MR HOBBS AND TEH MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4792, 8 September 1883, Page 3

MR HOBBS AND TEH MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

TO THB BDITOB 07 THB BTAB.^ Bib,-—I am a comparative stranger in your oity, and therefore, however extraordinary it may seem, I knew nothing about Mr F. Hobbs until a very few weeks ago. After this humiliating confession of ignorance you will cortainly exouse me from signing this letter with my own name. It is evident from Mr F. Hobbs' answer to the deputation who " waited on him," to use the olassioal phrase, relative to his election to the Oity Oounoil, that not to know Mr F. Hobbs not merely argues yourself unknown but shbwß an ignorance amounting to crime. For it is olear to me that although I had previously only known Mr F. Hobbs as tho perpetrator of an offenoe against good taste (and the Oity By-laws it was thought) in putting a hideous iron roof on a still more hideous little hovel whioh wbb unhappily spared by the great fire in Cathedral square, he is really one of those great men, one of those commanding intellects, one of those beaefaotors of the human speoies, who only appear about once in a century. Not to have heard of suoh t man, even at the Antipodes, shows a reckless .grorance of contemporary history, which, as have said, is positively criminal. Of course every word that proceeds from this great man's mouth is precious, and I read most carefully all that be said. He is evidently the Saviour of Sooiety, like the late Emperor Napoleon 111. No wonder that a deputation presented themselves, humbly begging this great and good man to do them the favour of representing them at the Borough Counoil. His reply was graoious, considering the audacity of the request. Bepresent them indeed! Represent a parcel of oommonplaoe human beings with grovelling ideas, and thoughts far, far beneath the lofty intellectual level of the God-like Hobbs. Bepresent these poor oreatures 1 No; but he would represent himself, his ideas, his opinions, and in so doing he would shed some of the effulgence of his glory over Ohristohuroh itself. He must havo cartellanohe. Needless to say the deputation meekly acquiesced; he would be eleoted by a large majority ; the large majority will gratefully rush to the poll; he must get rid of the Town Olerk and the Treasurer; of course those wretched creatures have resigned ere this, shrivelled up, and blasted by tho thunderbolt of Jupiter Hobbs (will he be meroiful and spare the short remainder of, their miserable lives P). He—Mr F. Hobbs —must repeal all the by-laws whioh have been made during bis absence from the Oounoil. and will graoiously re-enaot only thoße whioh he thinks will please everybody. Mr F. Hobbs is no doubt a wonderful man. j Ho is unquestionably a olever man, for he knows that nine men out of ten take a man at his own valuation ; but for onoe in a wav, I think he has made a mistake. Everybody is laughing at his deputation, his absurd speeoh, and at himself and the ridioulous way in which the deputation grovelled before him. This is not the place for Croearism, Ihere are other men in Christ* ohuroh who perhaps think as muoh of them* selves as Mr Hobbs thinks of himself, though this would Beam diffioult. But as Cioero says, " Cum sgo non cum summit viris com 1 paro." Eo; he stands in my opinion alone and unapproaohable, a balo of ineffable glory surrounds him, and in the spirit, if not the words of his deputation, I say ATE OES4B, IMPBBAIOB! Ohristohuroh, Sept. 7.

TO THB BDITOB 07 THB STAB. Bra,— With your leave, I ahould like to contradiot a statement made by "Burgess" in this morning's Times, viz.,— "Had he (Mr Hobbs) so desired he oould have had a walkover forthe North-east Ward. I have good reason to believe that neither Mr Crooks nor Mr Hosking would have opposed him." Sir, I have never been consulted on the subjeot, and" Burgess" has no authority to make the assertion in reference to myself. — I am, ke, t W. H. HOSKING.