THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3221, 8 September 1879, Page 2

THE ELECTIONS.

TOWN OF NEW PLYMOUTH ELECTION. This polling .for the return of a member fo*< the Town of New Plymouth took place ouj Saturday, when, notwithstanding the fearfully' 1 wot day, the electors evinced a considerablfc amount of interest in the contest, and 327 recorded their votes out of 402 names on the roll, of which a number were absentees* • -At 4 o'clock the Returning Officer (Mr. C. E. Raw. son) declared tho result as follows :-^- Kelly ... 227.. . Fookes f ... 100 Majority for Kelly ... 127 On tho announcement being made, there was vociferous cheering by Mr. IColly's sup.portere, and he was loudly called for^'po, going on to the landing on the stairs of the Institute, he briefly addressed them. Mr. Kelly said : Gentlemen, I heartily thank you for the great honor you have tlono me to-day in electing me by such a large majority, as your representative. We have fought tho battle with a determination to win, and now that victory has been secured to us I hope that any ill feeling that may have arisen during the contest will at once subside I can truly say that neither myself nor my friends have intentionally done anything that ought to cause continued resentment on tlie part of our opponents, and, as I recognise the right of each elector to vote as he thinks lit, I certainly do not resent, in any way, the exercise of that right by electors who voted against me, as I hope that iv all eases a sense of public duty actuated them. Now that the electors have decided that I shall be their representative, 1 know no difference between friend and foe. They have, all become identified as my constituents, whose interests I have to guard. It will now, gentlemen, become my duty, when tho House meets, to attend to two special questions — the the settlement of the native difficulty on a permanent basis ; and, as a means to that end, the completion of that portion of the main! line of railway between New Plymouth anil Hawcra. There are other matters which of course will demand attention, but those two subjects are of special importance, for the prosperity of this district depends upon their 1 boing attended to at an early date. To my, fi-icnds, through whoso exertions and Votes I am placed in tho honourable position I now occupy, my special thanks are due ; and to the other electors and the public generally my thanks arc also due for tho" orderly aud good -nature J way in which the contest has been conducted.