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Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 98, 18 September 1878, Page 2

New Zealand is a land Jof epidemics. One fci me suicides are the rage; at another, forgeries are fashionable; and revivals are occasionally varied by riots. . The last appear to be . m season at present, and m the larger ceritres of the Colony Mobocracy is rampant:' At "Wellington during the elections tHe'proceedings were worthy of the Sixth Ward of New York, famous m the [Municipal annals | of that city for ' its lawlessness, -rowdiness, find ruffianism. The polling booth had to bo cleared and closed before its time, ,803; the unfortunates; who were called upon to perform the task received rough; handling from, the "horny handed, sons' of toil." i The second act. of the drama hast taken | place at Chris(;church, on Thursday, where we learn that the scene at the declaration of the poll was one of .indescribable confusion. , The mob howled at theEeturnihg-Officer, who could not be heard: When one of the successful candidates, ' with ' the uneuphonious name of Gfepes, but who Jhad polled over thirteen hundred votes, got upon a fence to return < thanks, he was knocked off his perch like a .sparrow* while as ; ah ac--1 companiment one of his admirers threiv a masi of flour m. his eyes,, nearly blinding him. Mr. Wilson^ generally : kno w,n;in the district as "Cabbage/Wilson^ the second highest on the toll, jwasiparried orer-.to the hotel by the mob, ; amidst cries of''*;oabbftge for ever." It would; appear fronV the intelligence to hind that: the disturbance was the result of the election of Mr Wilson, who was by n0... .means a favorite with, members of the Council, fand they threaten to send m their resignations m a body, six Jof 1 the number having ' actually taken | that~step. To fill the vacancies thus caused the- Press Agency informs us that the coining candidates already mentioned \ are , Murphy, khe bill dfecpunter," Peter, the fish j hawker,'* Jack Lee, a stump orator, who i never geta hearing, and; Brian, known; as the | ''long sweep." The names of other equally influential citizens are mentioned as likely to contest the election. At, the; adjourned election for a member, for the Wellington City Council for Cook Ward) .'the .'/' New Zealander'* slaves; that there 'yrjia sbnie of the larrikin element present, J and a' good deal of flour was ! scattered^roni' the, roof of the building on 'ilie 7 heads of the -people. One welUknown gentleman, while "waiting to record his vote was hit on the face with a flour pellet, and another;, gentleman received a 'blow between' his shoulder from a large paper of . flour. ; Rotten , eggs , were sought for by one individual at an adjoining hotel, but the landlord promptly ordered ! him out. These little pleasantries' are sadly at variance with ."what people were led to believe would be- Jthe result o£. elections oonducted under the Local Elections" Act, and the privacy' and quietude secured by the abolition of, a public nomination and other : 'formula under the old- system Hapjpdty, >• however, unless -under great political excitement— -such aa the late struggle m Victoria— far greater order reigns at pigling booths it* the Colonies- than at home, and although occasionally such scenes as the above do occur, it may be safely said that they'lare more: the exception* than fclie rule. •