The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 428, 14 December 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1868.

OtTR columns to-day contain two important announcements, both of which are of local interest, while one of them will undoubtedly be a source of interest, if not of surprise, to the whole colony. Both of thein are of local interest thus far, that they imply something more than mere amusement for the people of "Westport at their holiday season, and something which, it is to be hoped, will be dealt with in the same hearty spirit as the preliminaries to the minor matter of amusement have been, and with a deliberative care which, in its exercise and its ending, shall be not less creditable to the community.

The first is simply the announcement that, on an early date, the electors of Westport and its neighbourhood •will be called upon to nominate for election, one of their number as their representative in the Nelson Provincial Council. "We are not yet informed as to the exact date of the nomination, but that, we believe,will bemadeknown withinthenext twenty-four hours. When known it is sincerely to be hoped that it will excite a little more local and lively interest than, so far as has been discoverable on the surface, any mere anticipation of the eveut has hitherto done. We were rude euough, the other day, to go further than mere insinuation by asserting that there exists in the district an exceptional and only partially excusable apathy with regard to political matters. It would be eminently satisfactory if, by a rush of candidates to the hustings, and even as far as the poll, this assertion were to be disproved, and that we should have, in common with many others, to confess ourselves misled by a superficial examination of the political crust of the community, and ignorant of the number of honorably ambitious individuals who required only the issue of the writ and the solicitation of the electors to call them into existence as public men. It would be still more satisfactory if the honorable and honorary office of Councillor should not go a-begging, but should incite intelligent and worthy men to come forward unsolicited, and stake the chances of their election on the public knowledge of their merits, and on the public faith that they will discharge their duty to the district. It surely shall not be said that the office offers no attractionsforsuchmen,orthat there are no men who feel within themselves that they possess merits for the office. A pernicious example has undoubtedly been shown in the case of Timaru, where neither candidate nor electors were found sufficiently appreciative of the Canterbury Provincial Council to be ambitious of becoming, or electing, a member of that august body; but, however apathetic we may be in Westport, it cannot be that we have yet attained such an attitude of defiance towards the Nelson Council as to go to that extreme.

The second and more important announcement will be found in our telegraphic intelligence from Wellington. The Parliament is to be dissolved, and, close upon the Provincial election, will probably come the election of a new member to the General Assembly, provided always that ourpresentmember,Mr Gallagher, does not choose to stand, and secure such a majority as he did on the last occasion. The announcement of the dissolution of Parliament cannot be said to be altogether a surprise, for there was, during the session, more than one promise, if promise it might be called, that such would be the programme of Ministers, in preference to a retirement from their offices

at the moment of their defeat. It is an announcement which is, however, so far surprising by the fact that it has come thus early, and at the present exciting juncture in the management or mismanagement of Native affairs. The opinion, may be hazarded that the very circumstances which, in our relations with the Natives, have arisen since the session closed, have much to do with the dissolution, and especially with the early calling together ef the General Assembly ; but as to the reasons of the resolution on the part of Ministers we are as yet uninformed. It is possibly etiquette that we should remain so, and that not until the session is opened, shall we know the matters or the motives which have prompted the change. Whatever they may be, a more important and keenly contested election will not have, probably, previously occurred in the history of the Colony; and, however much increased may have been the number of Mr Gallagher's .friends since the date of his eleetion, it is highly probable that we shall not be without a contest here.