THE MAYORALTY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2244, 16 July 1870, Page 2

THE MAYORALTY.

The nomination of candidates for the office of Mayor took place to-day, at noon. There must have been nearly 500 persons present. The Town Clerk acted as returning officer, and read the following nominations ; Mr William Hunter Reynolds, proposed by Mr A. B. Urc, seconded by Mr David Hess.

Mr John Griffen, proposed by Mr William Hepburn, seconded by Mr W. Gregg.

Mr John Millar, proposed by Mr Thomas Recjrpayne, seconded by Mr Alex. Peynian.

Mr Henry Smith Fish, jun., proposed by Mr Henry Wise, seconded by Mr Andrew Lees.

Further proceedings were adjourned until Thursday next, when the polling will take place. The candidates then addressed the meeting. Mr Gjriffen was the first to come forward. He asked tho kind indulgence of the electors. He did not intend to inflict them with a long speech, as he did not feel very strong—(laughter)—after addressing them at various times and places throughout the City during the past week. He would not recapitulate what they had already heard, and would cut it very short, as to be kept out in the cold was neither good f< r them or him. As they were very well aware, ho was the oldest member of the City Council and tho late Town Board, and it was for this reason that he had come forward and asked their suffrages at the forthcoming election for Mayor. During the time he had been connected with the municipality of Dunedin, he had done his duty honestly; he had neither swerved to the right or to tho left in forwarding the interests of the citizens, and he would make it a rule of conduct for the future, provided ho was placed in the mayoral chair for the next twelve months. Ho was prepared to answer questions, but none were asked.

Mr Millar was received with laughter. Ho remarked that he simply came there this morning to apologise particularly for having come forward at so late a moment. He would explain the circumstance. He hail been summoned to give evidence before the Colonial Parliament in Wellington, and as lie expected to be called away by the first vessel he bad not intended to stand, Yes. terday he received a telegram stating that the select committee would sit for the first time to-day, for the second time on Monday, and would then adjourn until the first week in August, to suit his arrangements. (Gh !) He therefore at once put the advertisements in the papers invji jug the electors to meet him at the theatre to-night. He would he happy to give a ball and supper—(laughter) bno would leave the supp.-r out of the question in tho meantime. Should he hap r pen to be elected Mayor, he would give both ball and supper. (Renewed laughter. A Voice: “That’s bribery”) He had made his apo’ogy for thus appearing before them. He had been twitted by certain members of the City Council with having used in his advertisement phrases that were too strong against certain members. In the manuscript which he sent i.o the papers he stated that the councillors “ were more or less fit,” &c. Unfortunately, and by a singular coincidence, the printer rendered it “unlit.’’ More singular, in this morning’s payer, in juxtaposition was an advert sumeut by one of the councillors station lie was unlit. Now ho (Mr Millar) had the highest respect for Mr Wilkinson as a man. but he believed he would have been unfit for the position of Mayor. (Laughter. A Voice ; “ Eight you

are, old boy!”) He would tell them the reason why, and he thought everyone would agree with him. Mr Wilkinson in his address said he came forward to uphold the principle of elec ing their chief magistrate from amongst the members of the City Council. But he had retired since, and he (Mr Millar) thought very properly. He happened to have another document, th very antipodes to that he had just read, (This was a petition presented to the Provinri i! Council in 1804 by Mr Cargill, in which Mr Wilkinson, among others—he being first on the list—p.otested against the then proposal that the Mayor should be elected by the Council, and urging that in the interests and for the good government of the City the Mayor should he elected by the citizens periodically.) This was an extraordinary confirmation of what he had said ; a man who cmild so change his opinions was unfit for the office. It was, he repeated, a singular coineidcncs. The spirits mi gilt probably have made the alteration. He congratulated the electors on the lucky escape the City had had. He would not draw conclusions, but had he been elected he would have been the apparent Mayor, and somebody else more clever than himself the actual Mayor. It was not an enviable position standing in tdie cold, so he would not detain them. He had invited them to meet at the theatre this evening, whr-rc he would tell them a prosy tale or two- about the City, past, present, and the future looming in the distance.

Mr Fish did not intend to trouble the electors with any lengthened address, because he contended that tuo day of nomination was not the time to address the citizens. He had already held several meetings and had expl» : ned his views as well and as fairly as he could. There was just one matter ho had to refer to ; it had arisen this morning. He referred to the resignation of Mr Wilkinson. Now he thought that gentleman had very much underrated his own powers and abilities, and os to the amount of support he would have received had he gone to the poll. Mr Wilkinson was quite enlitled to resign if he liked (Oh. A Voice; Should he ask your permission?) In speaking to him be (Mr Fish) told him he had no objection to his resigning; but he was wrong in resigning in favor of a particular individual; ho did demur to that. Mr Wilkinson said he was of the same opinion himself; he did not want to do so, but the majority of the gentlemen at his meeting last night had made him put Mr Griffeu’s name m the advertisement. He (Mr F.) did not grumble at any party using the best means to put their own man in ; but be considered it wrong to influence a retiring candidate. He < iid not believe Mr Griff n’s retirement would affect him in the slightest degree, because lie believed the electors were too sensible to allow themselves to be bought or sold like bullocks, and they would exercise iheir freedom of choice just as they pleased. Mr Wilkinson’s retirement would have the effect of making him (Mr Fish) work all the harder, and the members of his committee, who simply worked os a labor of love, would put their shoulders to the wheel. Ho trusted the verdict of the electors on this occasion would be a reversal of the last—instead r.f being second on the poll, that he would be a long way above the second man, and high upon the top of it (Hear, hear). He was perfectly ready to answer any questions relating to municipality matters, but ho would not answer improper questions put by any mountebank in the crowd. (Applause ami Oh.) Mr John Gkaham : What do you mean by mountebanks ?—men with more brains than yourself. (Laughter.) Mr Fish : If you want to know what I call a mountebank, you are about the fairest representation of one 1 ever saw. (Immense laughter.) A Mr Lloyd, whose chief occupation appeared to lie to exhibit a colored cartoon, ill conceived, and badly executed, asked a number of questions, some of little or no bearing, and others totally irrelevant. Mr M. Moss (in an excited manner) asked: Did or did you not on tho 21st July last tell the electors that they were not to he surprised if you turned round on tho gas question ? Mr Fish : No. Mr Moss repeated the question, adding that the candidate had been inconsistent.

Mr Fisn (excitedly) : This man must be inconsistent, for ho is a living proof of it, (Laughter.) The proceedings then terminated.