CITY ELECTION.

Evening Star, Issue 3158, 3 April 1873, Page 2

CITY ELECTION.

The official declaration of the poll was made at noon to-day by Mr Street, the acting-Returning Officer. It was raining heavily at the time, and not more than forty persons were present. The scrutiny resulted in the rejection of ten voting papers, most of which were cases of double voting. The altered numbers, as read by Mr Street, were— Fish 609 Prosser 529 Reeves 153 Mr Street therefore declared Mr H. S. Fish, jun., to be duly elected a member of the Provincial Council for Dunedin. Mr Fish said he appeared before them today to again thank the electors for the great honor they had conferred upon him in placing him with such a large majority at the head of the poll. He recognised in this contest not so much a question of men as a question of principles. No matter what was said to the contrary, the present contest was undoubtedly a party struggle, and it was a great victory for the party winch ho represented. The moral effect of jt, he felt persuaded, would be felt far outside the limits of the arena wherein the battle was fought. The verdict of the electors on this occasion would encourage him to give practical effect to those views he had as clearly as possible endeavored to enunciate during his electioneering campaign ; and he trusted he should not be found wanting in doing his duty. Cue thing of great importance which he thought should engage the attention of the Provincial Council was the question of railways, and he thought the Council should bring every pressure to bear upon the General Government, with the view of obtaining the immediate completion of the Main Trunk Railway through the Province, and also the speedy completion of a branch to Lawrence. The main line should bo opened as early as possible to Tokoraairiro, so that the interest upon construction might be paid out of profits instead of borrowed money, at as early a date as possible. With regard to the election itself, he could not tax himself with having said ouo word he regretted as to persons or things, and he was there then to justify all he had said. He observed by to-day’s Times that Mr Robert Stout had again recklessly rushed into print. It was not his intention to follow that person’s example, as he had other matters of more importance to occupy his attention, but bo would take this opportunity of remarking that Mr Stout had said he did not consider that he (Mr Fish) was an authority upon what constituted a gentleman: perhaps he was not, and possibly Mr Stout was more of a gentleman than himself; and if the telling another person that he had wilfully and knowingly told a lot of lies constituted a gentleman, he was quite prepared to admit Mr Stout’s claim to that title ; for that was what Mr Stout had told him at the conclusion of his Albany street meeting, and he had not since had tbe courtesy to apologise ; but he had had enough of Mr Stout, and be should dismiss that subject from his mind for ever. He had identified himself with what he believed was the party of progress, and he trusted the measures that party would introduce and carry into effect would justify him in joining them. ,Hc again sincerely thanked the electors.

Mr Prosser said that having thanked the electors before, both at the rough declaration of the poll and by advertisement, he had not intended appearing there to day, but fearing the electors might think he slighted them,

he thought it better to do so. Having stated at the nomination and at his meetings the cause he intended to pursue if elected, in regard to the support or otherwise of the present Government, he did not expect that Mr Fish or anyone else would have been so ungentlemanly a? to have doubted his words, particularly when he to'd him that the assertions he made in regard to his (Mr Prosser’s) intended action, if elected, were false. It was all very well for Mr Fish to make this a party question. Why he was first a Macandrewite, then a Reidite, and now a Macaudrewite again ; because he knew too well that at the last election for Superintendent, Mr Macandrew had two thirds more supporters in Dunedin than Mr Reid had, and therefo'e he (Mr Fffh'jhad a much Lett', r chance of being elected by turning round. He said it did a great amouno of injury to the interests of this Province to have these party cries kept up when there was no real necessity for it. When he was requested to come forward, not a syllable was said to him as to which party he intended to support, and he repeated that because he seconded the nomination of Mr Heid that was no reason why he should he tacked on to his party in everything, and, therefore, if he had been returned he would have endeavored to have done as much good as possible for the Province at large, without reference to any particular party, in consequence of the personal matters again imntioned by Mr Fish in reference to Mr Stout, he regretted to have to refer to that subject ; and having been at Mr Fish’s meeting at White’s Hotel, waiting to address the electors himself, he could bear Mr Stout out in what he said in regard to his treatment at that meeting; he got up to speak to the motion of confidence in Mr Fish, duly proposed and seconded, the Chairman ruled him in order, but Mr Barnes ruled him out of order, whereas he (Mr Stout) bad a perfect right to speak. He again thanked the electors for the honorable posi» tion in which they had placed him, and had no doubt that should he come forward again ho would be elected, even if in opposition to Mr Fish.

Mr Reeves stated he did not appear before them to enter into any personal recriminations, as he before stated ; that nothing appeared so despicable in his eyes as any man corning before the public for the purpose of picking holes in another’s coat. What he had to say <-f either of his opponents he would say before them personally and fearlessly. We had all oar glass windows, and therefore should be particular how we threw stones. The gentleman they had elected to represent them had been elected purely as a matter of principle. The Macandrewites, who adopted Mr Fish, thought he had a better chance of winning the electionthan he(MrR,); they had therefore supported him and placed him at the head of the poll. He was no child of circumstances, and therefore the electors who voted for him did so purely, he believed, out of personal regard and esteem. He would not, owing to the inclemency of the weather, further detain them. He now again begged to thank sincerely those of his fellow citizens who had voted for him, and he had every hope and confidence that when next he appeared before them he would have more success than on the present occasion. Again thanking his friends for their exertions, he begged to move a vote of thanks to the returning officr, Mr Street, which, being seconded by Mr Prosser, was carried, and the proceedings closed.