SOUTH WARD ELECTION.

Evening Star, Issue 4318, 29 December 1876, Page 1

SOUTH WARD ELECTION.

The following speeches -were made after the declaration of the poll yester..m'^^j*?o!?Bß recei ™d with cheers, return thanks as the successful candidate in the election for South Ward. As he stated on the day of nomination, he thought that under the peculiar circumstances of the case, « evi denced good faith on the 8k 11 of South Ward had they allowed him to be returned unopposed. However, certain influences were at work which necessitated his being opposed. He had a majority of three to one against the second candidate, and a.majority of five to one against the loweßt on the poll. This election was simply between the City Corporation of Dunedin and the Harbor Board as at present constituted. He was perfectly sure" that the opposition to himself had been | mainly induced by one or two members of the Harbor Board-in fact he wa* in a potato state as a fact-that a prominent member of the old Board and a member of the new Board was exceedingly anxious that opposition should be broueht against Mr Fish. This party hip, ' penedto be the only member of the present Board who had been elected to the new rl ar -?-T; { ,iu Vo - CE ; Te ysley.) It had been asked, "Who is Tewsley?" WelL it was quite evident that if his facts were correct, that that gentleman was not hejd in very high estimation among the citizens of South "" Ward. He (Mr Fish) should be very well pleased if this election had the effect of making the Assembly at the next session alter the Act so that the itfayor and two members of the City Council could be elected as members of the Harbor Board. Ihough he had been put to a great deal of trouble, expense, and inconvenience in contesting this election, still he did not think it was asking too much for the City Conncil'to " be enabled to return two members. tdj the Harbor Board. It would be out of piace for him to make remarks on the actions* nl' the present Board, which is now about defunct, but he would say this- -that their' conduct has been such in the past that a change was necessary. He hoped that the new Board would act differently jn discharging the trust that had been CQmmitt'eci to-them, and that in the future the-business - between the Board and the Council w : ouTd' be conducted in a more harmonious' and proper spirit than had been displayed heretofore. He was sorry that his friend, Mr Farquhar, had been, " under considerable pressure," (laughter) brought; forward to oppose him. He regretted that Mr Farquhar had been led by." considerable pressure" into a false position, which had been pointed out to him by the citizens of South Ward most unmistakeably. If he came forward on another occasion, he (Mr Fish) would be found amongst his warmest supporters. He (vlr Fish)was sorry that Mr Farquhar had been used as a tool by others less principled than himself. Mr Fish cnconcludecl by heartily thanking the ratepayers of South Ward for the' votes they had recorded in his favor. The result was a good answer to the meanness and the. necessary factiousness of the which had been directed against himself. He should give his attention to the interests of the City Council and td the H»rbor Board. He did not go into the Harbor Board for the purpose of promoting faction.; He would go in there to promote the interests of < the City. He recognised that the Board has a work to perform of a most important nature — as important, as that of the City, Couucil itself; and he did think that the business of that Board could be very much better conducted than it had been in the past. One means to that end was the appointment of two members of the City Council to the Board. ~He : again thanked the ratepayers for 4he overwhelming majority with which they had returned him—( <pplauße.) ■ , Mr Farquhar declared that he was 'not influenced by any member of the Harbor Board in coming' forward to contest this election..; He had never spoken to J>lr Tewsley on any political subject. As'-he was a poor speaker, he Ousted that they would excuse him for being ,obliged to niak,e a few notes. Mr Fish had amused himself by describing him (Mr Farquhar] as a "Rip Vau Winkle," who had been asleep for the last fifteen years. Well, there"-were-men who would give all they possess to blot out the past fifteen years—to wake up and find it all a bad dream. Yes, there were two sorts of people in the world—"Kip Van Winkles " and Boss Tweeds, &c. Mr Fish was no "Rip Van Winkle." He was so thoroughly wide awake—so extremely smart, that he seems to have lost all sense of political morality. They should ask theinselve\ Did the Council break the law by evasion ? Axe the interests of the Council quite different from the interests of the City ? He (Mr Farquhar) could imagine circumstances in which it might be an absolute necessity to adopt any measures to defeat an unjust and tyrannical law weighing upon the consciences or the lives of the people ; but were Councillors Walter and Fish better than fifty others who might be sent to represent the City at the Harbor Board ? It was aver/ small matter if he should be defeated, but a bad job if right had gone to the wall. There was no glory in such a victory as that of Mr Fish, and no disgrace in his own defeat under the circumstances. The power of the Press, the weight of the Couucil, and the scientific knowledge how to work an election possessed by Mr possible influences had been at power and righ 1 ;. Believing in the,' sucqefs of justice and truth, he (Mr Farquhar) had left the result of the election to the people. Men in public life were expected to eat any quantity of. dirt—to go through an ordeal calculated to destroy all self-respect. :l iLet them look to it, or their children will not bless their memories. Mr Farquhar ooncluded as follows :—Poor Rip's little game is played out. Gentlemen, I bid you goodnight and good-bye. I have done with political life.—(Laughter.). 1 - ■>-