MAIL NOTICES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3256, 13 September 1878, Page 2

MAIL NOTICES.

Batorday, Sept. I*. For Dunedin and Port Chalmere, per Taranaki, wt H a.m. ; late letters, 11.20 a.m. ; railway station, 11.10 p m. train. Monday, Sept. 16. P«r Northern Ports, per Hawea, at 3 p.m. ; late letters, 3.20 p.m. ; railway rtition. 4 p.m. train. The next mail for thq United Kingdom, for correspond once specially marked " via Snez " or " via Br&diai," will leave Lyttelton per s.s. Eingarooma m Tuesday, Sept. 24. The maili are dae in London via Snez on Nor. 2?, vii Brindisi on Nov. IS.

STANDARD INSURANCE COMPANY.

way behind hie associates in advanced ideas. /That he fully enjoys the coufidence of the ratepayers is made evident by the large number of votes which separates him from the next highest on the poll. Indeed, the ratepayers, by their votes, seem to have removed him altogether to a lugher platform than his fellow candidates. In the instance of Mr Ayers there cannot be the slightest doubt of the cause, to which his return is due. This gentleman, in the conduct of his own particular business and in a number of other mattera of a general nature, has displayed such an amount of spirit, energy, and enterprise as to lead to a feeling that he was just the man required in the City Council. The citizens of Christchurch are not ungrateful for past services. Their disposition apparently runs too strongly in the opposite groove. The election of Mr Ayers therefore over ex-Oounciilors Bird, Briggs, and Toomer can only be accounted for on the supposition that there was a very wiue-spread and general feeling that now blood, life, and energy was imperatively required in the. City Council. It ia scarcely necessary to say tbat we entirely concur in that view, and congratulate the ratepayers upon the result. We trust that Councillor Ayers will accept his election in that aspect and will endeavour to. realise some of the anticipations which have been formed of him. The only difficulty we experience is to account upon reasonable and legitimate grounds for the return of Mr W. Wilson. We much regret to say that we regard the return of Mr W. Wilson to the City Council as a representative of the citizens of Christohurch as a deep disgrace to the city. Hero is an individual, who, through his committee, pleads guilty to the commission of some thing which he calls "the error." The offence thus characterised as " the error" was of such a nature as, at the time of its committal, to shock the sensibilities of the most hardened and blaze men of the world, and call up a universal burst of just indignation from every section of the community. What has since occurred to justify the reversal of tho public judgment then expressed? Whafe "atonement" has Mr Wilson made that he was not compelled to make ? But again, here is an individual who pleads guilty to the commission of •* errors " so serious that they can only be compensated by a deep atonement. Now why should he be selected for an honourable position over the heads of a number of gentlemen whose errors have always been of a comparatively trivial and common place nature? Is' it to be supposed that the greater a man's proclivities may be for the commission of " errors " of a serious character, the better qualified he becomes for the position of a representative of the ratopayers of such a City as Obriatchurch ? And how is the line to be drawn between errors that lead to Lyttelton'B famous institution, and errors tbat do not ? The theory is too preposterous ! We repeat that while we are ready to make allowance for a desire for change and for the infusion of greater activity in to public affairs, the election of Mr Wilson cannot be accounted for upon tbat ground ; it needs some other explanation : and in the absence of euch explanation, must be regarded as the greatest disgrace that ha 3 ever befallen this City.