ELECTORAL NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 4014, 7 January 1876, Page 2

ELECTORAL NOTES.

.We learn from a private telegram that Mr E. J. O’Conor has been returned for Westport. According to the ‘Brace Herald, ’ Mr Ireland is likely to retire from the contest for Waikaia, for which, Mr Bastings’ return may be considered certain. .

Our Balclutha correspondent informs u that Mr Thomson addressed a large meeting of the electors in Barr’s Hall there last night. He was well received and received an unanimous vote of confidence. He has already addressed seven meetings throughout the district. At six of these he received unanimous votes of confidence, and at the other a vote of thanks.

The contest for the Hokitika seats appears to be lively. Out of the six candidates nominated, it is rather difficult to predict the results of the election; but appearances seem to be in favor of Messrs Reid and Button. Mr Barffs chances have been prejudiced by Mr Seddon’s candidature, as the last-named gentleman will no doubt take a good many votes from the districts where Mr Barff is strongest. Mr White, the late member, although nominated, has, we fear, little chance of being returned, having consented to his nomination only upon terms which place him At a disadvantage with other candidates.

Mr Bowen’s hard run for Kaiapoi is accounted for by the fact that the Maoris, about forty in number, voted for Beswick. They did so in a spirit of fair play because they voted for Bowen on the former occasion. Turn and turn about is their intelligent line of action. t Mr Colenso, of Hawke’s Bay, though a great linguist, should not be in a hurry to air his learning. His name has become so inseparably associated with one particular tongue that even if he were to quote in Hindoo the people would still think he was talking Maori. In a recent report of an election meeting at Hawke’s Bay Mr Colenso is represented as saying that an opponent “ seemed to do things on the principle of sic volo, sic jubeo;” and then some one cried out, .“Put it in English, Billy; that is Maori.”

So the chosen of Mataura is Mr William Wood, of whom the following story is told by the the ‘lntelligent Vagrant ’ :~ln one of the earlier Parliaments of New Zealand he and a Mr Cracroft Wilson, C.8., were members. Mr Wilson has since developed into Sir Cracroft Wilson, K. 5.1., but in old times was as proud of the C.B. as Sir Dillon Bell or a dog with two tails. Accordingly, Mr Wilson insisted that in all cases in which his name appeared in the Order Paper it should be followed by the pretty letters C.B. Now Mr Wood had a fine sense of humor, and accordingly he went to the Government Printer, and one day the same letters came after his name. Mr Wilson met him in wrath, and asked how dared he add such letters to his name without any title to their possession. “ The decoration, sir,” said Mr Wilson, “was conferred on me by my Sovereign!” Replied Mr Wood, “The decoration was conferred on me by my customers. C.8., you know—Carcass Butcher.” They say that Mr Wilson grew less particular after that.

The electors of Picton are certainly candid. When a Mr Godfrey, who is seeking their suffrages, went among them and explained his news, they quietly listened to him, and then carried the following resolution: “ The electors of Picton here assembled have perfect confidence in their representative, Captain Kenny, and do not wish to see Mr Godfrey elected in his place.’’ That must have been a very funny meeting Sir W. A. Mosely held at Warepa on Monday evening. This Rip Van Winkle politician blew his own trumpet very loudly on that occasion. He assured his hearers that it was ho who originated the motion for the introduction of Torrens’s Act, who originated the Clutha River Trust, the conservation of our forests, and one or two more of the popular ideas of the day; but, unfortunately for Mr Mosely, one or two of the electors expressed very strong doubts as to the correctness of those statements. Thereupon, Mr Mosley pledged to the meeting “ his word and' honor as a gentleman, ” and an elector named Christie, who is dubbed “the irrepressible,” is reported by the ‘ Brace Herald’ to have stated that he preferred some guarantee of a more tangible nature than Mr Mosley’s word and honor, seeing that from the experience the district had had of the worth of these abstract articles, as embodied in Mr Mosley’s, conduct with the road board, it was the common opinion in Warepa that they were

of a rather unmarketable nature. He therefore moved —“That this meeting, having heard Mr Mosley, thank him for the brilliant elucidation of his ideas, and think it would be well for him now to gang awa’ hame.” An indescribable scene here ensued, and half a dozen motions were thundered out in as many seconds, it being quite immaterial to the proposers whether they were seconded or not. The chairman, the candidate, and the reporter individually and collectively attempted to illuminate the darkness enshrouding the faculties of the audience, and, after some difficulty, succeeded in pitching out all the motions but two. For one of these, proposed by Mr Falconer, and seconded by Youngson, “That this meeting,, while thanking Mr Mosely for his address, refrain from passing a vote of confidence in him until the other candidate be heard,” seventeen hinds were held up. The other motion, “That a vote of confidence in Mr Mosley be passed,” obtained a show of four hands. Apparently, from a slight mental obfuscation, many of the electors abstained from voting at all. Mr Mosley throughout preserved an admirable equanimity of temper. It is stated on authority that Sir George Grey being ipso facto now member for Auckland City West is thereby disqualified from election for any other constituency until he resigns his present seat, but he cannot do that, there being no Speaker. MATAURA. The returns now received give Wood 262, Cuthbertson 143. Two returns are yet to come in, but they cannot alter the result. WAIMEA. The following is the result of the election ;—Baigent, 88 ; Shephard, 72. No interest whatever was J taken in the election, and nothing like half the electors voted. MOTUEKA. The returns to hand are as follows : Hursthouse, 12S; Parker, 86; Denker, 22. Other returns have yet to come in, but they are not likely to affect the relative positions of the candidates. COLERIDGE ELECTION'. The polling took place yesterday, with the following result : Mason (Abolitionist) 168 Tosswill (mild Government supporter) 162 Bluett (old member) 71 Jebson (Provincialist) 53 EDEN ELECTION. Toal (Greyite) ... 263 Taylor (Abolitionist) 212 At the Marsden nomination, the show of hands was Sir 11. Douglas (Greyite), 24; Munro (old member), 11; Bradey, 8. TAURANGA ELECTION. The following is the result of the poll Morris (Abolition) 144 Kelly (late member) 72 Bead (Abolition) 30 Marsh (Maori) ... 1 THAMES POLLING. The totals to hand give— Grey 960 Howe 860 Vogel ... 682 Mitchell 364 There is only one return to come from Mercury Bay, where there are only 100 electors, so that the return of Sir G. Grey and Mr Rowe (who supports him) is certain. Mr Rowe received an ovation on the declaration of the poll. It is said that Sir Julius Vogel's return could have been guaranteed if he had been brought forward earlier. The principal returns were : Grey Rowe Vogel Shortland 751 775 51? Coromandel 140 4 70 Taupo 17 57 5 Ohinemuri 69 41 95 QUEENSTOWN ELECTION. The polling at the Queenstown booth today was— Manders 93 Bradshaw 37 Cope 4 Result of polling at Arrow— Bradshaw 62 Manders ... 33 Cope 21