THAMES ELECTION.

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2248, 12 January 1876, Page 3

THAMES ELECTION.

DECLARATION 01? THE POL!/, Yestebday at noon was the time appointed for the declaration of tho poll for the Thames election. Shortly before that lime tho streets were almost desorted, but soon a crowd began to assemble, carriages rolled up containing the friends of candidates, and conspicuous above all was Council's 'bus, drawn byfour greys, and filled by Mr Bowe and his friends. On the top was a brass band, which played a variety of airs as the 'bus was driven from Grahams town to Shortland. By the time the proceedings commenced there was a large crowd assembled in front of 1 the Court-houso. Tho platform from which the candidates addressed tho electors on the day of nomination had been re-eroctod for this occasion.

Major Eeddell, the Returning Officer, on stepping to the front, was received wilk cheers. Ho said:—Gentlemen, on the 29th of December last, I summoned the electors of the Thames to meet me according to law to elect two properly qualified persons to serve as representatives of the electoral district of Thames in the' General Assembly. At the closo of tho proceedings on that occasion I stated that the poll would take place on tho 6th of January. It is now my duty to summon you to meot me again, as I have done by proclamation and by advertisements in both your papers to declare officially the slate of the poll. Before I come to that, the last part of my duty, I will read you a short resume of the ballot taken. I had 3,000 ballot-papers prin ted. Ballot-papes issued toßeturning Officers: -Shortland, 1,703; Tapu, 100; Ohinemuri, 501; Coromandel, 617; Mercury Bay, 100total, 2,921. Issued to electors: -Shortland, 1,450; Tapu, 21; Ohinemuri, 224; Coromandel, 208; Mercury Bay, 9.— Total, 1,912. Out of which there were. 4 sot aside, 10 disallowed, and 40 informal. Statement showing number of votes polled w ,2 'cJ fH . QJ « iII i ■ Name. | , g g *% $ 3 9 'S H 8 is 2 A CJ A o o to- B O O & fl H C. A.:C'ornes ..10 0 2 8 0 0- 20 John Gibbons .. 0 0 0 0 0. 0— Sir G. Grey .. 751 17 69 140 0 2-98 i C. F,'Mitchell.. ICG 3 138 30 0 7- 330 ChaS. O'Neill ~ 10 0 14 3 0 1— 20 Wm.Rowe .. 775 5 41 41 0 3— 802 S. Stephenson.. 2 0 1 4 0 0— .7 Sir J. Vogel .. 617 5 95 70 1 3 685

Totals , ..2231 ; 30 300 . 200 10 16 2014 Before I come to my last duty, I have to refer to two documents which were handed to me by two duly qualified electors, both of whom were candidates, and one. of whom went to the poll.. These wore Mr James Mackay and Mr Ci F. Mitchell. The gentlemen were pleased to call these documents protests against Sir George Grey and Sir Julius Vogel, and so they appear to be on tho face of them, for each begins with " I protest." I have now to inform you that there is a way in law for any elector or candidate to petition against the return of any person who may have been improperly returned. It is not my duty to consider these matters. My duty here is perfunctionary to declare the candidates who received the greatest number of votes elected. It is your privilege, if you please, to proceed according to law by petition, but that petition must be in'the hands of the Beturning Officer within one month after the declaration of the poll. I state this because great interest is taken in this matter just now. The papers are teeming with letters regarding , those protests, and it is "a subject of general conversation at the street corners, and everywhore, in ; fact, its pros .and cons were ■discussed, - and therefore I would be wrong to come before you without making some reference to it. I have now my closing, duty to perform: fir George Grey, E.C.8., had tho greatest number of votes, and William Bowe had the next greatest number. It is, therefore, my duty now to declare Sir George Grey, K.C.8., and William Kowo duly elected members for tho electoral district of Thames. (Cheers.): It is now the privilege of tho candidates to address you, or, in the absence of tho candidates, tho gentlemen of their committees. _ Dr Kilgour, who was received with cheers, said: Gentlemen, electors of the Thames, I have the horiour to appear on behalf of Sir-Georgo Grey, to return to you his heartfelt aud sincere thanks for the disinterested and goneral support by which you have placed him at the head of tho poll. (Cheers.) Sir George Grey desires mo to express his great,regret that he is unablo to be present to thank you in person, but he hopes to show his gratitude in a more solid practical manner, and trusts that tho services which ho will render to the district will speak his thanks more powerfully than even his own eloquent words. (Cheers.) You havo done yourselves.great honour in sending so distinguished a man as Sir Geo. Grey as your representative- distinguished alike by his ability and eloquence, and last, though, not least, distinguished still more by his love for New Zealand and the deep interest which he takes in the welfare of its inhabitants. Before concluding, I must, on behalf of Sir Georgo Grey, express his _high appreciation of the manner in which the contest:, has. been conducted. It has been totally devoid of bitterness and personality. I now tender to you,. on .behalf of Sir George Grey, his heartfelt thanks for tho high honour you have conferred on him in placing him at the head of the poll. (Cheers.) . Mr Bowe was. received with cheers. He said : I am much pleased that this occasion is one which does not require a ■long speech. On my own behalf, I thank you for the honour you have done me in returning me as your representative in the Parliament of New Zealand (cheers), and am tho more pleased that the contest, as has already been stated, has been conducted without bitterness or personality, except in a very few'instances. When I entered , tho. contest, I determined not to utter a word or do an act which would leave any bitterness - behind in 9 the mind of friend or , opponont. * I do thank you most heartily;for the earnest manner in which you worked to secure my return. • A great many are distinguished by greater ability, and Mr Julius Yogel I consider the first statesman in the colony. If Sir Julius Yogel bad been brought out at the proper time and under proper authority, I would have supported him, but when he was only brought out at the last moment, for the purpose of defeating myself, I cannot but rejoice at his defeat. (Cheers.)' I. 'will'endeavour to fulfil the,- duties which appertain to the position of your representative to tho best of my ability, and wbeii I come back I trust I shall havo performed those duties in a way which shall satisfy my worst opponent. (Cheers.) I shall not represent my friends nor supporters only, but shall represent you as a whole, and trust to have your co-operation, that you will make,me acquainted with your wants and requirements, and I shall endeavour

to promote your interests. I hare only ono more word to say. I hopo that nil personality will now cease. An attempt has' been made to create some personality since tho election, but that individual says ho is going to Wanganui. (Cheers.) I have only ono thing to say, that if Wanganui is a place whore men have to toil hard to earn an honest livelihood, that it is not the climate which will suit him. (Laughter.)

Mr Bagnall said I have the honor, on behalf of Sir Julius Yogel, to thank those 685 electors who voted for him, and for my own part I have only to regret that of our two members he is not one of them. I have anothor thing to regret; Mr .Bowe was kind enough to say that the contest had beon conducted without personality, and he ought lo havo let it finish so. Ho had do right to say that Sir Julius Yogel was brought out to keep him out. (Cheers and interruption.) He had no right to say so, and no business to make such a remark. Sir Julius Yogel was brought out by those who had a deep interest in tho place, as deep an interest as Mr Howe, with a view of returning as their representative a man who would be able to do as much, or even more, for us tlian Mr Powo can. I do not wish to refer lo any of- the other candidates. The Government had not favoured Sir Julius Vogel; being brought out for the Thames, as ;they had given a pledge that he would sit for Wanganui, but I was of ..opinion, notwithstanding this, that if elected for the Thames, he would represent the 'i hames. No other statesmen in Now Zealand would in his absence and under the circumstances, havo polled the same number of votes he has done, and the large number of votes recorded in his favour is a credit to himself and those who supported him.

Mr Benshaw said: On behalf of Mr C. J?. Mitchell, I have to thank all those who voted for and, supported liioi, and am only sorry that there were riot three times the number, but if ever Mr Mitchell again seeks to be our representative, I hope we shall have the pleasure of thanking you for having placed him at the head of the poll. It is not always that a man can shab.off mistakes made in the past, but it is open to any man to be con. vinced of errors in the past, and that he would do better in future in eonsequence of those mistakes which he had made; and believing so, I have supported Mr Mitchell, and would have been glad to see him at the top. I believe ho would bo as useful a member as any we could get, and I would feel pleasure in supporting him again, feeling sure t]iat ho would bo a good friend to the Thames. I again thank those who supported Mr Mitchell, and am sorry that he is not at the head of the poll, Dr Kilgour then proposed a voteof thanks to the Returning Officer, which Mr Bowe seconded.

Major Keddell briefly returned thanks, and the band then played " God Save the. Queen." This brought the election to a conclusion, upon which the band struck up the " Conquering hero." The carriage containing Sir George Grey's friends, and the largo coach containing Mr Eowe, his supporters, and the band, then drove out to Parawai, back again through Shortland and Grahamstown, thence to Tararu, and back again to Grahamstown, dispersing in front of the Provincial Hotel. ■