CITY ELECTION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVII, Issue 3121, 11 February 1871, Page 2

CITY ELECTION.

+ DECI/ABATION OP THE FOIjL. According to announcement, the result of the polling for the election for the city wad declared yesterday at noon, outside of the Resident Magistrate's Court. A large number of electors was present. The Returning Officer (J. C. Crawford, Esq), catne forward, and informed the electors that in consequence of one elector having voted twice, the result as given out would be now slightly altered. He then declared the figures to be — Pearco 378 Hunter ... ... ... ... 366 Travers 344 Richmond ... ... ... ... 329 Borlaae ... ... .. ... 78 Martin ... 33 The Returning Officer then declared Mr Pearce and Mr Hunter duly elected, and made way for the candidates, who, with the exception of Mr Travers and Mr Martin, were present. Mr Pearce, the first on the poll, came forward and thanked the electors. Ho said they had by their action on Tuesday last conferred upon him the highest honor in their power to bestow ; and he begged to assure them fchat he used no mere form of expression when he said lie thanked them for the distinguished position in which they had placed him. Ho begged also to thank his friends and supporters for their exertions on his behalf; while, at the same time, he wished to acknowledge the very general courtesy he had received from thoße who had differed from him in that contest, and to thank them for

having accepted bo good — temperediy the decision of the majority of the electors. He was fully conscious of the great responsibility he had incurred when he became a candidate to represent the capital city of New Zealand in the General Assembly ; but he trusted that no action of his would ever make the electors regret the choice they had made. It should be his endeavor, as it was his bounden duty, to advocate their interest, and support their cause in ovory possible way. He hoped the city members and country members would act together as one man in the House. By thus being at one they would come to have some weight, and be a power in the State — a power, he trusted, for good. That their exertions might be of some good, and aid in bringing about the prosperity and welfare of the colony, and especially of this portion of it, was his moat earnest prayer. Mr. Hunter begged to tender the electors his hearty thanks for the position in which they had placed him on the poll. He had been a citizen of Wellington for upwards of thirty years, and had cherished the idea that at some time other he might be elected to represent his fellow-townsmen in the House of Representatives; up to the present time circumstances had prevented him from offering himself. For a number of years the meetings of the Assembly were held in the north, and it was not in his power to leave this city and his businssß for two or three months at a time. As the Seat of Government was now in Wellington, •he had not hesitated on the present occasion to allow himself to be nominated as a candidate. They had heard Mr Johnston say the other night, ho (Mr H.) had held a seat in the Legislative Council upwards of twentythree years ago, and since that time he had always taken a more or less active part in politics. Ten years after that he had responded to a request made to him to stand for a seat in the Provincial Council ; and he was proud to aay the electors were good enough on that occasion to return him in as good a position on the poll as in the present election. Ho would endeavor to do the utmost in his power to show that he was worthy of the confidence reposed in him, and the honor conferred. It was undesirable to go into any of the general questions discussed during the election, as the matter was all settled. If a little party feeling had been excited during the contest, it was simply because it was impossible to have a contest of the kind without creating some little degree of feeling. He trusted that was now entirely allayed, and that they would become again a united community. Before closing his remarks, however, there was one matter he wished to refer to. A great deal had been said about the expense incurred in the election; and in one of the papers, a defeated candidate had spoken about the influence of wealth, and other things, having been brought to bear against him. The first story that came to his eara was that his committee had bought the " Advertiser" for £600 ; indeed, one elector went so far as to say he had actually seen the list that contained tbß different sums subscribed. That had been already contradicted emphatically. He was told yesterday that the election of Mr Pearce and himself cost over £2,000. All elections cost more or or less ; but he believed there never had been an election in the city in which there had been so little money spent. Mr Pearce and himself, from the first, set themselves, against anything of the kind. They felt that if they enjoyed the confidence of the electors thiy would be returned ; and if they did not enjoy that confidence, they had no wish to be returned by bought support. Again returning them his sincere thanks, he must admit that, after having lived among them for thirty years, it would have been a mortification to him to have been rejected, and ha would have felt it deeply; but as they had been good enough to return him as their representative/he would do all he possibly could to merit the confidence they have reposed In him on so many occasions. Mr Richmond said that in the unavoidable absence of Mr Travers he had been requested to return thanks for that gentleman to the electors who had voted for him ; and also to express his gratification at the way in which the whole election had been conducted. They had certainly been beaten, but not routed. The highest quality which a soldier could 'possess, and it was one that always marked a good soldier, wus that which he displayed in the hour of defeat, when he still faced his foe. Who did that they might say was a good soldier j and that should be their position. They should not lose heart, as sooner or later ho was convincod that they would win, and that the principles which they advocated would command the support of the constituency. Those principles were prudence and calculation in financial affairs and in all great colonising works, the baais of which should be opening up the land free to all comers. These ideas must prevail ; in faot, already, he ventured to say, they wore the great watchwords of a party which was fast arising in New Zealand. The colony was in want of union and political principles. She had hitherto been distracted by the discussions between little settlements, and by the want of common objects to struggle for ; but he thought the day was coming whea there would be some prospect of sweeping away the imbroglio of impolitic laws, which had so long been in the way of the settlement of the country, and which made immigration necessary for the recovery of its finanoial position. This must be, or, at all events, was likely to be, a matter of great risk. He would not detain them long. They must bear in mind that their standard wa3 still floating ; and, to ensure success in the future, only depended upon themselves. They should, from that day forth, go in for organising themselves better, and for educating all up to the same standard. They would then soon find out they •were in a position to retrieve the losses of that day. There were abundant signs in the present election that stowed him that at no very distant time soine Ministers might be compelled to appeal to the country, for the extraordinary confusion of ideas in the speeches of the various candidates now being returnod must, he feared, lead not only to great confusion, but very likely to an appeal to the electors that might end in changes in the House. Messrs Hunter and j Pearce were, he thought, even now being edu- ■ cated. Their views had become more expansive and statesmanlike even during tbe contost, and unless they progressed in their education they J would not, ho thought, at the next election, have to boast of being returned by a larga majority. Mr Borlase thanked the electors who had supported him. Ho was both grateful and gratified, because he felt that support had come from the old Radical Reform Association, round whose colors they had stood in former years ; and he was glad to see that there wore many still true as steel, though very many had been led away by false issues. (No, no.) Yes, as you have got a couple of Tories, who represent but one class and one interest. Ho would recommend them to be a liltlo more cautious in their tactics in any future election they might have to contest, as it was just the division of the votes that put those two gentlemen in the place they occupied. They must pay attention to these things, and have a thorough reform organisation, so that they might never again make such a mistake as to send two members of the one class into the House. Now, he should just like to have that fight over again, but with Mr Travers and himself, against Messrs Hunter and Pearce. There wjb one thing he might say before he closed what few remarks he had to make : they must all pay that he carried on the contest so far as regarded himself, without hurting tho feelings of a single individual ; and he would add that he believed he had not made a single enemy, nor lost a einglo friend. A few cries for Mr Martin were raised, but there was no appearance of Mr Martin. Mr Pearce proposed a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, which was seconded by Mr Richmond. A suitable reply being made by the Returning Officer, that closed the proceedings.