THE RECENT ELECTION.

Thames Star, Volume XIX, Issue 5824, 29 September 1887, Page 2

THE RECENT ELECTION.

Official Declaration of the Foil.

x The result of the poll taken on Monday for the election of a member of the House of Representatives for the Thames district was officially announced outside the Court house at 10 a.m. to-day by Mr H. A. Stratford, Returning Officer. There were about 100 electors present. Mr Stratford explained the object for which he was present before them, and announced that the poll had resulted-— ! William Fraser 659 James McGowan 481 John Frater ... ... 207 Mr Fraser said he desired to return his sincere thanks to the electors for the honor they had conferred upon him by once more placing him in such a proud | position. He especially wished to thank the Chairmen and members of his committees for the manner in which they had worked to secure his return, to whom credit was certainly due. It would be for him to show bis sincerity by doing all he could for the district when he went to Wellington, and they could rely that he would do his utmost. He regretted that Sir Robert Stout had been defeated, but from a private telegram which he had received from the Premier, that gentleman had stated that he would not accept any ether seat, and that the sympathy be had received from the people throughout the colony more than compensated him for the loss of his seat. There could be no doubt that the Government were now in a minority, although they had polled a majority of the votes, many of their supporters having been elected by large majorities. It seemed to him that Sir Julius Yogel was master of the situation. He presumed that tho Government would resign, and the Oppo > sition be lent for and a new Government formed, but he thought that such would only hold office a very short time, though it was difficult to say what the result would be. It would be the duty of the tbref members elected from this end to work together for the good of the district they represented. (Applause.) Mr McGowan thanked ,the electors for the position in which they had placed him, and said that when it was taken into consideration that there were three candidates, and. that he had polled more than one-third of the votes recorded, he looked upon his defeat rather as a victory. The support he had received was,an independent'one, while influence and the best electioneering talent in the district was petted against him, and he felt proud that under such circumstances he should have succeeded in polling such a large number of votes. It spoke volumes for the working men of the Thames, who had sop* ported him well. He thanked all who had worked on his behalf. (Applause). , Mr Frater said there was a proverbial saying that an Englishman never knew w-hen he was beaten, which, though perhaps true in a.literal sense, did not apply at an election. In the recent contest he had been beaten badly, but it was not for him to say the reaion, as the electors bad the right to place who they liked at the head of the poll. He hoped that any ill-feeling that had been engendered during the election would now be removed, and in concluding, desired to thank those who had worked on his behalf and also the 207 voters wlio had recorded their votes in his faror. He trusted that they would be

more successful in the next campaign they were engaged in. Mr Fraser proposed a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, and the Deputy Returning Officers, which was accorded by acclamation. Mr Stratford thanked the electors for their good behaviour during the elections, and also referred in eulogistic terms to the assistance he had received from Mr F. J. Burgess and the other Deputy Returning Officer. The proceedings, which only occupied ten minutes, then terminated.