COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

West Coast Times, Issue 732, 28 January 1868, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Me Clabke's Meeting at the Eoyai. Hotel, Waimea. (ehom a cobbespondent.) On Saturday, the 25th instant, Mr P. Clarke, candidate for the representation of the Goldfields, held a numerously attended meeting at the above hotel, Mr Molloy in the chair, at which there was a very large attendance of miners and storekeepers, to hear the exposition of the candidate's political opinions. Mr Clarke dwelt at considerable length on the necessity and importance to all classes of opening up the country for mining enterprise. The miners, he said, were the bone and sinew of the country, and on their enterprise and success depended the prosperity or otherwise of merchants, storekeepers and businessmen in general. If the miners failed, all interests were sure to languish, and it therefore behoved the miners and others interested in their success to send to the County Council, men in whom they had confidence, and who understood their wants. He (Mr Clarke) had been among them since Waimea was opened. They knew him well, and if from their knowledge of him, they thought liirn worthy of their confidence, and did him the honor of returning him to a seat in the County Council, he promised to serve them faithfully at least, and to the best of his ability, The uext question to which the speaker alluded •was that of education, upon which he dwelt at considerable length arguing that no country could hope to be permanently prosperous or happy, whose children were not supplied with facilities of education. The opening of the public lands for the purposes cf agricultural settlement, and other cognate subjects, the speaker dwelt upon at considerable length and was repeatedly applauded in the course of his address.

On the motion of Mr Hoohlan, seconded by Mr Moran, a resolution was unanimously carried declaring Mr Clark to be a fit and proper person to represent the miners in the County Council. On the motion of Mr Muran, seconded by Mr Morris, a committee was appointed to secure Mr Clarke's return consisting of upwards of forty names. The meeting then separated with three cheers for the candidate.