Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5273, 16 February 1878, Page 2

Mn. William Hutchison, the late Major, announces his intention to come forward as a candidate to represent the city in Parliament. Mr. Hutchison states that he does so at the urgent request of a numerous body of his fellow-citizens. However, the past history of this gentleman leads us to the belief that he did not require much coaxing. He has made some half-dozen attempts to enter Parliament, and has as often been defeated; and now, under the wing of Sir George Grey, he is to be foisted upon the people of Wellington. Mr. Hutchison, in his address, which will be found in another column, says he had hoped Mr. Pearce would have been prepared to support Sir George Grey, in which case there would have been no contest, but as Mr. Pearce distinctly declined to do so, it became imperative to get somebody else. We will do Mr. Hutchison the justice to say that had he been in Mr. Pearce’s position there would have been no contest. The electors would not have been put to any trouble through Mr. Hutchison's obstinacy iu adhering to his conviotious. A few short months ago Mr. Hutchison would have repelled the insinuation that before long he would be a supporter of Sir George Grey. When the Atkinson Ministry were in power, and Mr. Hutchison was the proprietor and editor of a journal, no one in this colony was more unsparing iu his attacks on the Knight of Kawau than Mr. William Hutchison, In fact, kind friends suggested, when a vacancy occurred iu the Resident Magistrateship of the Chatham Islands, that Mr. Hutchison should get the billet, as a reward for his journalistic services in the cause of Sir Julius Vogel and abuse of Sir George Grey, the latter of whom was stigmatised as nothing better than a lunatic. Sir George Grey has not changed Ins opinions since the time Mr. Hutchison “ slated ” him; but Mr. Hutchison has changed his. As the mountain would not come to Mahomet, Mahomet had to go to the mountain. A day or two ago Mr. Hutchison had not a good word to say of Sir George Grey ; but 10, what a change has taken place. Sir George is the man for the country, and Mr. Hutchison of all others is the man to support him. Sudden conversions are open to very grave suspicion, especially at Mr. Hutchison's time of life, and after repeated defeats upon the other tack. Within as many years he has contested three constituencies in the Atkinson interest, to find himself invariably at the bottom of the poll. As the world goes, is it any wonder that Mr. Hutchison has changed his opinions ? Still he has been a somewhat lucky man. He has been twice Mayor of Wellington. His first election to the position was rather unexpected and peculiar. Mr. Gisborne had been put iu nomination for the Mayoralty, but it was discovered from his previous action at the Education Board that he favored donominationaUsin. Mr. Hutchison, who is noted for holding extreme views on the other side, was put in nomination for the Mayoralty, and the result was that he defeated Mr. Gisborne by a large majority. Of Mx-. Hutchison’s career as Mayor it may fairly be said that for the first year, as far as the public could judge, he fulfilled the duties satisfactorily, and as ho had plenty of time at his disposal, he was able to devote more attention to municipal matters than his predecessors. But of Mr. Hutchison's second term the less said the better. The affairs of the Corporation were allowed to drift, perhaps designedly, into . fearful state of muddle. No precaution was exercised in the payment of moneys belonging to the ratepayers. Nobody appeared to be responsible for the px-opor conduct of affairs, and the x-esult in one instance would have been that had it .not been for a ohauco discovery of a newly-elected councillor a contractor would have received several thousand pounds in excess of what he was entitled to. Tho inquiry into the affairs of the Waterworks contract is still proceeding, and under ordinary circumstances wo would not hare referred to it. But Mr.

Hutchison iu his address appears to take credit to himself for the maimer in which the affairs of the Corporation were conducted under his Mayoralty. In the interests of the electors of Wellington, we deemed it advisable to lift the veil to enable them to see the gross carelessness, to put it mildly, which was exhibited in large and important matters under the regime of ex-Mayor Hutchison. Municipal Councils and Hoad Boards have beeu described as institutions wherein are trained the men for higher representative honors. As Mayor of the city of Wellington Mr. Hutchison has proved that it would be unsafe to place him in any position of confidence.