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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1059, 11 September 1879, Page 2

Wt: congratulate the great Liberal Party upon the distinguished victory achieved yesterday in the City of Plains. All honor to Christehurch. In placing Sir George Grey at the head of the poll, they have rolled back the deluge of slanders and falsehoods with which an unscrupulous party sought to blind the eyes of the electors. In an ordinary way we should " bury the hatchet," and t:.ke a new departure. It would be a sin, however, to condone the wickedness which Sir George Grey's opponents and traducers imported into the Christehurch election. All honor, we say, to Christehurch, and all honor to Sir George Grev. In placing Mr. Andrews second on the poll, a further compliment has been paid to liberal principles. Mr. Andrews was a member of the l:\te Provincial Council, and proved himself a man of mettle. It was never anticipated that Mr. Tread well would lie placed, lie was in no sense a popular candidate, lie represented his own crotchets, and was unable to subordidate them during such a supreme trial of strength. The defeat of Mr. Ilicli.irdson is equally significant. The party he represents is doomed to extinguishment, and will soon become to be regarded as interesting fossils. The victory must be reckoned not only by the gains to Liberalism but by the losses to that party which has so long monopolised all power, and taken such mtinne pains to legislate in the interests of the few to the injury of the many—togain their own narrow and selfish ends to the exclusion of all patriotic and honest legislation. Mr. Stevens is perhaps the least objectionable of that party. We desire that Her Majesty's Opposition may be respectable, for we recognise the important part it must ever play in constitutional government. Messrs. Hall, Bo wen, and Stevens are all men we should regret to sec relegated into private life ; thev may yet under better auspices do good service to their Queenand country,but the Whitnkers, the Foxes, the liichardsons, and sucli enemies of the people and tho progress of their country, when they fall They fall like Lucifer, Never to rise again. Sir George Grey's administration, we think, is now out of jeopardy. What responsibility indeed devolves upon them, and what manner of men ought they to be ?