TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 233, 23 November 1880, Page 2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1880.

To so egotistical and vainglorious an address as that alternately spoken and read to the meeting at the Provincial Hall last night it has never before been our lot to listen. We were, and hundreds of others must have been, perfectly astounded to find that we have in our midst such a leviathan of ability and energy as Mr Thomas Ilarley, according to his own showing, must be. Why, the ratepayers have only to elect him as Mayor and he and a boy will do all the work! No need for a Town Clerk, for his advice would never be taken — none for a Surveyor. Mr Thomas Harley will do all that is to be done, even to exercising a personal supervision over the horses, carts, and drivers whose work is being performed by contract. Then, again, eyerythiog ia to be conducted upon entirely different principles, and expedition, economy, and excellence in every department are to be the order of the day. Salaries are to go down and bridges to fly up with marvellous celerity, and from the moment Mr Thomas Harley' takes his seat in the Mayoral chair a new era is to commence, and Nelson is to become a perfect Paradise. What a glorious vision! What a glowing picture! But in order that it should be thoroughly appreciated, one condition is absolutely indispensible. Those who are looking at it, if they are to be carried away by its charms must be — to use one of Mr Harley's choicest phrases — " nincompoops." But the ratepayers are, on the whole, sensible men and women, and they will not not be content to pronounce the picture perfect at the first glance, but they will proceed to criticise it. To begin with, they will want to know what special abilities or knowledge of the law Mr Harley possesses that are to enable him to act upon his own judgment in preference to being guided in any way by the Town Clerk, "whose advice, be tells us, he will scorn to take. Tie appearß to be completely ignorant of the fact that in all Municipal Corporations in the old country and elsewhere it is to the Town Clerk, who, ia England at least, is usually- a lawyer, that the Mayor and Councillors look for advice, and that on this account the office is regarded aB a highly responsible one. Even in our own' Council, ' anyone who is in the habit *of attending its sittings must

have noticed that scarcely a meeting takes place without information or advice on some subject being sought from Mr Gully, not only by the Mayor but by the Councillors, and, wo may add, that it is generally forthcoming at the moment, and wiihout hesitation. The result of Mr Harley's acting upon" his own account without deigning to consult hU legitimate adviser, woald probably be that in the course of a few months the Corporation would become involved in lawsuits that would cost far more than the salary paid to the Town Clerk. Then comes Mr Harley's criticism upon the manner in which the funds are invested and upon the excessive salaries paid. But how is it that we have heard nothing of this before ? If the opinions enunciated on those subj(Cfc3 last night have been entertained by Mr Harley for any length of time, why has he not brought them before the Council ? It surely would have been more honest and more in accordance with that strict Sense of duty by which he professes to be guided in all his actions if he had made some stir in the matter in his capacity as Councillor, and, besides, it would have freed him from the disagreeable suspicion, to which he now lays himself open, that his criticisms are but an electioneering dodge and a bid for popularity. As it is, supposing Mr Harley's fault findings to be based upon an honest conviction that reform is necessary in' the expenditure of the Corporation revenue, the fact of his having been siler.ton the subject hitherto is but a proof of his unfltness for the position he has occupied as a Councillor, for surely it was his duty to make bis voice heard if he considered the ratepayers' money was being wasted. In his endeavor to secure votes at to-morrow's election he has overshot the mark, for he virtually comes before his fellow citizens and says — " As a Councillor, I have been negligent of my duties, I have served you ill and faithlessly ; but only make me Mayor and I will become all thai can be desired." But Mr Harley did not rise to true grandeur until he told the meeting of the ability, extravagance, and refinement of language he would display if called upon to entertain some distinguished visitor. It was a little unfortunate for him, however, that, immediately prior to this announcement, he had been called upon to give an answer to a civil question put to him by one of those attending the meeting — notaPrince of Royal blood but an ordinary ratepayer — and to him his lauguage was not characterised by that courtesy which we were told was to be forthcoming on some future but remote great occasion, any more than ie was when at an earlier stage of the meeting he alluded to those who were opposing his election. It may have been that the expectant host of Royalty, conscious of the scantiness of his stock of good manners, was fearful to draw upon it until called upon to entertain His Royal Highness or His Excellency, but we are very much disposed to think that, unwittingly, he was, in bis reply to Mr Roberts, simply giving a foretaste of what would be his bearing to his fellow citizens if such a misfortune should ever happen to himself and the city as his election to the Mayoralty. But there are other and far graver reasons than any we have yet urged why Mr Harley should not succeed in the present election. It is a matter of notoriety that on more occasions than one his conduct in the Council Chamber has been such as to bring discredit upon the proceedings, and to afford undeniable proof that he was not in a fit condition to perform his duties. But bad though such a failing is in one occupying the comparatively subordinate position of Councillor what would it be in the President of the Council ? Mr Harley says that his " present career" is patent to all. So it is ; and we would ask the ratepayers, acting upon the knowledge they possess, to say whether he is the man they would care to see in the position to which he aspires. But it is needless to extend our remarks any further. Viewing the matter as we do, wo look upon it that in the present election the first duty which the ratepayers owe to themselves individually, to the city, and, we may add. to Mr Harley — for his worst enemy could do him no greater unkindness than to assist in securing his election— is to keep that gentleman out of the Mayoral chair, and to do this they should vote for Mr Dodson, for, though not endowed with the spirit of prophecy, we are inclined to regard Mr Graham's chance of success as infinitesimal. Cajolments will, no doubt, be used to secure votes, possibly coercion may in some some instances be resorted to, but let the ratepayers use their own judgment, and remember that the ballot hox tells no tales. We do not claim for Mr Dodson that he is a model Mayor ; we feel sure that he would not presume to say or to think so himself, but we recogoise in him a man who has proved by his past services hovr greatly he has the interests of the town at heart; one who has shown that at the call of duty he is willing to sacrifice bis own personal comfort to the good of the community; one who spares neither time nor trouble when called upon to expend either or both for th« welfare of his fellow citizens; and one who has invariably displayed an earnest desire to conduct the proceedings of the Council with decorum and propriety. In conclusion we would ask the ratepayers, before they gp to their beds to-night, to think this matter over seriously for a few minutes — for it is one that deserves and calls for serious consideration—and, unbiassed by any thing we have said, to come to their own conclusions as to which of the candidates iB most deserving of their support, and so' confident are we of the verdict to which the good sense of our fellow citizens will lead them that we feel sure that on the result of the poll being made known it will be found that such a lesson has been administered to Mr Harley as will effectually prevent his ever again coming forward as a candidate for an office for which it is no exaggeration to say that he does not possess one single qualification.

We understand that a movement is on foot to bring Mr Arthur Collins forward as a candidate for the representation of the Suburbs in the House of Representatives. The anniversary of the Loyal Marine Lodge of Good Templars will be celebrated by a public tea and public meeting at tbe Port Public Hall to-morrow evening, for which an attractive programme ha 9 been arranged. At the close of the tea mcc ing the ballot papers for the District Deputy and Grand Lodge Representative will be counted. Mr. John Graham, ooe of the candidates for the Mayoralty, will address the ratepayers at the Provincial Hall this evening. The poll for the Mayoral election will take place to-morrow between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 pm. In consequence of the wet weather the Toi Toi Valley Sunday school tea feast is postponed until Thursday next. Mb. T Harley will address the ratepayers at the Port Public Hall to night at eight o'clock. Our readers are reminded of tb« sale which Mr John R. Mabin will hold at hii yards adjoining the Red Horse Hotel, Richmond, to-morrow. It is almost unnecessary to remind those who have a penchant for choice pictures, mineral specimens, books, &c, that they will have an opportunity of securing some on Thursday next at the Nelson Auction Rooms, when a large number will be sold by Mr Mabin on account of the executrix of the late W. Haskayne Jones. Full particulars can be seen in the catalogues Special attention is called to the pricelist of the Eodanow Manufacturing Co., of Boston, U.S.A., published in these columns. All those wishing to secure an excellent and correct timekeeper are recommended to address themselves to this old and reliable firm. No further evidence of the invariable good quality of their manufatures will be required beyond the following factß : The firm was established in 1849, and since then has gained prize medals at the Exhibitions of London, Paris, Vienna, etc., for excellence of manufacture. They are appointed, by, warrant, watchmakers to the Queen of England, Prince of Wales, the Emperor of Russia and the Bey of Tunis.