The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1884. The Selwyn Seat.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1042, 5 January 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1884. The Selwyn Seat.

For the second time within a year the seat for Selwyn in the House of Representatives is vacant, and the names of three candidates are before the electors. The late Mr Lee has left no reputation as a politician behind him, for the reason that almost from the time he entered Parliament up to the day of his death he suffered from bad health. His single effort was to second the Address in Reply to the Governor’s Speech, and in that not very difficult task he acquitted himself satisfactorily. There is no reason to suppose that the late member for Selwyn would have developed into a brilliant ornament of the legislature, but had he been spared, the knowledge he had gained as Chairman of the County Council might have stood him in good stead, and made him something more than an average representative. At the time of the last election for this constituency Mr Lee had to meet a very strong opponent in Mr Richardson, and the general opinion was that the latter would secure the seat. The event proved the incorrectness of this view, but it must be confessed, without showing the slightest disrespect to the memory of thelatemember, that the least able of the two candidates gained the victory —a result by no means unique in Parliamentary elections. As to the other aspirant for political honors on the occasion referred to, Mr McLachlan, it was recognised that he was altogether out of the running, although he created a good impression by the moderate tone of his addresses to the electors. Probably the chief thing which led to Mr Richardson’s defeat was the feeling he showed towards the Ministry. That he had been treated scurvily by the WhitakerAtkinson Government can scarcely be denied, but that was certainly no reason why he should have forsaken his former principles and allied himself to a party with which he can have no real sympathy. Without possessing much political intelligence, the people of New Zealand instinctively fight shy of one who is ready to change his opinions for reasons that appear to be engendered by something very like personal spleen, and when the day of polling came the Selwyn electors preferred to pin their faith to the less able candidate, simply because they regarded him as sound. Whether Mr Richardson will benefit from his experience and contest the election as a candidate who will give the present Ministry an independent support, instead of throwing in his fortunes with that very ragged regiment which constitutes the present Opposi tions remains to be seen; but at any rate

he will be called upon to fight against heavier metal than the late Mr Lee. Mr Kdward Wakefield intends to come forward, and we have no doubt that the battle will be hardly fought on both sides. The ex-member for Geraldine has long been recognised, even by those who do not coincide with his views, as one of the ablest politicians in the colony. He is a skilled debater, and not only possesses great oratorial powers, but his opinions on public questions are always worthy of careful consideration. There is indeed little to choose between these two candidates, both of whom are experienced politicians, and Selwyn ought to esteem itself lucky in being afforded a choice of such men. It would, however, be absurd to attempt to prophesy that either of them will be returned for the constituency. The bucolic mind is distrustful of anything like brilliancy,

and the fact of Mr Wakefield and Mr Richardson having proved themselves clever men in the past, may really militate against them. Local prejudice is so important a factor in parliamentary elections in the less populated districts, that weshould by nomeans be astonished

to see Mr McLachlan at the top of the poll, however deplorable, from a colonial point of view, such a result would be. No doubt the latter is an admirable gentleman in private life, but we have already enough and spare of such representatives, while the addition of a Richardson or a Wakefield is sadly wanted in the present Parliament.