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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3259, 12 December 1881, Page 2

Mr Sutton's election for Hawke's Bay affords much satisfaction to that gentleman's friend?. He has worked hard for his return, and fought an uphill fight against great odds. At the same time we belive that those who did their best in opposition to him regretted the circumstances tbat constrained them to support his opponent. At the last general elections it afforded the great body of electors much pleistire to see Mr Sutton and Captain Russell side by side, and to send them back to Parliament by a substantial majority of votes. At these elections it was very difficult to define the political position of the two candidates, party boundaries were ignored, and an unfortunate " civil " contest arose that ought never to have occurred. Mr Sutton as the senior member, and chairman of the County Council, undoubtedly had the right to expect, at the division of the constituency, that his eld colleague would have offered him the choice of the town or country. Any such act of courtesy never appeared to have entered into the imagination of Captain Russell or his party. On the contrary we, in common with many others, regretted to notice that determined efforts were made from time to time to take a high-hand in order to show that, in comparison with Captain Russell, Mr Sutton was quite unworthy to represent the district. His treatment by the Acclimatisation Society and afterwards by the County Council, whether it had anythiug to do with electioneering or not, did much to create a feeling of sympathy for Mr Sutton, and put his friends on their mettle to secure his return. Narrow as is the majority by which the victory has been obtained, it is sufficient to send him back to Parliament, and we heartily congratulate him on his success.