm, and bringing every interest toi bear which was in his power ;, and he .did' not hesitate to say that the cost of the election to his opponent would ..be something like LSOO orL6OO. At any rate, he (Mr Fißh) had', not sustained a defeat, thanks to . those who voted for him. — (Cheers.) He hoped and believed that if he were reelected as, a councillor, by his. conduct tho ratepayers would say, at the end of .twelve months, that he was a fit and pro-, per person to fill the office, of Mayor for ( the city. Again, he r moot sincerely and heartily thanked those gentlemen who had recorded their votes in his favour. — ,— (Chpers.) , Mr Dodh, who was greeted with cheers and disapprobation, then addressed the ratepayers ; but hisi remarks, in consequence of the uproar which prevailed during the whole of the time that, he was, speaking, were inaudible, except to a few persons who stood near him. He said that he did not intend to take up the time of the ratepayers by making an attack upon the character of either of the. other candidates. He appeared there tothank those friends who had accorded him their support during the present contest. Although he regretted very much the result of the election, he at the same time felt a certain amount of satisfaction that the late Mayor, Mr Thomas Birch, had been returned. He was very glad that the election had resulted m bjs favour. He wished to add that finding his own return was hopeless ho ultimately advised his Committee acd supporters to give their support to Mr Thomas Birch. As ho stated at the nomination he should' now retire from the contest with good will towards all, trusting that the result of the election would not be a disappointment to the ratepayers. He could asBuro thorn of this that the vivid picture of misfortune, which had been, painted by Mr FJsh, .' as, likely, to' be experienced, in .consequence of. the xefcurn of Mr Birch, wo«l4..not.he realised. The position of Mayor, was one mere of honour, ,than one in connection with which there was much actual labour, and ho was confident that- during the ensuing twelve months the office would b« aa «fii oiently filled by tho election of Mr Birch as it might have been by the return, of Mr Fish, with these few remarks he'agjajbn begged to thank the ratepayer* who had aocorded him their support. Mr Millar, who was called on, did not address the ratepayers. . i We append the votes polled by the several candidates in the various wards :— . . H.W; LW.B. K. RW. TL Birch ... 211 113 115 '120 5(18 Pub ... 163 88 162 101 514 Dods ... 29 15 8 22 74 Millar ... 12 12 1 13 $8