THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2622, 13 July 1871, Page 2

THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES. At noon to-day the nomination of candidates for tjie office of Mayor took place at the Provincial Buildings. His Worship the Mayor in a few words explained the purpose for which the meeting was convened; The Town Clerk read the nominations as follow: ’ ' Mr Thomas Birch, proposed by Mr J. H. Harris, and seconded by Mr Robert Anderson. Mr Louis Thoneman, proposed by Mr John Barnes, and seconded by Mr Benjamin Bagley. Mr Henry Smith Fish, jun., proposed by Mr John Edmond, and seconded by Mr Geo. Harris. Mr Birch said be thought he would be consulting the convenience of the public, sis well as that of himself, if he refrained from occupying much of their time ha speechmaking. He should take various opportunities in the course of the week of addressing the citizens. He was ready to answer any questions relative to the position in which he then stood. Mr Slesinger put a number of questions relative to a magisterial act of Mr Birch during the time he presided over the Mayor’s Court. A Voice : Do you not think the Mayor should be chosen from among the Councillors? Mr Birch was understood to reply that he thought the Council should have the option of choosing the Mayor from among themselves. Mr Graham : Is the reason you did not stand for Leith Ward in the Council that you considered Mr Jojin Barnes tq be more intelligent than yourself ? (Laughter.) Mr Birch i I was not here when the election for Leith Ward took place. Mr Walter : How is it that you oppose Mr Thoneman, who has faithfully served his three years as Councillor ? Mr Birch : Because the public by requisition demanded me to come forward. Mr Walter : Would you give into the public against your moral conviction ? Mr Birch : I have no moral convictions. (Loud laughter.) Mr Mercer : Have you not stated as your opinion that no one’ outside the Council should be chosen as Mayor ? Mr Biroh : I don’t know whether I did. I will not deny that I might have done so.. Mr ThonemaN excused himself from making a speech on the ground of indisposition. He would take the opportunity of calling meetings in all the wards, when he would explain his views concerning municipal matters; and there give full opportunities to the citizens of questioning him as to his views ; and he would at the same time try to convince them that, although he might not be the best man in Dunedin to nil t(io qffloe of Mayqt because be was not conceited enough to think so—he was as good a man as any of the other candidates.' Ho would state briefly his reasons for coming forward ; and to do that he would make bis opponents speak for him. At the very place where he. was now addressing them, just twelve mouths ago, one of the candidates said:—“He desired to preface his remarks, by saying that he had no personal iIJ-feelingjtowards any gentleman engaged in this contest”—that was, his (Mr Thonemaii’s) feeling—“more especially as regarded the Maiycr, There, was no mew

ber of the Council with whom the Mayor had worked more amicably than with himself He had always rendered him every assistance as Mayor, and he had always assisted him to the best of his ability as Councillor; therefore he did not appear before the electors that day as personally antagonistic to that gentleman. Ho, however, contended that the office of Mayor should be a rolling one, and should not be confined to one gentleman for more than one year ; for what withe incentive for a man to work m the Council, except to aspire to the reward of the Mayoral chair?” (Cries of “name ) Those were the words of Mr Fish, and he (Mr Thoneman) endorsed every word. The other candidate wrote as follows “On the eve o) my departure for Wellington, I consider it due to my fellow-citizens * * *. to remove all doubts with respect to my coming forward again to contest the Mayoral chair. iLklih Councillor come forward, I wouhi have consideicd it my duty to co; test another reelection, and oppose any gentleman ontsiffi the Council, as 1 am firmly of opinion tha to those gentlemen who have battled to con struct our streets and footpaths during then CounciUorship belong tbe honor oi occupy ithe civic chair. It is not for me descau on the necessity of the citizens electing from among the City Councillors one who muci devote time and patience to the duties of thoffi e, aud who must devote particular atten tion to the duties of the Mayor’s Court. Mr H. Fish, jun., said he offered himself a candidate at the request of a very large number of his fellow citizens. He ha< intimated that he had not intended to contest tbe election, whilst there was a Councillor only in the field able and willing tfulfil the duties of the office, and had no outside candidate appeared, he would have offered no opposition. Since he had expressed that intention, however, a gentleman had come forward in opposition to the Councillor, aud he had been requested by a large number of citizens to contest the election. It was not for him to inquire into the re .sons that induced them to make that, request, but when it was presented be felt i he-- duty to reconsider his former decision His only regret in acceding to the wVi thus expressed was that it placed him u opposition to Mr Thoneman, with whom hhad worked in perfect harmony during tin last three years. That gentleman haseconded every effort made by himself to the welfare of the City. He had, therefore not only no objection to him personally, bn if he were elected, he (Mr Fish) would feel u. one iota of regret. If, however, the citiz n had rather choose himself than Mr ihom man, he should, as he had ever done, en deavour to fulfil his duty. If they said M Thoneman was not the man of their choice, he considered that he (Mr Fish) had the nex: best claim, but whether one or the other < * the two was elected, he should feel satisfied (Cheers ) The tranquility of the times presented so little matter for observation that there would be some difficulty in making a speech. He however intended holding met ings in the different wards, when he should explain anything that required notice. In reply to several questions, Mr Fish said that the citizens of Bell Ward, until a complete system of Citdrainage was adopted, would derive morbenefit from a surface than an undei groandrain, because of the low level of the ground He would recommend those who had low lying sections on which water settled to fil them. up. With regard to the manure depot, much had been done to abate the nuisance. It was difficult to find.any other suitable site than that in use. He believed the City base line would be % nteans of doing an immense amount of good to owners of City property. Hitherto the survey of City properties had been.in the hands of one or two surveyors, who charged from three to six guineas for their work. Now any City pro prietor would have the necessary information for a guinea. In answer to Mr Graham, j Mr Fish said had only a Councillor or Councillors offered themselves, he would not have come forward. The office of Mayor was not all profit, although at a salary o L4OO a year. He had been eight days investigating one case, aud was likely to be eight mere; and sixteen days abstracted from business was not easily compensated. With regard to removing the Cargill monument, ii •was too late, as vested interests had been grown up which rendered a change of route impossible. In reference to a charge of certain persons stealing gravel, brought by Mr Barnes, he was the watch-dog of the Council, and had done right in bringing the matter before the Council, hut on investigation he found those charged by him with stealing gravel, had evidently acted under a mistake, and he was unwilling, under such circupistapces to brand thepi as thieves, especially, as "they had replaced the quantity taken. Several other questions were put of no moment, and in a spirit of “chaff.” Mr Baunes exjjlalnctl tlie circuit ■ under which he found persons taking gray'd, and detailed the steps taken by him. Hsaid he should, watch the course of the election, and at the meetings expose many wrongdoings yylpoh peedcvl correction. Tlie meeting then closed.