DECLARATION OF THE POLL.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1174, 25 December 1868, Page 2

DECLARATION OF THE POLL.

Tite pall was ofiloialty declared #t fjve o'cjoek., A largo assemblage conuwgated in ' the Provincial Hall, when Mr. Bninher, the Epfcurain<j Officer, declared the state of the poll as given above, and deelaivd Mr. Edwards duly elected— Mr. Edwards 802 Mr. Shepbard ...' 214 Majority for Edwards ... 88 Mr. Edw^eds thon came forward, and wa3 received with loud applause. Ho thanked the electors for putting him in the position ho now occupied, and to those who had specially interested themselves in bringing about the result he tendered his special thanks. Ho should give his elo«e attention—and ho -I had leisure to do so—to the business of the country, and should devote his time to politics as heartily as Jjo would to, matters of business. His opinions had | been uilfvjajd before the constituents, and to these1 he should Veadfii^y adhere, and strive to do all he i could faithfully to serve" ,no,(; this settlement ouly, but the Colony nt large. (Applause.) Mr. SnErHABJ), who was also warmly applauded, said that as a defeated candidate ho offered his hearty thanks to those who had so warmly exerted themselves for the purpose of securing the return of a comparative stranger. Ho bad no desire to throw any bitterness into the cup of Mr. Edwards' happi* ness, nnd ylijjlo lie djiti not blnnie Mr. Edwards in nny wny, there wer# ye;fc some incidenits jo connection with the election, ytiieh. m/jst ponclusiyely provedthatt.be countiy wanted the bailot. (jpoud applause, and marks of dissent.) He condemned the action of the Legislative Council in rejecting the Ballot Bill, and hoped the Colony would insist on obtaining the bullot. We all felt that the absence of the ballot had certainly greatly modified the result lof the present election, if indeed that absence had ' pot actually brought abou.t thajfc result. (Applause, hjgseH, #nd interruption.) ffp was an advocate for conducting olccltQns on tjje princjplea of perfect purity, and thinpw had been done within the last two days which, though he could not believe they had i been done with the unction of Mr. Eawwdi, bud

yet been dona by' some indisordet friends of his, end could not have been done by gentlemen at all. (Applause, "N0,h0," hisses, groans,and interruption.) : To those people who had so acted, he would — paraphrasing an old couplet—say, in conclusion:— But laugh not, false foes, in the midst of your glee, You have pot Been the last of my voters and me. (Applause.)