The Star. SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1892. Yesterday's Verdict.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7181, 16 January 1892, Page 2

The Star. SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1892. Yesterday's Verdict.

The result of yesterday's election at Wellington must be extremely gratifying to the Liberals of New Zealand, as it shows that even in the very centre of Conservatism in this Colony a majority of the electors can be found to vote for a candidate who boldly proclaims himself a supporter of the present Liberal Government. The contest between Mr M'Lean and Mr Bell was fought purely on party lines ; and but for this being the caße there can be little doubt that the result would have been other than what it has been. For, of the two men, Mr Bell waß decidedly the more popular. Only the other day he was elected to the Mayoral chair of the city; he is a practised speaker, holds a high social position, has troops of enthusiastic personal friends, and, we believe, no enemies, and is universally respected. In addition to all these advantages, Mr Bell had the unanimous advocacy of the three local journals. It would, indeed, have been surprising if his friends and himself had had the slightest misgivings as to his election yesterday. As a fact we know that his friends at first anticipated Buch a victory as would have made Mr M'Lean's position on the poll simply ridiculous. A majority of a thousand at least — possibly of 1500— was freely spoken of, influential and fluent-tongued canvassers volunteered their services, and funds were liberally promised to meet expenses. It was with such a prospect before it that the Government determined to win the election. The task might well have appalled the ministers but it did not. The more hopeless victory appeared the more did they brace themselves up to achieve it. As time went on those who watched the contest saw that Mr M'Lean was daily gaining Bupport, while Mr Bell was losing it. The majority that Mr Bell was to have dwindlod by degrees until it came down from hundreds to scores. Still he was to win, and up to the last the hopes of Mb friends remained very sanguine. Yesterday the Prees Association told us that Mr Bell's supporters were " extremely confident." It is worth while

to analyse the voting of yesterday, in order to show its bearing upon the position of the Liberal Ministry. At the general election Mr Bell was classed as an Independent candidate, and received 2305 voteo, yesterday he was an Opposition candidate and received 3252 votes. If we deduct from yesterday's total the number of what may be considered the voteß of his personal friends and admirers we shall get the net result of 047 as representing the friends of the present Opposition. Taking the same view of Mr M'Lean'e votes, we find that he polled yesterday 3405 instead of 1067. The difference, 2335, may be taken to have been composed of Buppoiters of the Government. From this point of view the majority for the Government is 1391 ; but as Mr M'Lean was a Liberal candidate at tho general elections all those who voted for him yesterday may be held to be supporters of the Government, and thus the Liberal majority becomes 2458. j If this is a " moral defeat/ as contended , by the Press this morning, then we are sure the Ministry will be glad to be " morally defeated " in all the other constituencies of the Colony. Apart from the pleasure our frienda must naturally feel at ! the victory of the Liberal party, they have reason to be gratified at the manner in which the election was conducted. De- ' spite the fact that the contest was so ' keenly carried on, that an almost unpre- , cedentedly large number of votes was , polled, " the utmost good humour," we i are told, " prevailed," and "at one time the candidates drove together in a dogcart from one booth to another." This ia a3 it should be, and is an excellent precedent for future elections.