BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1593, 12 September 1873, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS

The annual elections for the three vacant seats in the Borough Council took place yesterday. Only two of the Wards were contested, and in both of these there was more excitement than has been shown since the first constitution of the Council. In the East Ward the candidates were Messrs W. S. Smith and Chas. Woolcock, and the Returning Officer was Mr R. C. Reid. Shortly after four o'clock the Returning Officer announced the result of the election as follows :— MrW. S. Smith ... ... 122 Mr Chas. Woolcock ... ... 95 Mr Smith, on the announcement of the result being made known by the posting of a placard which he that ran might read, addressed the numerous group cf burgesses who had assembled. He acknowledged the lively interest which had been taken at the election, and especially thanked those by whose votes he stood at the head of the poll. He assured the , burgesses of the Ward generally that, having been elected, it would be his en-~ deavor to do his utmost to advance the interests both of the. Ward and the Borough. He hoped that, whatever excitement and warm feeling might have arisen during the contest, these would now cease to exist, and they would all be as they were. He thanked those who had. so warmly worked to secure his return, and for the feeling which they entertained; he was" only sorry that among those who opposed him now there should have been some of those who had supported him before. He was hopeful, however, that after he had been in the Council for some time they would support him again. He attributed his. success not to any personal liking, but to the earnest manner in which his supporters had worked, and to the respect^ in which they were held by the citizens. Mr Woolcock said he was exceedingly pleased by the honorable and gentlemanly manner in which they had been addressed by Mr Smith. The" contest had been a [ fair aud honorable one, and he (Mr Wool- ' cock) accepted his position ; as that of a candidate who had. been fairly defeated. He thanked the large number of the burgesses who had voted for him, most heartily, for their high opinion and their warm support. MIDDLE WARD. In this Ward the contest lay between Dr Acheson and Messrs Chas. Holder and Walter Hill. The contest was a very keen one, and no effort was spared by the supporters of the various candidates to secure their electiou. This is clear by the fact that nearly every voter on the roll exercised his franchise. After the close of the poll there was a considerable assembly outside the Fire Brigade Hall, and about five o'clock the Returning Officer, Mr. J. Kerr, made the following announcement:— ■ I Dr Acheson ... ... ... 82 . Mr Chas. Holder ... ... 69 MrW. Hill ... ... ... 48 s Informal votes ;. 6 ; Dr Acheson came forward,! and thanked the electors for having placed him in that honorable position. He would only assure them that he would strive to do his duty, more especially towards his own Ward, while lookiDg after the interests of the Borough generally. If at any time his conduct in the Council was not such as to please the burgesses all they haft to do was to ask him to resign, and he would willingly do so. : Three cheers were then given for the successful candidate. Mr Chas. Holder, being called upon, simply thanked the electors who had voted for him, and received three cheers. Mr W. Hill was also called for, and thanked those who had supported him in the contest. He wished to state that his reason for contesting the election was that he was the first candidate nominated, and he considered it his duty to those gentlemen who nominated him to go through with the election, and, if possible, obtain the seat. If he had been returned, he would have done the utmost in his power for the interests of the burgesses ; but, as it was,, he hoped at some future time to occupy the position he had at present failed to secure. Three cheers were then given for Mr. Hill, and the assemblage dispersed. For the West Ward, Mr. Dupre was returned unopposed. .

"A distressing accident," the Pleasant Creelt News states, "occurred at Landsborough recently, the sufferer being a miner named David Dow. While timbering a drive one morning he in some way loosened an overhanging blook of mullock, which fell upon him and prevented him from moving. He continued shouting, however, until he made himself heard by some miners who were working near. One of them was lowered down the shaft, and endeavored to lift the block of m tillock', which, however, he allowed to roll hack again, as it proved too much for his strength. Dow thinks that it was this that broke his back, and not the first blow. He was first, treated, by Mr Harsant, and on his recommendation subsequently taken to the Ararat Hospital. No hop 9is entertained of his recovery, as the injuries to the; spine are of a severe and complicated character. Dow's wife and five children are completely destitute." ' ••-■" -.