KUMARA GENERAL ELECTION.

Kumara Times, Issue 2518, 16 July 1884, Page 2

KUMARA GENERAL ELECTION.

THE NOMINATION. After the two candidates, Messrs Seddon and Blake, had been duly nominated at the hustings yesterday, and when the Returning Officer (J. M'Enuis, Esq.) was proceeding to take a show of hauds, Mr Seddon applied to be allowed to address the assemblage before numbers were taken, as their addresses might affect the result. The Returning Offieer replied that he had advice on the matter, and would proceed first with the show of hands; the candidates might speak afterwards. The numbers, as stated yesterday, were declared to be—Seddon 75, Blake 23. Mr Seddon, after proposing a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, said— It was customary for those who had the largest show of hands at the nomination to consider it as a good omen of what the state of the poll would be on the election day. To him it was a question of guilty or not guilty—he was now on his trial. Mr Blake was not on his trial; he came at the solicitation of those who sent for him. Who got their roads made, bridges bui't, and lives saved ? Was it not Sir George Grey I ?—[Hear, hear.] And he had fought side by side with him for the last five years ; and he had fought for the principle that they should pay taxes who were best able to pay. He would ask, has not this district improved since he represented them 1 Look at the road to Christchurcb ! the road to the Beach! and the sludgechannel ! Who got them the money 1 If the channel had been a failure as regards its construction and management, through officers of the department, do not throw the blame upon the shoulders of your member. If returned as their representative he would endeavour to remedy the grievance by getting another chan.i«l—[hear, hear]

also increased water supply. They could not show that any vote of money for this district had lapsed for want of looking after. Mr Seddon then entered into a criticism of Mr Gordon's Report on the Kumaru Sludge-channel (which •we published yesterday) stating that instead of paying nearly 3i- per cent, interest on the capital invested it would be found that it was really paying 15 per cent. This statement was made to screen the defects of their own officers ; and then the department give this as an excuse for not reducing the price of water. Mr Seddon then referred to the alleged promised support to his opponent of the Hibernians and foreigners. He had many friends among these -who he knew would give him their vote on the day of election. With regard to foreigners he had been instrumental in getting the charge for naturalisation reduced from £3 to ss. One of his opponent's supporters went down to Goldsborough the other day to seek foreigners' votes, and commenced to run him (Mr Seddon) down; but they put him out of the hut saying—" You no come here tell lies." He intended to go against the Governmentj it was the worst Government ever in New Zealand. The present struggle was a contest against wealth ; and if returned he would do his best to see that wealth should not have undue power. At the last election when Mr Blake and he (Mr Seddon) met, a few words were spoken. His friend said that it was "more in the interests of his friends and to please them than to please himself that he then came forward." It appeared that he was always willing to oblige his friends. It •was urged that his opponent had a very large stake in the district ; he did not think he had any at all now, except bad debts, perhaps ; while all ho (Mr Seddon) had was in Kumara. Were they to insult this constituency that they could not find a local man ? Why he could lay his hands on five or six. Then why go over to Canterbury 1 Canterbury had a large voting power in the House ; Mr Blake, if elected, would give them one more. He was invited to come over, and then presented with a requisition signed by three electors ; they reminded him of the three tailors of Tooley street. Again thanking the Returning Officer, Mr Seddon concluded by saying that he had been bard at work the last five or six days, up between four and five every morning ; and now he considered his election was won before his friend had crossed the range.—[Applause.] Mr Blake begged to thank the electors of the Kumara district. He had been told it was a pocket constituency. If Mr Seddon considered ic a pocket constituency, he did not; and it was to prove this that he came over. He would try and conduct his election as a gentleman, for a man who could not conduct his election as a gentleman could not act as a gentleman when elected. He would ask the electors to use their own judgment, and vote tor him, and he would thank them.— [Applause.]