TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 85, 30 January 1863, Page 2

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Our correspondent “ Jim Crow” has reminded us of a fact which had, owing to tho pressure of other matters, for the moment escaped our notice. There can be no doubt whatever but that under the Contractors Act Mr. James Wood, being a large contractor under the Provincial Government, must vacate his seat, and come before his admiring constituency a second time. We confess to being very glad that this opportunity is offered to the electors of Napier to correct the error which they have made in returning Mr. Wood. That individual does not appear to us to possess any characteristic which in the slightest degree entitles him to tho distinction of an M.P.C. for Napier. And furthermore, it seems to us that for a man like Mr. Colcnso, who is, according to our view of the case, the only— (mark, the only) —man connected with the Provincial Government of this Province who is possessed of any ability whatever, to go begging, while tho electors'return such a sorry humanity as Mr. Wood, is a flat contradiction of the electoral privilege. While on the matter of the elections, we will say a word upon the subject of the Waipukurau election. One seat for that district has become vacant, owing to the invalidity of tho candidate, and of his title to vote. In the first place, this shews great negligence on the part of the Eeturning Officer ; he ought at least to know who are the real electors of his district and who are not. Therefore, as the mistake is his, and is owing to his carelessness, he is bound to pay the expense of the second election. As to the candidate for the seat, Mr. S. Johnstone, that young gentleman, we believe, is a minor; therefore, supposing he is on the electoral roll, he would not bo legally entitled to vote. Allowing, however, that he is entitled to vote, there still appears to us to be a strong objection to the country being govenmiented by not particularly bright boys ; in short, to hoys of any sort, good, bud, or indifferent, old or young, or their having anything to do with that'responsible business. It is bad enough to have such a large selection of blockheads to damage our representative credit, without further adulterating the article with boys. We, upon the whole, fancy that in this matter there has been a little practical joke got up for the edification of those solemn gentlemen of Waipukurau ; but we disapprove of joking in so serious a matter, and would advise youthful aspirants for political honors to look seriously at the undertaking, and cut their jocular teeth upon something a little less tough.