The Globe. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 479, 30 December 1875, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1875.

The elections for Geraldine and Akaroa have terminated in the manner generally expected. In racing parlance the first favourite won each of the events. The slight uncertainty which appears to have attended the declaration of the poll for Geraldine will, we presume, eventually end in the election being confirmed. Mr Wakefield should be an addition to the debating power in the House of Representatives. He is decided in his views and not afraid to give expression to them, whether on paper or in vocal argument. Of course he will be a persistent agitator for the immediate commencement of the Timaru breakwater, though whether his efforts will be crowned with success is a very different matter. At all events we must admit that he appeared to us to be by far the most eligible candidate of the three gentlemen who proffered their services to the electors of Geraldine. The majority which secured his return was indeed the narrowest possible ; but, now he has been elected, his conduct in the House will very soon show whether he will fulfil the expectations formed of him, and if he does he will probably not have such a hard fight on another occasion. With regard to the Akaroa election, there has been a great deal of very bitter feeling during its progress. The electors, however, have remained faithful to their former representative, and he was returned by a fairly satisfactory majority. It will be remembered that on the last occasion of a contested election for Akaroa, a large proportion of the majority of votes obtained by the successful candidate were polled in Lyttelton. This appears to have been the case again, as the fifty votes obtained by Mr Montgomery at that polling place go very far to make up his majority. Akaroa,' however, stood by him manfully, though the outlying districts declared in favour of Mr Pilliett. The violent attacks made by Mr Pilliett on his opponent, with regard to the action of the late Board of Education, would appear to have been of some weight in the eyes of the electors in the Bays, but there were probably other causes, chiefly of a local nature, which may partially account for the number of votes polled by the unsuccessful candidate in these districts. Todajr, the Selwyn election comes off, and it is hardly probable that Mr. Beeves will be unseated. The contest, however, will be closer than is generally expected, as Mr Fitzroy’s great personal popularity in the district will go far towards bringing down the number of votes recorded in his opponent’s favour. The Heathcote election promises to be a close one, and we should not be surprised if the electors declared in favour of Mr Fisher, as Sir Cracroft Wilson, and those who agree with him, must by this time be fully aware that their action with regard to education in Canterbury does not, and never did, meet with the approval of a large majority of the electors of the province.