THE LECTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4813, 29 November 1893, Page 1

THE LECTIONS.

Results of the Polling, An Overwhelming Government Victory. The general elections came off yesterday and resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Liberal Party, whose candidates were returned in the vast majority of electorates, while most of the prominent members of the Opposition lost their seats. AFTEB THE POLL CLOSED. As it grew dusk the public began to gather around the newspaper offices and the Scotch Stores Hotel, where, it had been announced, the results of the election would be dispiayed; By far the largest crowd was that which assembled in front of the Lyttelton Times Office, where several thousand persons were gathered together. A few larrikins, with a supply of rotten eggß, were included therein, and caused some annoyance to the respectable portion of the crowd by hurling these unsavoury miailes at random. Long before the assemblage dispersed, however, the hoodlums' ammunition was exhausted, and the subsequent proceedings, though noisy, were orderly. The vast majority of those presont were evidently Liberals, and the information 'which was given to them wsb certainly of a Bort to keep them in good humour. That information, it Bhould be noted, was conveyed to the public in two ways. The result of each election was displayed on a sheet, erected on the opposite side of Gloucester street, by means of a triple lantern manipulated by Mr Crook; and the total results from the various electorates were posted in the windows ou the east of the main entrance. The first item of news to make its appearance on the screen was the announcement of Mr Bussell'B win at Biccarton. This waß followed by the intelligence of a long train of victories, each of which was heartily cheered, the enthusiasm of the crow.i rising higher and higher as the name of Liberal after Liberal appeared, followed by the word " Elected." The name of Mr Joyce evoked an especially hearty burst of cheering. Those of the Hon John M'Kenzie. Major Steward, Mr Tanner and Sir G. M. O'Eorke also evoked particularly lively demonstrations of approval; and when the victory of Mr Montgomery over the leader of the Opposition' wa3 announced, the enthusiasm of the crowd was evinced by tremendous cheering, which lasted for several minutes. It subsided for a while, and then, on someone calling for three cheers for Montgomery, it burst forth again. The news cf Mr M'Lachlan's viotory at Ashburton drew a very hearty cheer from the throng, which also jubilated exceedingly over the return of the three members of the Labour ticket at Dunedin. The Chrißtchurch return, tha principal object for which the gathering wa3 waiting, was very late in making its appearance, and it was not until past midnight that the announcement was flashed on to the sheet that Messrs Beeves, Smith and Collins were leading, but that two returns were; to come in. Vociferous and prolonged cheering greeted the announcement. One of the delayed returns, that from the Oddfellows' Hall, Montreal Btreet north, arrived soon afterwards, and the names of the same three candidates were displayed as thoße of the leaders. Cheer after cheer now broke from the crowd, and the calls for "Beeves" were many and loud. Shortly afterwards that gentleman drove up in a cab, from which the horse was taken by his enthusiastic supporters, who draw him in triumph to the Times Office, and carried him shoulder high into the building, from a window of which he addressed the assemblage. The las:* return, tbat from St John's school, in the compilation of which there was a most inordinate delay, was not available until after 1 a.m., and the complete result, the election of Messrs Beeves, Smith and Collins was then exhibited amid another scene of enthusiasm. During the intervals between the exhibition of the various returns a number of portraits of successful candidates, and of various celebrities, and pictures from Mr Crook's fine collection were shown on the. screen. Hearty cheers greeted those of Mr Gladstone, the Premier, the Hon W. P. Eeeves and some of the others. A selection of comic sketches, very cleverly drawn, was also shown, and caused much amusement. One of the most popular of the series was a caricature of the first and present Mayors of Christchurch, which evoked roars of laughter. Mr Crook, it may be noted, deserves great credit for the manner in which he manipulated the lantern during the nignt^ • , ; A number of fireworks were let off/rqm 'one of the first-floor , wi^qwss£^,e. feniex.; Office, . and^afiej;. Mesa,^ and Tannei].\had^ ; crowd, wfi(ch -had. 'teeri gooiify humoured, if?. somewhat -noisy, -gradually, dispersed.. It should be noted that shortly after the result of the Biccarton election became known, Mr Bussell arrived on the scene, the horses being taken out of his vehicle by some of his supporters, who drew it to the Times Office in triumph. During the evening Messrs Bickerton Bros projected the results on a screen at the Scotch Stores. They also showed a good collection of New Zealand and Home views. It may ba noted that the number of informal votes in the Christchurch election was comparatively small, a fact which speaks well for the carefulness of the newly enfranchised electors. ADDBESSES BT THE ELECTED CANDIDATES. In addressing the crowd from a window in the Times Office, The Hon W. P. Beeves, after the cheering had subsided, said : — lf I could find words to thank you as I should like to, I do not think I could find the voice, and therefore I shall not say much. At last I at lajt ! the„voice of the people of Christchurch has spoken ! (Cheers.) I have waited very patiently, week after week, in the face of the mud and vitriol and abuse and slander which have been flung at me. (Cheers.) I have waited and I have not answered. I have left it to you. to answer, and it would seem as though you have answered to-night in a way in which a constituency very seldom answers. (Loud cheers.) I have to thank you with all my heart for the splendid vote of approval which you have , passed in my poor efforts to serve you in ' the past three years. (Cheers.) In electing me, the working men of Christchurch have endorsed the labour policy of the Government •— (load cheers) — and the whole Liberal Party of Christchurch has emphatically declared for the preservation of our national system of education. , (Cheers.) Gentlemen, the incompleteness of the returns prevents me from speaking as to the colleagues whom you havo given me, as I am not quite certain who they are. (Cheers and cries of "Collins and Smith!") If they are Messrs Collins and Smith, then I have -to say this.* That though Mr Smith's friends have been very bitter enemies of mine, yet as between Mr Smith and myself there has never been any hostile feeling. (Cheers and a voice " And let's hope there never will be!") I •shall be prepared to work with that gentleman in a,, friendly way for the benefit of our joint constituency. (Cheers.) * Now, ladies and gentlemen, to go past the

Christchurch election, I cannot say good night to you without congratulating you upon the extraordinary Liberal victory which has absolutely swept the Opposition out of existence — (cheers) — throughout Canterbury, and I think I may say throughout the South Island of New Zealand. Liberals have been returned. We have often longed for a united Canterbury, we have it at last. (Cheers.) As you know, there are many people who have clamoured for the abolition of party government, but it seems to me that the people of the Colony have declared at the election for its abolition by leaving only one party in the House. (Cheers.) What the result of that experiment will be, time will show, but from what I already see I can say that the forthcoming Parliament should be able to buckle again to work and carry on the progressive and Liberal reforms which the last Parliament commenced in so brilliant a fashion. (Cheers) , I am glad to have got my eld friend Mr Tanner to stand with me in the noxt Parliament. (Three cheers for Mr Tanner.) You see the extraordinary success of the labour ticket in Dunedin. It has absolutely buried, the other side, and we have two new Labour members in Mr Millar for Port Chalmers and Mr Morrison for Caversham. As Minister for Labour, therefore, I may be able, in spite of -the Tipper House, to carry on successfully the work of Labour reform. (Loud and continued cheering.) Mr W. W. Tanner, who wai received with cheers, said:— l said last night that the Conservatives were a doomed party, bnt now I say' they are almost an extinct party — (cheers) •—and the people of Avon have done what lay in their power towards bringing about this result. I thank the people of Avon for being true to the traditions of their fathers, and I thank the women for looking after the interests of their children. I had to fight the machinations of the Tories and the thunders of the Church, and both have been vanquished. I hope the people will always be true to themselves, as they were in 1890 and in 1893. (Cheers.) Mr W. W. Collins, who was oheered again and again, said :— Gentlemen, I have to say how sincerely I thank you for the sympathy you have shown me this day, and also for the suffrages you have accorded me. Will you allow me to say I think we may claim again a grand and a glorious victory. (Cheera.), It is not a personal victory, but . a viotory of a political character. (Cheers.) The victory in my case has been one 1 against misrepresentations and against abuse. I shall be able to say, now the conflict is over, that my position has been won without a single unkind word. (Cheers). I think, in my case, there has been not only a political victory but a great moral victory, inasmuch aB you have shown that you could sink your prejudices on behalf of principles. (Cheers). I believe from this moment that the Liberal Party will be so consolidated that nothing can stop its progress. (Cheers). Ladies and gentlemen, it would be cruel to keep > you here at this late— or shall I say early --hour, and if you will pardon me I will simply say again that I thank you very sincerely indeed for the honour you have done me, the glorious victory you have won, and the consistency you have displayed "to Liberal principles. (Cheers). The Hon W. P. Beeves called for three hearty cheers for his late colleague, Mr Sandford — (cheers) — who had loyally served the Christchurch constituency for two years, and who, he hoped, would be spared to serve again. Cheers were heartily given, and the great gathering dispersed. AVON. At the Linwood Borough Council Chambers, which is the principal polling place for the Avon electorate, a steady stream of voters was arriving all the morning, and great interest appeared to be taken in the proceedings. At about one o'clock quite 500 votes bad been recorded, a large proportion of which were by ladieß. There was no excitement at New Brighton, though a good many votes were polled. At Woolston matters were fairly brisk, and a large number of vehicles was employed in bringing up voters. The following are the returns : —

Tanner. M'lntyre. Wilson. Linwood ... 741 399 130 Ohoka ... 127 54 39 Phillipstown 386 172 56 Woolston ... 88 127 10 New Brighton 88 127 10 Burwood ... 75 64 28 Marshlands 47 89 44 Clarkeville... 45 13 47 Swannanoa... 15 26 20 1612 1071 384