WELLINGTON COUNTRY DISTRICTS ELECTION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1838, 5 March 1863, Page 3

WELLINGTON COUNTRY DISTRICTS ELECTION.

A meeting of the electors of the Wellington Country District, convened by H. S. Hill, Esq, the Returning Officer, was held outside the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, for- the purpose of nominating a qualified person to serve as a member of tho Provincial Council, iv the placo of John Forfcesquo Evelyn Wright, who had resigned.

The meeting was very thinly attended.

At 12 o'clock noon, H. St. Hill, Esq, ascended the hustings, and shortly stated the purpose for which the meeting had been convened .

Mr Monaghan camo forward to propose Mr J. B. Reading, as a fit and proper person to represent them in the Provincial Council. He was a small farmer, not a large runholder — one of themselves, and consequently was conversant with their wants and wishes.

Mr Hirst seconded the nomination

Mr Henry London begged to propose Mr Charles Daniel De Castro, as a candidate to represent the electors in the Provincial Council, Ho did not wish to oppose Mr Reading, whom ho considered was well qualified to be their representative ; but what they wanted, was a representative resident in the district, whom they could consult with, when there was any necessity for so doing. The electors .at present were put to agreat deal of inconvenience, for if they wished to consult with any of their members, they had to come into town, many of them from a considerable distance ; and when they arrived and saw the member, the probability was, that they found him so much engaged with his own private affairs that he had no time to devote to the public. They wanted to remedy this evil if they possibly could,. and therefore it was that ho had proposed Mr Do Castro, (a voice, you have got a road, wo want one). They had no representative residing in tho Porirua district, but Karori had a good member to look after its interests; (a voice, you have three members who are qualified in your district), and tho others were easily got at as they resided at the mouth of the district. If Mr de Castro was elected, he resided on the spot, and might easily bo consulted on all matters in which the interests of tho settlers were concerned.

Mr James Mitchell begged to second tho nomination of Mr De Castro. If 'they were defeated they would not have so much of Messrs Holdsworth and Co., on another occasion.

Mr Reading came forward at the earnest request of a large number of supporters ; he would be willing to retire in favour of the other candidate if ho could honourably do so ; but he held in his hand a requisition requesting him to go to the poll, and he felt that he was bound to do so. He had been urgently solicited to put up in 1860, but had declined doing so in favour of Mr Mitchell. When Mr Mitchell retired from tho Provincial Council, he was again solicited to fill the vacancy at the General Election. Being informed that MiBrown of Ohaviu, had consented to be put in nomiination, ho again declined ; when Mr. Wright, of Ohiro, issued an address, and was accepted, He had on two occasions made way out of compliment to Porirua electors. With regard to what had fallen from Mr London relative to the country district Members, ho could assure them that they had as little of those gentlemen's presence at Karori, as they had at Porirun. If they wanted those gentlemen, they had to invite them to attend a meeting, and when the electors had done so, the members always attended. He would advise tho electors at Porirua to do the same. All ho could say was, that if he was elected, a note would be sufficient, to command his presence at any meeting in the district. Ho solicited the suffrages of the electors as a free and independent candidate ; and would state, that if tho Executive Government proposed good measures, he would support them ; and if bad ones, he would give them his strenuous opposition. Mr de Castro thought that the motives of his coming forward had been fully set forth in his address. The Porirua part of the district had no resident member, and this was found to be most inconvenient. It elected, he would do his best to forward the interests of the Province generally, and his own district in particular. He came forward as' a free and independent candidate, equally with Mr Reading, and would be prepared to support good measures, if brought forward either by tho Government or private members, and equally ready to oppose bad ones.

Tho Returning Officer then asked for a shew of hands, which being given it he declared to bo in favour of Mr Beading.

Messrs London and Mitchell then demanded a poll on behalf of Mr de Castro.

The Returning Officer then said that the polling would tako place on Saturday next, the 7th March ; tho poll opening at 9 a.m., and closing at 4 p.m. at the following places : — At Wellington, tho Resident Magistrate's Court. At Karori, the School House, At Porirua Road, the premises of Mr William Best, At Pahatahanui, the premises of Mr Stace. At Otaki, the premises of Matene To Whiwhi. At Manawatu, the premises of F. Robinson, Esq.

Mr St. Hill further stated, that tho poll would be declared at the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, the 10th March, at 12 noon.

Mr Reading moved a vote of thanks to tho Returning Officer, which was cordially seconded by Mr de Castro, and earned by acclamation. The meeting then separated.