THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1355, 17 November 1877, Page 6

THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

The voting forthe election of Mayor for the city; qf Dunedin took place on Thursday, ltis scarcely necessary to inform our readers the vacancy had' been caused by Ithe retirement of Mr R. E. Leary from' the office of Mayor, in consequence of the Council declining to ■pass a resolution affirming his right to give directions to tbe paid officers of the Corporation: l£m»y.be fairly .Slid that the position of the Mayor waa the issue put to the ratepayers by Mr Leary. who stood for re-elec-tion, and 'was opposed by Cr Woodland,'-' No' unusual amount of interest was apparently taken in the! elec■tion.' Caba'were engaged on behalf of both'of the candidates,- and the principal -supporters 'of 'each canvassed for votes, but the contest provoked, no excitement. - At 4 o'clock the poll clcsed,,-aud; shortly afterwards, it was known, that Mr Leary had been, elected by a considerable majority. * ! ' " -,', •> ihetpo.U waa 1 declared 'by "the Towu'Clgrk (Mr Massey) from- the hustings— the steps bl'the Poet Office building; l at 5 p.m.! " >.'.*.:!•. "> • lhe result" of the.voting was as follows':— |- , • i Leary. , Woodland.' South Ward .127 ' 69 HfahrWard - ' 259 ' '.' 9,4 "7 Bell Ward 161 ' 138 ' Lcith Wurd 234 118 " i , 781 i :4lfr "'" ' Majority for Mr Leary, 362. , • - , • Mr Massey then declared Mr R. H. .Leary duly elected Mayor. - \ . Mr.JR. H. Leary, in thanking the electors, 5 said that lie had been 17 years in Dunedin, and this " was -the first time he had known the election of Mayor) to be'a one-sided contest. He had not solicited one vote, and hai come to the conclusion that he would be defeated. It waa, therefore, the more gratifying.to him to find that the ratepayers had afljrmed the principle that the Mayor should be the principal executive officer of the Corporation.— (Cheers.) So far ag Mr Woodland was 'concerned, he was convinced that that- gentleman might rest assured of this, that large numbers of his friends, who otherwise would hive supported .him. had voted against him on. the. principle on A\hich the contest had been made. For his part, he (Mr Leary) was prepared to have accepted the decision of the ratepayers had it been against him,' and he hoped that the Council and the Corporation officers would now accept that decision. Mr W. Woodland also .thanked the electors. It was, he said, the principle which was understood to be involved in the election that had given" Mr Leary a large amount of support, as many who had voted for him at the previous election had now voted against him. From the result of the contest it appeared to be the desire of the citizens tint Mr Lesiry .should be Mayor on. this occasion, and he bowed to their decision. ,