COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 558, 18 November 1881, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.

Through the eastern district of the County of Akaroa, some considerable interest was evoked in the elections for momliersof the riding in this part of the County. During the previous week the representation of tiie riding in the Western part of the county had all been settled by the appearance of only one candidate for the Riding of T:ii Tapu, Port Victoria. Port Levy, and Pigeon Bay. Wednesday, the 9th day of the present mor.th, is the day fix'd by law as the day for triannual elections, under the Counties Aft, 187 G. but this ye v , the day falling upon the Prince of Wales Birthday, it was arranged by an order in Council that in this part of the colony the election should take place on the third Wednesday in the month, as a consequence the day of polling was fixed for Wednesday last. As will have been observed from our advertising columns, a large number of the candidates addressed their wished for constituents through our medium, and other aspirants for Council honors called and addressed public meetings of the doctorate of tiie district. For the five contested Ridings no less than fourteen candidates urged their claims on the electors, Berard heading the list with a choice of five iri'iillemen nil qualified to repiesent them. Naturally the candidates varied considerably in their opinions as to the relative advantages of County Councils and Road Bonds, and their interest is> the matter must gauge thu opinions of the electors from the poll of yesterday. The Council at a recent meeting appointed Mr McGregor a« th'jir returning officer, who has taken every moans to make the election convenient for the public, with the loast expense to the Council. Mr MuGregor wan assisted in his duties last Wednesday by the following aides, who acted as deputy returning officers :—Wainni Ridimr, Mr A. G. Wiirgins. and Little River Hilling, Mr W, 11. Wood. For the other ridings there were m»re than one polling place each For Berard Riding the polling places were : Mr J. C. WaecUerle's b.Mise, Akaron, ;\t which Mr \V. Kirns presided, and the offices of the Council Diiviudielle's Bay, at whic v > Mr McGregor was present. At the schoolhouse. Le Bon's Bay, Mr Waiter Pnrsons acted for the Le Bon's Riding ; and nt the schoolhoHse, Little Akaloa, Mr J. C Hubbard acted for the Riding of Okain's. At the Okain's Bay Library Mr J. Barwiek occupied the dilliciilt position of taking polls for botii th>} Okain's and Lβ Bon's Ridings. It had been previously arranged that messengers should be sent from tl.e different polling booths io the olfices of the Council immediately on the close of. the poll. Shortly after 6 p.m. the Returning Officer at the Council Chambers announced that he had polled during the day for W. MasetieSd 4, G. Armstrong 2, E. S. Chappell 2, B. Shad; olt 29, G. H. Snxton 13. Shortly afterwards the messjuger arrived from the Akaroa polling place with the result obtained there for this riding which were as fellows: —W. Maseiield 58, G. Armstrong 40, E. S. Chappei! 15, B. Shadbolt 12, G. H. Saxton nil, Mr Musefield thus heading the poll 03----a majority of 20. The next messenger to arrive was the Upturning Officer from Le Bon's Bay, who had made up the result of his day's [lolling as follows : —W. Barnett 52, J. E. Thacker 10. Mr Wiggins arrived immediately afterwards with the result of the poll for Wainui :—T. S..Baker 57, T. Brooks 14. The former was at once declared duly elected. Mr Earwick's messenger from Okain's Bay then put in an appearance with the returns from the Okain's polling booth as follows : —Okain's Riding, J. B. Barker 2, J. Boleyn 15, J. Hunter 5. F<.r the Le Bon's Riding, W. Burnett 1. J. E. Thacker 30. These numbers being put together, Mr W. Barnett was declared elected for Le Bon's Riding. Mr W. H. Wood, the returning officer for Little River, was the next io show, who produced the following figures :— W. Birdling, sen., 24 ;G. It. Joblin, 29. Mr Joblin was then duly declared Mr Coop's successor for this riding. The last to put in an appearance was the messenger from the Little Akaloa polling place, and regarding this return there was considerable excitement, as nowhere in the Peninsula had fooling run higher on the res , .lt than in ibis riding. Every available elector had boon polled in this riding, and the rosul on flic whole was a tie between Messrs Barker and Boleyn. The numbers polled at Little Akuioa wore— J. P>. Barker, 21 ; J. Boloyn, 17; J. Hunter, l<) ; Messrs Boleyn and Barker thus polling 2G each. The Returning Oilieer gave his casting vote in favor of Mr Barker, stating that it. now almost amounted to a sol tied constitutional principle that llioso entrusted by the law with casting votes always gave them on the side of the existing slitle of tilings, and he in that case would vole I'm' the silling member. Mr Barker was then declared duly elocted. All (he returns were to hand before i' p.m. <>nd in a County like the Peninsula this shows that thosfi ontrusled with tins duly oxtu'lod themselves with energy and proinpiittido

in the matter. Thn members of tie New Council, which will Inst for three years, will now be as follows:—Pigeon Bay, J. Pettigrew; Tai Tapu, John Gebbie; Port Levy, K. S. Fleming ; Port Victoria, R. It. Bradley; Berard, W. T. Masefield ; Waiiiui, T. S. Baker ; Little River, G. R. Joblin, Lo Bon's, Win. Birnett ; Okain's J. B. Barker. The Returning Officer and his Deputies returned to Akaroa at a late hour on Wednesday evening, firmly convinced, like the policeman in the " Pirates " after the day's labor?, that a " Returning Officer's life is not a happy one."