The Evening Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3898, 21 August 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1875.

The Caversham election is over, and Mr Stout has been chosen. No one will feel surprised at the result, excepting that the majority in his favor was so small. The Opposition has gained one vote in the House, and no puny addition to their obstructive strength ; but the political effect of the election must be to strengthen the Ministry. It has been confidently affirmed by Mr Stout's friends, and by the ‘Daily Times,’ that the majority of the country is in favor of postponement of Provincial abolition; but what says the Caversham election ? Mr Stout has had the advantage of position as the representative of the district, of agitation, and of reputation as an able politician. He has apppealed to the prejudices of a certain class of electors who are confirmed and bigoted believers in the blessings of Provincialism ; he has enlisted the sympathies of many others who, led away by his definition of nomineeism, cannot see the difference between paid and responsible officers and irresponsible legislators ; he has taken advantage of technical words to misrepresent the intention of the Government; he has had the support of all those who, though favorable to abolition, consider the change should be made by the next Parliament, as well as of many personal friends who have sunk their own convictions through desire to serve him. Mr Larnach, on the other hand, has

been supported solely by those who desire immediate abolition. He came into the field an untried politician ; he had but little opportunity of meeting the electors; although personally much respected, business transactions connected with Mr Clark’s land purchase and the Heriot Hundreds had created a popular prejudice against his opinions; and as a squatter his candidature has found no favor with a civic constituency. Mr Stout, therefore, had every advantage on his side, yet what has been the result 1 ? He only recorded eleven votes more than his opponent. Could this expression of electoral opinion be regarded as a fair test of the wishes of the public, it would show that they are equally divided on the question of immediate abolition, and that, deducting from Mr Stout’s supporters the number of those who merely desire postponement, there is a strong feeling in the country in favor of a _ measure of the sort. In this view, therefore, it must be regarded as a significant intimation that one-half approve of the action of the Government, while the remainder may be divided into a few rabid opponents ot the change, a large number totally indifferent on the subject, a few desirous of its postponement, and some halting between two opinions. Of this motley and divided group Mr Stout’s majority consists, and lie haa the honor of going to the ;

House of Representatives as the representative and advocate of these negative and adverse ideas. The minority has, under any aspect, proved itself so powerful that had Mr Larnac* had to contend with one like himself, fresh to politics, starting late in the field with little preparation for contesting the election, without adequate opportunity of making known his opinions, with no prestige whatever in his favor, there can be little doubt that he would have had a large majority. While, therefore, the actual voting has seated Mr Stout, so far from the Caversham election being an expression of public opinion adverse to Provincial Abolition, wo regard it as an emphatic pronunciation in its favor.