THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 269, 8 November 1873, Page 2

T HE WEE K.

If a stranger were to drop in npon as jnst now he might be disposed to think that an election was going on. Newspapers filled with reports— l wonder if any one reads them — compliments flying about in language the most refined ; meetings of electors where everybody goes to enjoy the fan, and revel in the laxury of hearing a couple of ioßividaalg " pitching into " bne another, and each trying to show that he is tbe better man of the two ; nominations, shows of hands, bets on the polling, excitement, in fact, dressed up in all sorts op shapes and forma. I don't think we are living in a Sleepy Hollow just now, fo?- all seem to have wakened up and are ready to take part in the whirligig of politics. In another six weeks or so/ however we shall have quieted down oncfe more, and be disposed to wonder what all the hullaballoo has been about. But tbfls is looking at the matter from the exterior only. There is an inner and a m< re serious side which doeß not ehow itself to the public gaze. It is this, that each man who thinks for himself seeß that the futi re pf_ the province is to be influenced by Ihe action he takes in tbe present crisis, whether, we are going to consent to hand ourselves over to the tender mercies ofA^ bat no, I am not in a mood juet now for discussing these matters seriously, and as I !ook upon it as one of my prerogatives to say what is uppermost in my mind when I feel so disposed, and to check myself from giving utterance to-any. thoughts at

a moment's notice, I shall not pursue the subject any further. I daresay a good many of my readers can gueqs what I Bbould have said bad I gone on with it. I was at the nomination yesterday, and/ could not help feeling, just for a moment, that I should have liked to be a candidate, if it was only for the pleasure it would have afforded me to hear myself spoken of in. glowing terms, such aa were applied to the seekers for political honors by their proposers and seconders. I don't believe there ever were assembled within four walls such a splendid lot of fellows as the seven who want to squeeze themselves into four seats. Some of them could boast of past careers, in which they had shown themselves to be models of humauity, and paragons of excellence, and others were goiDg to effect marvels of legislation, and to devote the. whole of the next four years to showering blessings upon the human race. All of them were possessed of an | abundance of zeal in the matter of railways ; generally speaking, they were seized with an earnest desire to do something to or for the harbor — I wish they would bring some more ships into it; and as for coal, education, hematite, Executives, and wharves, each of them was in a position to sit down and write a learned treatise on these subjects, if so required of them. At least, so I gathered from the gentlemen who had great pleasure in proposing and secondiug them. It must be rather a pleasant thing to be a candidate, if you are not strictly bound down to adhere to all that your sponsors lead people to expect of you. Still referring in a distant sort of manner to politics. I may say that I feel almost overwhelmed with a sense of my I own importance '* The writer of certain letters signed ' F,' " had occasion to visit Wakapuaka the other evening, and having been offered a Beat in bis conveyance by the Superintendent, who was also going in the same direction to hear his praises sounded by Mr O'Conor, he accepted the invitation. It appears, however, that "F," or, shall I say I, , was guilty of a most grievous offence in so doing. The thing was palpable when explained to me, though in my ignorance of what was the true etiquette under such circumstances, it never occurred to ma that I ought to have indignantly refused the bribe. Yes, bribe it must have been, since Mr O'Conor said, or at least hinted so, and we all know he is always right. For a seven mile ride I had sold myself body and soul to Mr Curtis. Little did I think when I started on that journey, that by so doing, I was gaining for myself a place in the columns of a newspaper, that I was to be specially alluded to by the hero of the evening as having been sufficiently barefaced to accompany his rival to the scene of action. I had, however, one comfort, one deep consolation. Mr O'Conor fortunately did not*know that he who drove me out halted at that far famed hostelry, the Black Horse, and " shouted " for me. What would Mr O'Conor have said if he bad even the faintest suspicion that his opponent had actually stood a glass of beer for me? Imagine if you can, for I hardly dare think of it, the withering sarcasm with which he woald have alluded to me as the base hireling who had parted with his freedom of action, bade adieu to independence,and placed himself under the hand or foot of Mr Curtis — I am not sure which of these two enviable positions he awards me — for a ride in a gig and half a pint of Hooper and Dodson. Oh ! Tam so glad Mr O'Conor did not know it at the time, and I do hope most sincerely that he may never hear of it, or else I shall be sure to be told of it some day in that pleasant manner he occasionally assumes, for I am afraid he does not like me very much. Never mind, I will try to be more cautious for the future, and I promise Mr O'Conor most faithfully that he shall never buy me. I am afraid that in all the electioneering excitement the coraiDg Exhibition is undergoing a partial eclipse, but this should not be. If the public are disposed to forget it, they may as well be reminded that the Committee are still at work, and with the assistance of a gentleman who has kindly volunteered his services to attend to the details, are making all the necessary arrangements for what is going to be a splendid success. Already is some little good being achieved, as will be 6een by the following extract from the Gazette, with which I will bring this letter to a close:—" Mr Cook, of Collingwood- street, has prepared, specially for the Exhibition a very fine hearth-rug. Two gflntlemeo, one from Auckland, the other from Duneiio, entered his shop a day or two since, and noticing the hearth-rug, and hearing it was Nelson manufacture, asked the price at which it could be introduced. They received an answer which induced one of the visitors to order four, and the .other two of the same style. This industry would not have been attempted for some time at any rate, but for the Exhibition, and it her has thus borne satisfactory fruit already." F. For remainder of news set Supplement.