CITY COUNCIL ELECTION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3278, 15 August 1871, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL ELECTION.

THE NOMINATION. Aboub 200 persona assembled in fronb of the Athenaoum yesterday to witness the proceedings oonnected with the nomination of a member to fill the seat vacated in the City Council by the resignation of Councillor Plimmer. Precisely at noon, the Beturning Officer, Mr Lewis Moss, stepped forward, and read the writ for the election of a member for Lambton Ward, and also the advertieement calling upon the ratepayers to nominate a candidate. He then read one paper signed by Messrs W. M. Bannatyne, F. A. Krull, and Warburton, nominating Mr David Anderson ; and a second signed by Messrs W. H. Johnston, H. Blundell, and Gk Blaker, nominating Mr P. A. Buokloy. He said that as more than one candidate had been proposed, a poll would be taken next day, and if the candidates wished to address the ratepayers, then he hoped they would receive a patient hearing. Mr Andebson was the first fco address those present. After a few explanatory observations as to the reasons that had induced him to come forward as a candidate to represent the ward in the City Council, he said he considered the great matter to be thought of just now was the purchase of the reclaimed land ; that was what Councillor Plimmer went out of the Council for, and that was what he was going in for, because at the meeting of the Council at which ib was agreed to entei upon the purchase, three members voted against it and three for it, so that it was only carried by the casting vote of the Mayor. Unhappily two of the members of the Oounoil were absent from that meeting ; he said unhappily, because he considered that they should have been in their places to discusß the merits of such a proposal. Whether the proposal to purohase the reclaimed land should hare been entertained was a ques* tion not for him but for the Council to decide j but as there had been very great diversity of opinion among the ratepayers upon this question, he thought the Council should have laid the matter before them, and allow them to decide upon it. In conclusion, Mr Anderson mentioned that he had been a resident of Wellington for twenty-two years, and had, by prudence and perseverance, gained a position among the citizens of which he wt»s proud. He had no one to dictate to him what his conduct in the Council should be, and if elected he would serve the ratepayers to the best of his ability. Mr Buckley said it wa9 with no desire to oppose Mr Anderson that he had come forward, nor was it with any wish to foist himself upon their notice that lie appeared before the ratepayers upon that occasion ; it was because he had been requested by a large and influential body of the ratepayers to do so, who had assured him that his success was certain, and upon that ground he had acceded to their wishes, The great question before them now waa the purchase of the reclaimed land, but that was already a settled matter. It now became necessary that the representatives of the ratepayers should see that no fresh burden was imposed upon the city, and that the rates should be divided among the different wards, according to the amount of rates paid. It was quite time that the City Council took its proper place in the oity. If that body were properly managed, they would get rid of the triple form of government which was such a bugbear to Wellington, because if they set the example and tried to do without provincialism, they would find that it had been feeding on the place, and could very soon be done away with. He was quite sure that it was the in« tention from the very first that, as soon as the municipalities were in proper working order, provincial institutions would cease to exist. As to the merits of the reolaimed land purchase, he was not in a position to express any opinion upon it ; he had not heard any opinions offered which had weighed with thoao who voted either for it or against it, ' but if ho went into the Council ho would considor it his duty to see that the rates were properly expended. He would like to go into the Council free and unfettered, to look after their interests generally, aud in doing that he would be studying his own. As all the old forms of proposing aud se« oonding candidates havo been eliminated from proceedings of this nature by the introduction of the nomination papers, the pioceedings wore denuded of the spirit of fun usually characterising our election meetings, so that on the whole they were remarkably bald, the speeches of the candidates themselves being very meagre. A vote of thanks to the Keturning Officer was then proposed by Mr Anderson, and eeconded by Mr Buckley. The meeting then dispersed. The polling will bo taken this day, from eight till four.