Ponson by Highway Meeting.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1683, 10 July 1875, Page 2

Ponson by Highway Meeting.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Highway district of Ponsonby was held last night at the Ponsonby Hall. At the time appointed the Hall was filled with ratepayers, who showed by their determined aspect of visage that there was to be a fight, and that each man meant to do his beat. . . The" fun was not long in beginning. Messrs Boardman, Devore, and Swan3on were severally proposed as chairman. Mr Morton objected to Mr Boardman as a partisan: Mr Boardman repelled the vile insinuation. Mr Morton proposed Mr Devore. Mr W. J. Ree3 objected to Mr Devore as having held office on the last Board. Another ratepayer proposed Mr Swanson, who said he would not oppose Mr BoardOn a show of hands being taken, there were 36 for Boardman and 29 for Devore. The advent of the former to the post of honor was greeted with loud cheering, Mr Morton in vain protesting that it was grossly unfair. The Chairman said he trusted that the little opening storm would not be kept up throughout, in spite of the prognostications of the papers. He meant to do his best to preserve impartiality, and hoped that the | ratepayers would show by the quiet and orderly conduct of the meeting that evening that they were able to differ, and yet to behave to one another like Christians and gentlemen, instead of dogs and cats. Having read the advertisement convening the meeting, the chairman called upon Mr Morton, the' Chairman of the late Board, to read the account of receipts and expenditure. This was done. _ Mr. Tole proposed, and Mr. Hughes seconded, that the accounts be adopted. In answer to an enquiry, ib was explained that the full amount received by Mr Morton from all sources was £683 16s. 7d. The arrears for last year were £159, for the year before last £96. Mr. McKinstry wanted to. know what had become of the £182 spent on the footpaths. He had seen nothing done in front of his door. He had addressed a letter to Mr Morton.on the subject, and heard nothing of it. He put it to the meeting whether any man was fit to be a trustee who treated the ratepayers like that. A Voice : I second that. (Laughter.) Mr. Morton said he really thought he had attended to the matter. Another ratepayer wanted more particulars of the works Mr. Morton said it was hardly to be expected that he could carry in his head a record of every load of scoria put down. In answer to a further question. Mr. Morton explained that the large amount of arrears was due to a rumour haviog been abroad that the Board was not legally constituted. To test the matter, they had summoned Mr. Boardman, who however, paid the money. They then went for Mr. S. .Jones and obtained judgment They had not deemed, it prudent to issue any summonses till the matter was decided. Mr. Banbury said he saw that £13 was down for legal expenses. Was this all their law expenses ? It was explained that the total amount was. £20. Mr. Costello asked a question about the overseer, but was laughed down. Mr. Keesing said he should like to know what amount of money had been spent at Mount St. Mary ? He didn't believe a copper had been spent there. A ratepayer suggested that the questioner had probably forgotten it was the Sabbath (laughter). An answer was returned to Mr Keesmg, which that gentleman didn't consider satisfactory. He was proceeding to state his views at length, when the meeting signified by stamping that he had better shut up. A ratepayer wanted to know whether the present Chairman had paid his lighting rate (laughter). Mr Boardman said —No. Mr Morton said the rate had been paid for him. Mr Boardman wanted to know what Mr Morton meant by answering for him. With the permission of the meeting he would ex--plain. He thought Mr Morton had got £>.- Jones-and-Boardman on the brain. A voice : Don't he wish he had their brains? (laughter). Mr Boardman then proceeded to explain why he had contested the rate. The gentleman referred to the haw-hawism which had lately distinguished their boards. The explanation was interrupted by cries of: Dry up ! Report —report ! Mr Morton wanted to explain also. He denied that he was a hauhau. Crie3 of shut up ! shut up ! The gentleman was not allowed to proceed further, and sat down. The adoption of the accounts was then put and carried. The Chairman said the next business was the striking of a rate. Mr. Symons proposed, and Mr. Hughes seconded, that the rate be Id in the £ on • the value to sell. Mr Morton proposed thatitbel^d. The late Board had been advised they could levy as much as they liked on the value to Bell, and Id would not be sufficient. A ratepayer wanted to know whether if a farthing rate for lighting was levied it would be recoverable. Mr Morton said their lawyer had given it as his opinion that a penny-farthing rate would be recoverable, but not a farthing rate specially for lighting. A voice : Who's your lawyer. A Ratepayer : Well, *if we can ha>e the •l^d. let us have it, and keep up our lamps. A voice; Shut up. Another, who said shut up? I'll shut him up if anjLman says shut up to me. Here a scene*ooH^^^^rable excitement and confusion followed,^^Bfcicl a doxen or so were all addressing the^rai^ man at the same time, and gesticulating with hats, and sticks, and arms, aid umbrellas. Others addressed their rematls to one another, and constituted a seriea/of debating clubs scattered over the room. I . Mr Mickie Ryan exclaimed that there wasn't fair play about the lamps ; beiad thete wasn't. There wasn't any lamps Ibis side of the road. (Laughter.) A Voice: You nausn'fc make a spefech, Mickie. , ,|' Mr Mickie Ryan : Who says "musn'r to Mickie Ryan? (Laughter.) A Ratepayer : Here I've got something to say. I've paid my. lighting rate. fWhy don't Mr. Boardman and Mr. Stannus|Tones pay theirs? (Laughter). Mr Boardman said he had already explaioei. He would also say that fe and Mr Jones had obtained a donation ]f £20 from the Gas Company. (Hear, hear)| Mr Swanson here said he did notknow how the Act read legally, but he kne^r that 'the General Assembly when they passed the Act, had intended that Id shoul not be exoeeded. Ha would, however, if- the ra«eti«f 'was with him, next sessior try to get a bill introduced to legalise the »vying of a ipecial lighting rate. (Hear, he*). Mr. Rees brought up the dispute! claim of the Daily Southern Gross. He Pegged to move that it be an instruction to t b new Board to pay the debt if it was satisf utorily proved to be owing. This was seconded. Mr. Tole thought if they paid onl claim they should pay the City Council claift. An amendment was proposed |jr Mr; French, which being rather prolix, v^b cut short by don't preach, sit dowtf and Kentish fire. -I Mr Devore was of opinion that afpecial meeting should be called to consifer Mr Rees' motion. They should as the ckirman had laid down (though he had himsellbroken hi rule) confine themselves to the advertised businessjof i tb,9 i eyening. (Hear, he*),:,^> ?

Mr Boardman faid he quite agreed with Mr Devore. He] hoped that they would make it as short * possible. If the proposers and seconders all spoke, and the candidates themselves, he saw about 30 speeches sticking out. (Laughter). A Ratepayer: Then I propose bandy Black be one. (Laughter). The following gentlemen were then proposed in the usual way :—Messrs A Black, Masefield, J. Stewart, Morton, J. Tole, G. W. Jones, W. J. Rees, G. S. Jakins, J. Dacre, W. Thorne, A. Russell, and John O'Neill. Mr. Bacon was proposed by a ratepayer, who gave his name as "the Honorable Mr. Hughes." Mr. Bacon expressed unwillingness, to accept the honor ; but waived objection on being seconded by Jimmy McGuire. Mr. O'Neill refused to stand. Mr. Devore : I propose Mr. Abraham Boardman. ■ - , The Chairman : Mr. Boardman declines the honor. . Mr. Devore: I was not speaking of the Chairman, but of Mr. Abraham Boardman. The Chairman : My name's Abraham, and Abraham declines. Messrs E. Tole, Dowden, Banbury, and. Noble were appointed scrutineers. Mr Devore said before the show of hands was called for he should like the chairman to rule whether any one who had only paid part of the rates was qualified to take part in the meeting. The Chairman for instance hadn't paid his lighting rate (laughter). Mr. Boardman said he was of opinion that any one who had paid his highway rate could vote and otherwise take part in the meeting. Mr. Devore said he otfy wanted to know. Mr. Morton being on the platform at this juncture, Mr. Boardman requested him to retire that everything might be fair and square. f ■ ' . «. Mr. Morton replied he was going off anyhow. The show of hands was then taken. In the course of this several laughable interruptions took place. Mr. Costello wanted to know if a man could vote with both hands (laughter). The Chairman ruled that one hand only was enfranchised, it was the right. Mr. Mortonobjected that Mr. McCormick was holding up his hand : he had not paid his rates. Mr. McCormick said if the meeting would, allow him he^would give them 68 reasons why he had not paid his rates. First, he had paid them (laughter). Second, he was'nt going to pay l' arraires." The Chairman said he would dispense with the rest. The gentleman must not vote. . I ■ • Mr Boardman here spotted Jimmy McGuire holding up both hands and admonished that gentleman if he didn't look out he would have him up before the Superintendent and fined £20. Mr. McGuire having expressed his penitence, be-was forgiven. The Chairman having a doubt about an enormous object reared against the door at the end of/the room, asked if that was a hand. A Ratepayer : It's Patrick Murphy's paw (laughter). The following wis the result o e the show. Masefield, 80 ;A. Black, 75 ; W. Thorne, 74; W. J. ReeS, 72 ; G. W. Jones, OS ; Morton, 54 ;J. Tofe, 53 ; J. Dacre, 40; J. S Jakins, 31 ; A. Stewart, 29; A. Russell, 23 ; Bacon, 5. The Chiirman announced that Messrs. Masefield. Black, W„ Thorne, W. J. Rees, and G. W Jones were elected on the show of hands. \ The announcement was greeted with a shout of ''The Ticket ! Hurrah !!" A poll was demanded on behalf of tbe other candidates. t Jimmy McGuire : I second that. (Laugh er.) The tedious business of recording the votes of the ratepayers was proceeded with, and continued from 10 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Saturday—a space of eight honrs. The monotony of the polling was every now and thca relieved by some one indulging in electioneering chaff, or by the interruptions, ludicrous and otherwise of the zealous partisans, who preferred rather to suffer the afflictions attendant upon a sleepless night, than to be oblivious of the - fate of theirparty until they were informed through the medium of the newspaper press, Matters were for some time proceeded without interruption, and but little interest appeared to be taken in the proceedings. The first thing noticeable was the Chairman's statement that he found it necessary to object to the scrutineers giving instructions to persons— to in whose favour they should record their votes. Ratepayers, he thought, should decide this for themselves. The first opposition raised to the recording of votes waß against the claim of Mr. Jakins. This gentleman claimed to vote on the Ponsonby Hall property. The Chairman : Are you the sole owner of the property ? Mr. Jakins : No, I am joint owner. Chairman : Give me the names of your co-owner's. If you give me their names I will take your vote, and then record any objections, Ido not want to stop a vote if it is legal Mr Rees : Are the rates paid for the Ponsonby Hall ? The Secretary : No. Mr Rees : Then ho w the deuce can he vote for it ? (hear hear, and cheers). Mr Jakins : The rates are paid. The Chairman :Do you .claim as a company, or as private owners ? If as a company you must have proper authority under the Act. . Mr Jakins : As private owners. The rate need not be paid if the property has been recently purchased. Suppose property to be bought in June, they could not expect the' purchaser to pay rates in July. Mr Rees : Maxwell's is a similar case. Mr Jakin's vote was taken, and also objected to. Mr Thorne then asked if Mr Jakins had a properly signed conveyance of the Hall. Mr Jakins : The question is not in order. The Chairman : I ask you the question. Mr Jakins : I "shall not answer it. The Chairman : Then I shall strike your vote off on this ground-—that you were not the legal owner on the 30bh of June. (Cheers and laughter). Mr Jakins : I can produce the deed. ' The Chairman : Then that will settle the question. Mr Jakins : You might as well ask me if I have the deed of my house, or whether it is mortgaged. If I were to ask you if the deeds of your houses were mortgaged, what would you say ? The Chairman : I should say they were not, but were in my cash-box (cheers and laughter). A voice : A little more, and you'll go into personalities. Mr Rees: You know, jolly well,* you are not the owner of the property. • Mr. Jakins : I am. At this stage a man offered to bet three to one [other particulars not stated], and desired Mr. Brett to write a leader about him, as he was convinced that he himself was not at all a bad sort. At this stage of the proceedings, Mr James Maguire who had been from time to time inviting the ratepayers in the body of the hall to a test of skill in a feat consisting of patting his head with one hand, and rubbing his stomach at the same time with the other, and staking sundry shillings on the events, became clamorous for his breakfast. He demanded of the chairman that breakfast should be provided, and proposed that they should strike a special rate for the purpose. He further continued his protests that the whole thing was illegal, as it ought to be done in daylight. Another ratepayer, who was known by the name of Jaok, warmly sympathised with Jimmy's efforts in the cause of constitutional rights. S The next objection was to the claims to

vote made by the Messrs. Tole, six of fl whose family claimed, either in person or- I by proxy to vote for land rated as a whole. r at a ratio which would allow six votes. j Mr Thorne: Do they claim six votes' S on the one property. ["Yes."] Then I ||| object. Suppose, Mr. Chairman, I have I W a piece of property, for which I pay rates, ■; >,;V Igo round and convey that property to 20 / different people, and say now you must vote f | ■ with me. Is that fair or legal ? j ;, | Mr Tole: What absurd argaments. We >' have paid these rates for the last 20 years. It will save time if you record the votes and. take the objections after. The Chairman : That is the proper plan. The votes were taken accordingly. A weary ratepayer requested that they should not be kept too late, as it would j soon be morning. , : . v The Chairman : I wisb|you would go and get a-little supper. I mean for me, not for yourself. . _, Mr. Thorne: I decidedly raise an objection to the Toles voting. My contention is that . they cannot have more than six votes in any case, and that only one can vote for one. property, and not the whole of them. Only one can vote for the joint property—that at the utmost six votes only could be exercised, but not 36; or, if they had 12 brothers and 12 sisters, 144 votes. A Voice: You had better object altogether. You are frightened you'll not get in. Mr. Thomas Leigh White's name being , called, Mr. White mounted on the chair before the platform and answered that he had given a proxy for his vote. »«• \ The Chairman: As you are aware, Mr. White, your presence nullifies your proxy. Mr Masefield : I object to Mr Whvba voting. He has had no property in the district for five years. The Chairman :Mr White, you are before ; the bar. What have you to say to that ? A Ratepayer : He ought to he given in charge of the policemen. I was going to be given in charge for holding up my hand. Mr White: I have no property in the district, sir ; but verily I believe I am on the roll- >'•"_ __ The flhairman (in a severe tone of authority) :. Mr White, have you paid the rates? , Mr White (twirling his thumbs and looking very grave) replied: N—n —n —n —no, sir. A voice : You ought to be given in charge. The Chairman (with judicial force and gravity) o> Thomas Leigh White, you are discharged without a stain on your character. (Loud: cheers and laughter). I Mr White : "lam on the roll and have a right to vote! I consider it a piece of per- r secution." The Chairman : " I hope you will not get on the roll before you get home, or you will not be discharged in the morning like that, you will have to pay." (Renewed and increased hilarity, r Mr Jakins : You refused my three votes '■' on the ground of my refusing to answer Mr Thome's question. ..v The Chairman: I have your vote down , with the objection in its margin. ; : Mr Jakins : Then lam willing to submit •: to the £20 fine talked about. Another claimant to vote then stood forward, ,; The Chairman : " What is your name ?" Claimant: Holt. The Chairman: Have you been newly christened. (Laughter.) Holt: No. Chairman : Can you remember, what is your Christian name ? Holt:' Jack.. The Chairman : There is no Jack on the roll, but there's a John Holt. Holt: Very well, that '11 do. My name's Jack. . The Chairman : You have one vote. Molt: No ; its over £100. I have two votes. I want a piece of paper to write the names on.: - ' The Chairman : There is a part of the programme of a dance. You can write it on the dance; you look as if you had been on the light fantastic fandango. Jack: My man goes in for a pound ; I'll back him'against any man. Jimmy McGuire": Masefield will, I believe head the poll. Mr Rees : You bet your bottom dollar on that. < ;,: McGuire: I bet you drinks (Laughter). Mr Rees : Mr Masefield is the man who supported the waterworks against your wellsinking. . - ■ . After this home thrust, McGuire subsided, ;-""' but again broke out in the matter of sweepstakes . ;i_ ... ( l A Voice : McGuire, how many gallons of water could you supply ? '■ Jimmy McGuire : Me and Mr Masefield could supply the whole" of Dedwood, if they found the pipes and Mr Masefield 'as got a- r well overflowing, and I 'aye got one three 1; feet of the top. [A voice : Three feet above the top, you mean.] We could supply the city without going to Motion's or wherever they are going to put it. . , ;T The Chairman objected to a large blue paper displayed at the step on to the stage , held by Mr Morton, and bearing the words " Vote for' Tole, Morton, Stewart, Dacre, and Jakins," and to Mr Morton's interference with electors when on the platform,, in r~ touting for their votes. Some contention supervened, and^business proceeded. At about 2 a m., the Chairman announced A that proxy Votes would now be taken. Mr French rose to speak, but only got as far,as —"Mr Chairman——" The Chairman suggested that the most convenient method of procedure would be to hand in the proxies first, read them, and take I note of the objections^ and thus to enter the votes on the papers. Mr French again attempted to address the meeting with somewhat better success. He: said : Mr Chairman, if lam in order, I would | state that the ratepayers would like to express their sense of approval of the manner in.... _. which the Chairman has conducted the business of the evening, and have such an appreciation for him that they are disposed to move an adjournment. ,a'io Cries of : No—no ! Sit down. * • '£Mr Rees said he would like to hear the proxies named one by one. A Scrutineer : Can we adjourn for sapper. A Ratepayer: Yes; adjourn for drinks. 1 The Chairman : If the names are written on the proxies, 1 think we might receive them and then distribute the votes, and we need not detain any who want to leave. I will read over the proxies, and make a note of any objections to them. Mr Masefield : As one of the candidates, I shall require to hear the names of every one of the proxies, as I intend to object to a great many of them. Mr Rees : I suggest that they be read over alphabetically. ■■.■■>; ■■'■> The Chairman : Have all the gentlemen in . the room proxies ? > A Voice: You have no right to ask the question. Mr Masefield : I have no objection to the Chairman receiving the proxies and adjourning the meeting. ' ~.-., Mr Wm Hughes : That oannot be done; >} it must be settled to-night* Mr Rees : Then, if it must be settled now, I am prepared to stay till to-morrow night. A Scrutineer : Will anyone get me some supper? (Several persons here offered to become thV,-* scrutineers proxy in the supper business, < * providing he paid for the accommodation. In «i■■:'. this case a tender man accepted). The Chairman: I wish all the proxies could be shaken in a box and put on one side. Mr Thorne : Mr Chairman, will you allow me to make a proposition. There are two things to be guarded against. The first is that-no gentleman puts in more than six j' , proxies,—(a voice : We all know thatl—as^-gf secondly, that each proxy be right. jjaZsM therefore suggest, as ,the simplest and be^W> means, that thp list be gone throng N alphabetically..; n ;, ~::.. . j ,'", ; ,'. _ $$tj£i G j (Jirniny McGuir^^ero/iprdteaUd; that the

whole thing was illegal entirely, that it must ie done in daylight.) Mr W. Atkin, who vas' just in the act of handing in'proxies, turned round, and addressing Mr Thorne said, "You do not dc"" 1/ tte*, honour of the proxies, I sent ? I / "" a : We don't know about that. / SM'me : Yes ; I may, I may suggest gtiJ . v . .bg. Mr Atkin : Yhy should you suggest such a thing ? Why should you hatch such a thing in yonr imagination ? Mr Thorne : I have a perfect right to. If they are all right, why should you be afraid of them? Mr Atkin : I certainly should be afraid o f yon. Mr Atkin put in his proxies, B everal of which were objected to. The Chairman said that all objections should be afterwards enquired into. He had been adrised that a proxy signed by power of attorney was invalid, but that would be a question for the scrutineers and himself afterwards, and if the proxies objected to would not effect the voting if thrown out, no action upon them would be neccessary. Mr Dowden objected to being called upon to settle legal points. Mr Thorne said that he had been at the trouble of obtaining Mr McCormack's opinion' j[r Thorne gave a summary of the . decision which was handed to the chairman and was read at isDgth as follows .—lf proxy forms are signed and witnessed without the persons name who is to exercise the proxies are they legal? I think the proxies signed by a ratepayer without his appointing at the same time the person he intends to vote for him is bad—(a voice : That question does notarise!) —because the ratepayer does not in fact appoint a proxy, but deputes the power of appointment to the person to whom he gives the blank paper. The proxy form should he put into the representative hand of the ratepayer who signs it. I think the Chairman, if satisfied that proxies were not in accordance with the Act, should reject them, but this course must be adopted with caution, and in the case of a dispute whether the proxy is Ayalid or not, the Chairman should accept it, but make a note upon it that it has been objected to, with a view to a view to any proceedings to dispute the elections. The Chairman: That is exactly what I have done. Are proxies signed by a legally-appointed attorney of ratepayers valid ? I think not. The Act seems to provide expressly the power of appointing a proxy to vote. See section 12, and I think only the ratepayers can give the proxy. Can the attorney vote in person ? I think not, as he is not a proxy in terms of section 12. Supposing the power of attorney gives him power to vote ? Mr. Tole here said that he considered it unfair to try and force gentlemen to vote one particular way by bringing in a lawyer's opinion. Every gentleman present might have got contrary opinions. The Chairman : I believe that of six, three lawyers would be on one side and three en the other, especially if they got a good fee beforehand. He then resumed reading the opinion, which was as follows : — I think the proxy forms, signed by a ratepayer without appointing the person he intends to vote for, is bad. The Chairman: I consider this last the most important point, and shall ask the proxy-holders to answer it. Jimmy McGnire again called out it was all ilJegaJ, and they ought to adjourn till tomorrow night. A Voice: Why ! Jimmy man, that's Sunday, McGnire: No. it isn't. It 's Saturday, and I'll do a good twelve hours' work in it too. A Voice : Why, Jimmy, it 's to-morrow morning now. McGuire : You shut up ! Mr A. Stewart then gave in several proxies. Be said : I tender certain proxies, I Btaie them to be right; but to be questioned by the Chairman of this meeting, I will not snbmit.

The Chairman: You will not answer ■whether the proxies were signed in blank or not. Mr Stewart: I will not. I tender the proxies with the the statement that they are right. Of these proxies G. A. Avey's was objected to by Mr Rees, as not having been Bi'gned in tbe presence of a Justice. George Giles, objected to by Mr Thorne, as a bankmpt. A Porter, objected to by Mr Jones, and Henry Hawkins, objected to by Mr Bees, having been signed in blank. Notes were taken on a legion of objections; and the objections became as monotonous as the previous taking of votes. Whilst the "slow" business was being proceeded with, it was as much as most could do to keep awake. Many were smoking, some chatting, otheis dosing in various uncomfortable positions, and the prony holders, and objectors to the proxy's watcbed each others movements with an untiring vigilance that would ensure rapid promotion and numerous rewards in any detective force. About half-past three in the morning a generous individual volunteered to putthegaß out, but the proposition was not received favourably by either side of the house. At last, all the proxies had been read, and nearly all objected to. The work of recording the votes was then commenced. Mr William Hughes offered, if appointed, to act as judge of proxies ; as he believed himself to be about the squarestdealing man round the room. The services tendered were not however, accepted. Jimmy Maguire pressed his proposal that breakfast should be ordered, and » Bpecial rate struck for the purpose. Mr. Maguire then had a requisition drawn up for breakfast for all, addressed to "Brown at the Corner," but could not induce the Chairman or any ratepayer, to assume the responsibly of signing it, when he again vehemently declared that the whole proceedings were nlegal. After this, several legal questions Vere vigorously debated. Shortly before four o'clock a ratepayer gave it as his firm opinion that it was now too late in the morn"g to be prepared for the Provincial Council, and desired that the meeting be postponed nntd to-morrow evening. The Chairman announced that he would not declare the poll until the objections had been settled.

The consideration of objections was then proceeded with. At a quarter to 5 a.m. the Chairman arose and said that from the repeated and insulting remarks to which he was subjected by Mr. Morton and others, he Would vacate the chair. His own opinion was that the whole meeting was illegal, as it had been summoned by the Chairman without the consent ef the Board, but he , ,nofc desired to interfere. However, he could no longer bear the interference and annoyance to which he had been, sub- ,^ ted by the crowd around the platform. •u>e Chairman then, taking his coat, was Proceeding from the platform, when all around fled to the body of the hall, and amid the warmest expressions of regret and apology from those who had offended, all Parts of the house requested Mr Boardman to resume. After considerable hesitancy, and after receiving a formal affirmative vote oy acclamation to the question, " Have I or nave I not the confidence of the gentlemen present that I will do my duty without fear or lavor, 'he consented, and with none but tne scrutineers on the platform, the scrutiny and computation of numbers were concluded, ultimately, after some disenssion, Messrs. Masefield Rees, Thorne, Jones, and others con ße nted*|fwithdraw all their objections lhl l nu 4 Proxieß» and at six o'clock wVh J*__L^ ounced tne,,esult, giving _tli- the Personal voting, then £iw2* ng 'and then the totals aB

He then declared Messrs. Tola' Morton, Stewart, Dacre, and Jakins, to lave been elected. 1 On the motion of Mr Upton] Messrs Matthew and Russell were electedpditors, and after the Chairman had mafe some remarks strongly deprecatory of/tie "barbarous " system of voting under tie Highway's Act, and expressing his intfntion of taking action to have it amended *> as to assimilate to the system in nfanicipal elections, the meeting separated^ ten minutes past six in the morning.

Black .. O. W. Jones Masefield Rees .. Thome .. " .. Dacre J linns .. Morton Stewart.. Tole.. .. "' Russell .. Personal, ijoxies. Total .. 117 i28i — 145 108 128 — 136 .. 149* !|0 — 179 130 P — 159. .. 132 39 — 161 121 ip ~ 276 .. 8:5 10 — 236 13!) IS — 292 .. 92 15J — 245 159 15) — 311 ..19 \ — 23