DECLARATION OF THE POLL FOR THE NELSON CITY.

Colonist, Volume XXX, Issue 5024, 6 October 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

DECLARATION OF THE POLL FOR THE NELSON CITY.

(From the•« Colonist,' September 29ih.) The atfcendauce at the Provincial Hall yes- ' . terday, wheri the state of the poll was ofiluially declared, was far from largo, but Lhe fact may be chiefly a'tribuied to the difficulty experienced by many in getting away from their ordinary avoeatioQS punctually at noon. At the hour uamed there were not a hundred people in the room, tuough the number increased after. Mr A. A. Keaife, tha Returning Officer, said the numbers polled by'the respective candidates were-— . , lifcyestam .. .. .. 567 Piper ;; .. .. ..338 Gibbs .. ..' ...■■... 176 and ha declared Henry Augustus LevesSara duly elected member of the House of Jtlepresentalives for the Nelson electoral district. (Cheers}. , . . ' • Mr Levestam said that waß the fourth time it had devolved on him to stand before the:' electors and. thank them for placing their confidence in him. To say that he was proud.did not convey hi.-) feelings, because he could not conceive a greater honor than to be elected by .his fellow rneu to represent them, and far. the: fourth time. ■ The election had .been hanging over them for a long time, and he was ,glad to- say that neither:; he nor: "bis committee had done anything .they fleed bo ashameJ of. All they had.dona was straightforward and above boardj and-he was glad lie could t'ay 'the- same about Mr.Piper and ,his committee. He need say" nothing more,, eicept as to the harbor, which, had been recently referred to. 'ilia question of a Harbor Board was, pmvly a local oae, aad it was for the. people .to take the first step, but it thty wanted a Harbor Boa.'d be would do whate.ver he could,to secure what they \ desired. -He thanked them heartily for the confidence they had. reposed iii him bjw returning him at the head of the poll. .'■ (Cheers).- '• ■ Mr Piper sai&Jie desired to thank the 338 electors who .recorded their votes in his favor. He had beep beaten, but he coald not say he had been fairly beaten. The introduction; of Mr Gibbs into the. contest had, brought an element of. unfairness. He would,, have wished that Mr.LeSfstam.andJhe had been left to coct^st .'the; election,'on their merits, arid then Mr LSve'staur, had tho'reguU b^eu the same, could havehad no- doubt about having a substantial majoriiy. There w. s, however, a doubt ab present, and that was brought about by the introduction of Mr Gibbs. He did not -know, who began to raise that legal quibble, but he knew that is was raised, and ho knew, too, that he had a capital show before that, but the question raised spread dismay in many had worked hard for him. -These faltered when this doubt was expressed, and he had felt the blow up to the time'of. yoing to the poll. It niighs be his duly to'contest linat seat again/ but ho did assure than that he should not. etand there unit S3 he had , a very so'id requisition. (Hear,', hear.) - He colild not afford; the moryjy, ■ft neither did he caro io laeet with such unscrupulous opposition, at le,ast from one. side, as he had had.' -He had been, largely supported by the Temperance party, and he tanked .them; by the working-men; . and lie thanked them;. and to some extent by the Bible in sohcol party.- Ho did rini, h'owever,*'advise "anyone to take'up that, question nniess it was a principle; i'lt was 'a principle with him, and for that reason he took it up" cs one of the planks'of bis plat•!or»o. .\lie could/net $ay- b»d been cup-

forted »ueh bj those in favor of the ttibie fa icbools, and he bad lost meral •upportew —hi could not find leten who had supported him oo that alone. He would say to the working men, •' lou hive been faithful to roe Md you will always find me faithful to yon. He would |ive them (the working men) a bit 0< ftdvu*; it was, " unite yourselves for your •wn interest!." There was a wealthy c.ass being created, and the result was that the working elasies were getting poorer; wages w«e getting lees, and unless they, like their brothers elsewhere, united to secure their •hare of that wealth they would find it difficult to live. He spoke to them, because the true prosperity of the country waß the true prosperity of its bone and sinew. He wtfuld rather, like that pood French king, ■cc poultry on the table of the working man •onstantly than rioh men rolling in wealth. It was for them to combine that they might get their fair share of wealth, which they were not likely to get unless th-y did. He leturned thanks for the honor ocnferrecl on him]/ (Cheers.) Mr Gibbs said the battle was now fought and won, and he would have thought it good policy for Mr Lavestara and Mr Piper not to have tbrown mud. [Mr Leveatam: " What hare I said?."J "Said! Why, you are as ' fierce as a little buck rat." (Laughter). As he ha 3 said the battle was over, and it would have been a proper thing to have shaken hands and become friends again—don't, he ■aid, let these little political differences destroy friendship. He thanked the 175 or 176 who voted for him, but.not the 200 who were pledged to him, and who threw him over at the ladt moment. He was in the •fane position. as<-Napoleon in tho FrancoGerman war—his own men had betrayed him at the list moment. He admired any elector who fought fairly, whether he was with him or against him, and he challenged any man to deny that he was as friendly now a3 bc-fo:e, (Hear, hear.) It wa<? the same in the country from Motneka to Nelson. If Mr Piper had made little mistakes he would be more cautious next time. (Laughter.) Mr Pipei ought to give him a testimonial and a purse of sdvereignsfor having taught him the trick, (Loud laughter.) Well, he had lost, but h« ■aid " Come," Bhake hands now." [An Elector: You were the means of putting Jack Kerr in.] If he was the means ol returning Mr John Kerr then he had done « great thing for the kelson district—(cheera] —and tho district ought to be thankful tc him. ("An Ebctor: So we are.] He was glad that a Government man and a party mat had got in. He believed in party men and ir party newspapers, but he did not balieve in i roan that had to be interviewed by the whips He had nothing more to say than to than! his supported; He felt more sorry for then than for himself, for they had been placed ii a false position ; for himself he could lose a; wall as win. (Applause) Ho wished tc thank the ' Colonist,' for it had shown hire fair play. Though it was a party pnper, anc dead against.him and in favor of Mr Laves tarn aud Mr Kerr,. it had given him fair plaj from beginning to end. He believed in t paper tbat came out from the first, aru ■Mowed who it was fighting for, but he die not believe in one that was wishy wasby, ant then slated a man at the las . (Applause. He thanked them once more. (Ctwers). A vote of thanks to tho Returning Officer proposed by Mr Levestam, M.HR., and seconded by Mr Piper, brought the proceeding: to an end.