THE GREYMOUTH ELECTION,

West Coast Times, Issue 1658, 23 January 1871, Page 3

THE GREYMOUTH ELECTION,

In his speech at Greymouth, a few nights ago, Mr Harrison made the following reference to Mr Buckley's candidature : —

The candidature of Mr Buckley is surrounded by circumstances of a character so exceptional as to be without parallel in any former political contest in New Zealand. I have been made fully aware of those circumstances both from Mr Buckley's on-n lips and from those of some of j his requisitionists, and I challenge any of Mr Buckley's friends now present to deny the accuracy of the sta'ement I am ab"ut to rmke. He was brought forward under the following circumstances : — Some five or six months ago there was a meeting of delegates at Wellington representing a certain religious community on the We-t Coast, for the purpose of considering some matter of church discipline. Mr Buckley rendered great assistance to these gentlemen, and, I suppose, in gratitude for those exertions, he was invited to come forward to repn sent a West Coast constituencj r . Mr Buckley asked what his chances were ? and his friends assured him that they could easily ensure his election. This was before the altoation of the electoral districts, and when Mr Buckley arrived in Greymouth he told me that he thought I was going to stand again for my old constituency, " Westland Borcugh," and that he regretted finding himself opposed to me ; but, heing here, he was, of course, in the hand* of his friends, and must po on with the comes*. T'.ese were the circumstances of Mr Buckley's candidature, but I must say that those who invited Mr Buckley to come forward had very little conception of the political importance and nt cessit es of the district. With them it was evidently a mere matter of gratitude for services which have no rela'ion whatever to a nolitical contest of this kind.

At the nomination on Thursday, Air J. Kilgour proposed Mr W. 11. Harrison as a fit and proper person to represent the district in the Assembly. Mr E. Masters seconded the mution. Mr D. Speedy proposed Mr P. A. Buckley. A show of hands was then taken as follow." :—: — Mr "W. H. Harrison G7 Mr P. A. Buckley 9.0 Mr Shcedy and Mr Purcell dem-in o • a j poll on hehalf of Mr Buckley. Mr Kilgour : Let it slid* 3 as it is ; as a niathr of economy you ought to give way. The nv'ne}' it will cost ihe eoun ry w 1 ma^e a few chains ot the wharf or some of the back steets. — (Laughter.) Mr Re veil (!■ - j cl.ircd that the poll would take -place at the appointed polling booths, on Thursday next.