LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 790, 2 January 1877, Page 2

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS.

The election of two members to represent the City of Christchurch, and two the Ohamberof Commerce, took place yesterday. The polling place for the former was at the City Couucil Chambers, and from an early hour up to about one o'clock a large number of votes were polled, and the returning officer and officials kept pretty busy. Three ballot boxes had been provided for this occasion, and the voting was got through expeditiously. The poll for Christchurch did not close until t) o'clock. The election of representatives for the Chambtr of Commerce went on very quietly, and as the poll closed at 4 o'clock, Mr J. A. Bird, refcurning-officer, was enabled at an early hear to check the voting papers, and at twenty minutes to 5, in the presence of about fifteen members of the Chamber, he declared the result to be as follows : Mr P. Cunningham 44 Mr J. Anderson 40 Mr J. Inglis 39 He had therefore to declare Messrs Cunningham and Anderson duly elected to re*

present the Chamber on the Lytbelton Harbor Board. The successful candidate! were not present. At the Council Chambers a crowd of persons had collected, and exactly at seven o'clock Mr G. L. Lee, returning officer, came to the door and declared the following; to be the state of the poll : Mr H. Sawtell 283 Mr B. G. Wright 214 Mr C. W. Turner 189 He had to declare Messrs Sawtell and Wright duly elected to serve as raeml ers on the Lyttelton Harbor Board for the city of Chrisrchurch. | Loud cheering. | Mr Sawtell, who was loudly calif d for, mounted a chair amid cheers, and i aid he had to return his hearty thanks for tie high honor done him by the citizens in placing him at the top of the poll. [Cheers J He had anticipated that he would be elected a member of the Harbor Board, but he never expected that he would be at the hea 5, and he felt prouder of the position as thu votes recorded in his favor showed him :\e was placed there by the voice of the people—[loud cheers] —and as long as he occi pied a seat at the Board he would try hi s best to carry out the duties of the office. [Applause.] Mr Wright was a very good man to serve with in the interests of the city, and Mr Turner would alto have been a good man; bat as the choice of the citizens had fallen upon Mr Wright, he would always work with that gen ;leman, and do his best to carry out his duti es as a member in the interest of the City of Christchurch. | Cheers.] Mr Wright, who was next called for, desired to thank the ratepayers heartilj for hia present position, | Applause. J His opponents had endeavored to make capital by his removal from Christchurch, wishing to make it appear that he would study the interests of Timaru before those of Christchurch. The election that day was decided not so r such on the merits of the candidates, but wa i rather a protest on the part of the public that they would not allow any financial institution in the place to dictate to them who sh mid be their representatives. [Loud cheers .J Ha desired again to thank them for the position in which they had placed Mm. [Cheers.] Mr Turner, in returning thanks ;o those who had voted for him, said that iiad Mr Wright's name appeared first, iie (Mr Turner) would not have permitted himself to be nominated. &.s Mr Wright had referred to a financial institution. l:e would merely say that he (Mr Wright) had been nomina ed by the Inspector of trw; Union Bank of Australia, and the nomination paper could be seen by anyone. He would not have mentioned this but for Mr Wright's remarks. He had known Mr Wrght for many years and thought the ratepayers did well in returning him, and thoujjh that gentleman was going to live beyond Ashburton, he did not think that would prevent him attending the meetings of the Board as promised, and doing his best for the interests of Christchurch, [ Hear, hear.] A vote of thanks to the Returnin g Officer was proposed and carried. With reference to the remarks made by Mr Wright, Mr Sawtell said he challenged that gentleman to say that he (Mr Sawtell) was the nominee of any financial institu :ion. He thought the remarks made by Mr Wright on the subject quite uncalled for.