The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8,1873.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 290, 3 December 1873, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8,1873.

"To E. JJ G'Sonok, Esq., \M.H.B.--Sir, We the_Ußtierßignefy electors of the Province of Nelson, beingMon'vinced that to ensure the future nFqsperity of the province, it is necessary effect a complete change in the administration.'' Such is the Bomewbat ostentatious but uneoncluded add inconclusive sentence which heads the requisition to Mr ! O'Conor published in the Stiperintendency Supplement that was yesterday iesned with the Colonist on . behalf of Mr O'Ccnor'a Committee. To the requisition there are appended 635 signatures, each of which is Bupposed to represent a vote because the subscribers declare themselves to be <( electors of the province." But in electioneering times it does not do to take anything for granted; : ao some of the more sceptical among us have submitted the list to the boiling down process with the idea that possibly some amount of scum might rise to the surface and bo thrown into the gutter. They bad reason to suspect that a few ladlefuls 1 of' ; rubbish might thus be got rid of, but they little thought they would be called upon to ppurjt away by the bucketful. Such however is the result of their labors, and they have made the discovery that out of 635 names, no less than 227 do not make ikeiir appearance on the electoral roll. An air pf truth and honesty is imparted to the formidable looking list by the fact of its being sub-divided into districts, co thaf, in showing the fallacies with which it abounds, it may be as well that we should give an analysis of its contents in a similar manner. The result of the researches of | those who were inquisitive enough to make the examination was r as follows:—

This is the paltry transparent trickery to which Mr O'Conor'a supporters have beem compelled to resort in their vain attempt to impress upon the bona fide electors of the province that/ thejr / cfendi-: ■ date is the beloved of the Buller. It is sometimes well to make a great spl»3h and to endeavor to sho#' that 'the c'atiee which is being espoused is a popular one. W!ore especially is this the case at an elec-. tion time, when the votes of those who are K always ready to support the winning side may be picked. up by,. a littler skilful,: chicanery. But on the other hand, the exposure of tricks of this kind will always tell agsinstthose' who' have' not' hesitated to resort to then?, since it shows how unreliable areitheir.ossertipns, how dishonest is their practice. ' Those who' saw" the double column of names which adorned the bastard Bheet.Jtha6 nobody? seemed ito own, but which was bo lovingly embraced in the folds of yesterday's Colonist, and had -not the' opportunity of comparing them with that crucial tesf, the electoral roll, . were,, probably surprised to find that so large a number of "electors of the province" were prepared publicly to pledge to Mr O'Conor their *5 undivided and most hearty support," but their surprise wi 1 be still greater when they learn that 227 out of 635 men were to be found willing, to assert that they were that which they were not. The discovery tbat has been made of the falsity of " the signatures suggests to our minds a rule of three sum, which may be put thus :— lf 227 out of 635 asserted that they were electors when they were nothing of the kind, how many of the remaining 408 either did not know what they were signing or,, either wilfully or jokingly, attached their names to a pledge which they had not the slightest intention of keeping ? TbisM s a ' problem that will be solved on the 10th inßtant, and if the solution of it does not astonish the small minority who are realfy supporting Mr O'Conor we shall not be a little surprised. But the whole thing is of a piece with the many migreprpsentations tbat have characterised Mr O'Conor's candidature, and will not be wondered at by those who have taken the trouble to ilook behind the scenes. | In the same sheet which contains the j signatures of the 227 against whom the ! doors of the polling booths will be closed, is another clever dodge — we can find no other word for it. At the head of one of the columns, which is. devoted to the defence of Mr O'Conor, we find, in large type, the words, "Extracts from the Press." Knowing as we do, and as every one elsedoes, that the newspapers are unanimous in condemning the gentleman who wants to be our Superintendent, we looked with, no' little curiosity to see what " the press" had to say in his favor. What did we there find ? One letter from the ever ! wakeful Chairman t>f the Broken Ring j Committee, another from "An Elector," a third from " Aa,. Incorruptible Cordwainer," and a fourth from " An Irresistabla Tajlpr." .Aud^hese are. the brilliant : «#usioja;th;aj jr^u^nioglj^oserted under the heading "Extracts from the Press," : with a view, no^doubit, to mislead casual ! and inattentive '/e'acleriß into the belief tbat i they represent the opinions of the press. ! Ie must be # poor caj^i?- Indeed, that re- ; quires to be bolstered up by such shallow ■ trickß, ( as, these., „.._ ; -"'"Cbnteal Bdlleb Election, —We j understand that Mr C. L. Maclean has j ■ been returned for this district, defeating j. his opponent Mr Macgregor by aiaateen. '

The Waftaiip Mail reports that the fruit crop in that district will not be large this season. A fl? eats away the blossoms, an^ also feeds 'upon the leaf. IfrspricriON Parade. — The monthly inspection parade of the City Companies of Volunteers will be held this evening in the Botanical Gardens at 6*30, and that of the Stoke Volunteers at 8 p.m. Members of the Artillery Company are ordered to meet at the Drill Shed at 530 p.m. Mr Curtis in the Waimeas. — Mr Curtis held a meeting at Spring Grove on Monday evening when, owing to the short notice given, there were only thirtyfive present. A vote of confidence was carried, & vote of thanks moved as an amendment being defeated by ten to six. — Af Lower Wakefield last night Mr Curtis addressed a large meeting, when a vote! of confidence was unanimously carried. — It will be seen that he invites the to meet him at Stoke on Saturday night, CtosE op the Exhibition. — The Exhibition was brought to a close last nigbjt by a repetition of Friday's concert which passed off most successfully, there being a very fair audience.' The buildings; to-day present a most forlorn appearance, the walls of the Hall having been stripped of the pictures with which they were hung, and the several rooms and. annexes being cleared of their contents. The Secretary has Jbeen busy all the morning distributing the prizes in yesterday's Art Union. With regard to the destination of the piano we were misinformed yesterday, and we; consequently bestowed it in error upon ,Mr-E*erett instead of Mr Alfred Otterson^wW woe in reality the lucky winner. of harness has notyet been claimed, but Mr H. Warren has; gone off in tyumph with the hearth rue. The festivities of the season will terminate on Friday evening with a ball in the Provincial Hall, at which there promises to be a very large attendance.

"Undersigned Not on Electors." the Roll. Montere ......... lo 2. . "Westport 158 50 Addison's Kat 40 8 Charleston 150 51 Buatman's Creek ... 41 25 Inangahaa : ;..' : - -'.. ; . 42T - ■'. 19' , North Creek 13 5 Murray Creek 23' 4 • Nine Mile Beach ... 17 5 Larry's Creek ... ...._ .. 14 6 ' Eeefton 55 23 Nine Mile 12 2 No Town 24 . 5 ;LyeH, 36 22 _ "- "r•"- :: • '-< --6351 "iVL -_f-_7"i/.-