The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5193, 13 November 1877, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1877.

The election of a City Councillor for Lamb! on Ward takes place to-day. There are two candidates seeking the suffrages of the electors— Dr. Diver and Mr. E. H. Hunt. We have on former occasions pointed out how very desirable it would he, when sanitary matters are being discussed in the City Council, as they frequently are, to have a medical man of Dr. Diver's standing and experience at the Board. The qualifications of the other candidate for public life, unless irritability of temper he a recommendation, we fail to see. In an address which Mr. Hunt has issued to the ratepayers of Lambtou Ward he says, in speaking of the Tramway Company ; —“ From the nature of its business, and the right it has acquired to traverse the streets of the city, it will doubtless require watchful attention from the Council, who, while allowing the company every privilege to .which it is fairly entitled, must also take care that the present traffic of the streets shall be interfered with as little as possible, and that the concession granted shall not be abused. lam informed that there are already three gentlemen in the Council who are directly interested in the company, either as directors or guarantors. It is also stated that my opponent, Dr. Diver, is one or the other ; but whether he is or not, it cannot be denied that he has admitted that he is interested in the company to the extent of several thousand pounds. Under these circumstances it will be for the ratepayers to decide whether or not they will place Dr. Diver in the Council. But if, as I am informed, he is capable of honestly serving two conflicting interests at the same time, he is a rara avis, and the ratepayers should by all means secure his services.” At the time Dr. Diver was nominated he was not a shareholder in the company, but has subsequently acquired an interest in it. His connection with the Tramway Company seems to to ns rather a recommendation than an objection to Dr. Diver as a City Councillor. The tramway will be a great public boon, enabling people to travel much more rapidly, comfortably, and cheaply from one end of the town to the other, than they have hitherto done, and by the terms of agreement between the company and the Corporation, the interests of the ratepayers as to the repair, maintenance, and good order of the streets have been well looked after. We fail to see where the “ conflicting interests” referred to by Mr. Hunt are, and the majority of the ratepayers will, we think, fail to see them also. We may remind the electors of the ward that the polling commences this morning at nine o’clock, at the sideroom of the Odd Fellows’ Hall, and terminates at six o’clock in the evening.

A rumor has been industriously circulated by the friends of the Government that his Excellency the Governor has signed the writ calling Mr. J. N. Wilson to the Legislative Council. We have made inquiry from reliable sources, and are prepared to contradict the assertion in toto. The idea has arisen from a misconception of Sir George Grey's enclosure to his letter of the 7th inst. In the letter he says:— Ministers are however unwilling to press his Excel" lency to accept advice upon a matter of this kind with which lie does not fully concur; and .therefore they respecfully beg to advise that the enclosed message be substituted for that previously sent to him. G. Grey, Wellington, Nov. 7, 1877. Then follows the enclosure : The Governor has received the resolution of tho House of Representatives, by which he is informed that lie has inadvertently committed a breach of the privileges of that House. The House is constitutionally the guardian of its own privileges. The Governor iiaving now called Air. Wilson to the Legislative Council, in accordance with his promise to Ins advisers, he does not think it will answer any useful purpose to discuss the question any further, hut he will transmit the papers to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, It will be seen that the enclosure is a mere memorandum submitted to his Excellency for his approval, to he substituted for that previously sent to him. And a perusal of the Governor’s reply, dated Bth inst., will show that he declines to accept the advice tendered in the enclosure, for he states that— This question as to the extent to which Government are responsible to Parliament for the acts of the Governor is one which cannot possibly be decided in the colony. The Governor has therefore decided to forward the whole case for the consideration and decision of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, by whose decision he is bound to abide; ami he will have much pleasure in forwarding, at the same time, any representations that the Government may wish to make. Another memorandum is then sent by Ministers on the same day, which is at oboe replied to by the Governor “ that he must adhere to the determination which he has announced to the Government.” Besides, the Government Gazette, dated Bth November, 1877, does not contain the appointment, which it would had any such been made.