The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 51, 2 March 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1867.

The Domination of candidates for the office of Superintendent will take place on Monday next, at tliePioviucial Hall. We have every reason to think that three gentlemen — Messrs. Curtis, Blackett, and Barnicoat — will be placed 9in nomination, notwithstanding the reports freely circulated, ever and anon, that Messrs. Blackett and Barnicoat intend to resign. The wish is evidently father to the thought with those who spread these rumors : they want them to resign, in order that their favorite candidate may walk over the course. To imagine such a thing practicable is to display a very imperfect acquaintance with Nelson men and provincial politics, and we cannot help fancying that the propagators of the absurd reports are strangers who, haviug made up their minds that the railway is the one thing needful, give all their support to the most demonstrative candidate, who was first in the field, who carries the greatest amount of sail, and who is supposed to be able, by hook or by crook, to secure the much wished for object. It cannot be denied that the Superintendency, the highest and most influential office the free and independent electors can bestow, is and ought to be an object of ambition to public men ; and we should be sorry indeed to see the time come when, to attaiD such an object, there was only one Richmond in the field. So long as the contest is carried on in au amicable manner, which we are sure will be the case so far as the candidates personally are concerned, we cannot have too many bona fide aspirants to the honorable positiou, or too warm and vigorous a discussion of the merits of each, with a view of arriving at correct conclusions as to the merits of the individuals themselves and the important principles of which they are assumed to be the representatives. We counsel all persons, therefore, who narrow their expectations to the nomination cf one candidate on Monday, to rely upon the appearance of three, and not to be dissatisfied that so excellent an opportunity will be afforded to make a judicious choice. It will not have escaped observation that Mr. Barnicoat has been almost unnoticed in Nelson, in the discussions that have taken place here, in reference to the candidature for the Superintendency, and yet we can only account for the ignoring of this gentleman, that Nelson fancies itself all the world, and like the fly on the ■wheel, whenever a political contest takes place exclaims, " what a dust we kick up." But it so happens that Mr. Barnicoat is a candidate, intends to go to the poll, has a large following, and may be supported to au extent that will surprise many of the over confident in the return of their favorite candidate. It is said that Mr. Barnicoat has not been well used by his party, the meaning of which is we presume, that being in the " sere aud yellow leaf," and not being ao fast in. his paces as the young competitors who have come : upon the scene, he has been thrown over-

board to make room lor the possessors of the vigor aud dash wliich are to come to the rescue of our stationary province. Nelson is not, however, all the province, let alone all the world, aud the Waimea farmers will have a finger in tlie pie at this election, before it is concluded. A glance at the electoral roll will show tbe obstreperous persons who are fond of shouting, "we the rneu of Nelson," that there are nearly 1000 electors on the roll of the district. in which Mr. Barnicoat keeps his court, and it is not impossible that headed by Mr. F. Kelling, who gave the Nelson nervous gents a touch of his quality the other evening, these said noble yeomanry their country's pride may try conclusions successfully with the denizens of the sleepy hollow, and prove that the pastoral and bucolic mind and the bone and muscle of the broad acres of the province, are more than a match for the luxurious languor and enervated powers of the quasi swells of the great metropolis. Being sincerely desirous that the best man may win, we have only to urge the electors to give all the candidates a fair stage and no favor. Tt will not he denied that the materials are sufficiently ample and varied to select from, and that if each candidate does not possess all the talents, each has qualifications that entitle him to high consideration. Mr. Barnicoat represents the old settler genus who licked the country into shape, was the pioneer of our civilisation, and watched the cradle of the infant colony. As a practical man he is not to be despised in respect to his knowledge of the country, and it is possible his opinion on railway matters may be thought as trustworthy and reliable as that of the new lights which have just flickered upon the scene. Personally, and without meaning any disrespect to the juvenile tulents recently imported, wc have strong conviction of the truthef the maxim, old wood is the best to bum, old wine to drink, old friends to converse with and old bold books to read, and we should not be astonished if the Waimea electors thought so too. Mr. Curtis has so recently signalised himself as the Rupert of debate,' that it would be like bringing coals to Newcastle, to descant ou the extent of his information and his rapid and glowing elocution. Nelson is his stronghold, and if he succeed in making such au impression on the rustic mind as he has done on the minds of the people of the modern Athens, we should say that all competitors will toddle and pant and toil after him in vain. We do not regard Mr. Blackefct as the least important candidate because we mention him last. He is a walking encyclopaedia on railways, roads, and bridges, aud the wouder is that one small head can contain so many abstruse facts and mysterious figures as he lately displayed to a wondering auditory. With such materials for selection, how can the electors fail to choose a good man, and our honest desire is they may chose the very best.