GREYMOUTH ELECTION.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 198, 20 April 1867, Page 2

GREYMOUTH ELECTION.

The election of a representative of the Greymouth district in the Provincial Council of Canterbury, which had become necessary in consequence of Mr Whall's acceptance of (a paid office on the Westland Commission, took place on Thursday, at the Court-house. The event, however politically important, had evidently excited but a small amount of interest among the townsfolk— -at least, in the earlier, portion of the day— as the streets wore the same melancholy and half-deserted appearance that they have disphiyed since the recent break-up of the fine weather, and the dnlness of trade that has prevailed lately. Theonly indication that anything at all unusual was going on were a few posters, in which Mr Harrison invoked the miners, "if they wanted roads and tracks," to vote for him (the connection is not ver}' obvious), and the numerous "ticklers" afficltd in. shop"windows and on Avails, in the .shape of small posters, inciting the electors by all they held dear to "vote for Whall. 1 ' One affectionately appealed to their sympathies with "The miners' friend;" a second was pathetically retrospective, and laureled Mr Whall as "Your Tried Representative;" another gave a look into futurity, and dimly hinted at " Tracks every two miles through the bush !" while yet another was wildly indignant against the opposing candidate, and denounced him in good set terms fpr ' ' getting up the Little Grey rush, and selling the mineis." Some of these eulo|iums, imputations, and delicate inueudos werejepeated at short intervals throughout the diiy by the bellnian with his usual tintinabuiery accompaniment. But— spite of all- appeals, vocal and typographical — there was ..very.- little excitement on the matter, and s this little was

confined to the immediate neighlM the polling-place and .the tramwajßjj ' at the. arrival of each train, when tlfi were carefully handed out like prepiM chandise/ and " shepherded " miti il that gave them sjich yalue jj; the I if t~" eyes was recorcVe.d for one side or ttli \ not always, be it said, en passafttm^ V_^^l which the voter had intended^^P'^\l^^^^| started. Mr Sale's duties aJ^K- it'^^| Officer were not, as will be IBnl numbers polled, very une9f| VJi^^B there were sometimes l (>l >g^Kl di^^l during which not a smgtfßjfi V^^l would present hjimself. Up mßflv three o'clock it was believed by J^^| had been watphjng the polling molim^ \ , ti vely that Mr Hji 1 "" 301 ! was keeping«Jß \ of his opponent, but between this andfi | o'clock Mr Whall's friends made a ruslM enabled him to recover lost ground, anH Mm the close of the poll a placard was exhi»\ i H showing that lie was again returned by a W Vr^ siderable maJQiity, . viz. ? Whall, 08 j Ha* \ 1 son, 46- majority, 22. The ofljcial declaM \ | tjon of the poll will be mad* on Tuesdai| A i when it will probably be found that til *lV numbers given are substantially correct. Tha | small pi-oportipn pf voijes polled to tho,se oil ', the electoral roll and of miners' rights entity ling holder to «-i vote, may be in somJ measuie accounted for by the. absence oft 1 several of our tradespeople at the various^ rushes along the coast, and partly ..by thow " disinclination of the miners to leave theiKjl work, now that the fall of rain has given them IK the loug;desired opportunity of washing up j fll Some of thSse whp had allowed a patriotic i] sense of public duty to overcome the claims. Si of pecuniaiy interest, must have clone so at'l^' much pefsonal inconvenience, as the road from. -H/ Diamond Gully and the (i ; emeut Lead .,.to the, W i Saltw:>ter was stated to lie all b}it (riipassable, I,:/ and this was fully confirmed by the appear-! .ly. ance of the miuUsoaked garments of thosg wN who came from these places. , ; " ■