NOTES ON THE GREYMOUTH NOMINATION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1360, 7 December 1872, Page 2

NOTES ON THE GREYMOUTH NOMINATION.

(by a visitor.) . : I Looking at the nomihaticin at' the Court House in connection with the forthcoming election of members for the County Council,' as a mere spectator and a visitor to the district, the most noticeable part of the proceedings was the apr parently thorough earnestness of the canr didates. To a person who has had the opportunity of witnessing the preliminaries to similar contests elsewhere, at the elections for members of the Nelson Provincial Council, for instance, the manner in which the several candidates expressed a desire, to. have representative honors gonf erred upon' them \yas peculiarly gratifying. There' was -aunacienti absence ,'of vulgar electioneering abuse on the part of the candidates towards each other, to make the event respectable, ; and there 'was just enough; recrimination introduced to indicate, a; knowledge of the duties required ' to be performed by the new aspirants, and a knowledge of : how -these duties were, or were not performed by their 'predecessors. ' This was so far satisfactory, but a disinterested', onlooker must have noticed on -what extremely frivolous grounds the new candidates found fault with the former representatives of Grey mouth. If there were not graver charges to be brought against the County Chairman than the non-payment of the overdue subsidy to the Greymouth Hospital, a matter for which he cannot, as a member, past or present, for Greymcuth, be in any mannor responsible, it was scarcely worth the trouble making a charge at all. There are other and more legitimate grounds on which to find fault with the conduct of the former political head of the County during, his term of office. The action taken by him with reference tc the "unification" or " disintegratiau" oi |ihe County would, as the : constifcuencj might cliqose to, regard the matter, ; be. ; a fair ; opportunity for attack or defence oi the policy of the hon. gentleman. The "part taken by the County Chairman witli respect to the Schaw esclandre would, alsc be a fair subject for comment) because the Coiinty Chairman being, whether bj a fiction or in reality, the incarnation oi the honor of the constituency, and in i manner the keeper of the political con science of the electorate, his individua action in such matters is amenable tc public criticism apart entirely from his personal opinions: Mr Kennedy begar by excusing himself for any shortcoming! because ie was the first political address he had an opportunity of making, and ii this be the case a very "good fist lit made of it." He seemed to la convinced the County of Westland was in- a bank rupt condition; because of the non-pay-of the Hospital subsidy. To' this 'the County Chairman retorted that he would rather be a creditor of the County, bankrupt q,s it was, than to stand in a similai relation :to the ■•'♦•■ best "merchant on-the Cqast." This, to say the least of it, called For some qualification from somebody, and Mr Kennedy supplied ifc by hoping; Mi Lahman did not forget or regret the time "when he was honored by being considered himself." Mr Coopei contented' himself by promising, if elected, to increase the means of road communication and to reduce the expenditure, and to enforce strict economy in every branch of the County administration. Mr Fox assured the electors he did his. best according to his ability to promote their interests, and no- doubt he has, which may not be saying much. Mr Smith.unfortunately remarked that the general proceedings of the : late County -Council, and especially the wasteful extravagance in certain matters, had. brought the County to the verge of ruin, and conse^ queritly it would, be a disgrace to belong to such a body. .Now, this is speaking as a capitalist should speak, for nothing is more undesirable on the part of a millionare thau to be connected in any manner with a failure, either politically or commercially. Mr Smith's speech altogether, and more particularly in> the persistent allusions to the audacious conduct of persons " without a stake in the country" in seeking election, reminded one strongly of the Manchester cotton lord who based his claim to election to a seat in

the English House of Commons on the fact that, although his opponent possessed more education and greater intelligence, he (the cotton lord) was so disgustingly rich that he " atunk o' brass," and therefore was the more eligible candidate. It is a great pity that election contests cannot be carried out without these allusions to the pecuniary circumstances of any of the electors who may aspire to the hdnor of becoming representatives. However, setting Jthese"]ittle "differences asides- the constituency of Greymouth have a very creditable selection of candidates to choose from, and, as before remarked, the public spirit displayed by these gentlemen iv comiug forward in the present important crisis in the affairs of the County, and offering their services as public reformers, no doubt at some personal .inconvenience is commendable, and Veil worthy of imitation by the leading men in adjacent constituencies. . . ,