The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1879.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 453, 23 August 1879, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1879.

The Wanganui election promises to be a close run, and is on many grounds one of the most interesting that will take place in this most momentous contest the colony has over witnessed. In this contest there is engaged—first, one of the oldest, most able, and most irreproachable of the public men of New Zealand. For nearly thirty years he Ims battled stoutly for the. rights of his adopted county. He has occupied the highest place that country could give, and

Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trnmpet-tongucd, against The deep damnation of his taking-off.

Recently ho has received from his Queen coveted honour of knighthood, and has of late been chosen by his party to lead the attack against a useless Government; with what success ho has done it, the world knows. The second combatant is a man of loss note, whom foul mischance threw into office. But exaltation did not put a spark of celestial fire into his leaden soul. The pigmy on the mountain was a pigmy still. He drank nectar with the gods, but remained mortal. Yulcan like, he was somewhat roughly ejected from his high place, and the shock made the ears protrude from the skin he wore, and men began to discover that the roar was only a bray. But he is a combatant now. He sent his Herald before, and entering the lists, endeavored to steal the prize before the other combatants arrived ; but he was caught and wigged as he deserved. Now he awaits the convincing clay, saying, “ I bought an unction off a mountebank, and I’ll anoint my sword.” Meanwhile, to keep his courage up, he bids his Herald blow unceasingly through his trumpet ot brass. There is a third combatant—a true knight, though not “damned to fame” like the one just mentioned; but he keeps strange company. He is a knight errant, has a roving commission, is, in fact, “ independent.” His independence is a necessity, for none could keep him company in his windings. His enemy in the Empire City is his friend before the country, and his leader in the city is his enemy in the country,

Nature hath fram’d strange fellows in her time. The real question of moment is, which of the three should go to Parliament, and which stay at homo. We claim a large interest in the matter, as a considerable portion of the Pate a County is in the constituency for which the three candidates are standing. We are certainly of opinion that Wanganui should return her old members. She will thus exercise some influence on the business of the country, as she will then have Iwo men voting on one side of the House. Otherwise she will be represented by a perpetual “ pair” in the divisions, and by opposite arguments in debate. In childhood we remember being greatly moved by an account of how certain savages treated onr favorite character in a story. They drew the tops of two stout saplins together, and hound one leg and one arm of our hero to each, and then let the trees do their best, to resume their position. This was decidedly uncomfortable for the man, but it is only a fair illustration of what Wanganui would be between the two B.’s. We hope therefore that common sense will prove to be the possession of a very large majority of the Wanganui electors. It is true that the “ independent” member may use his independence to render the perpetual “ pair” unnecessary, but Wanganui, if she can honor him with her suffrages, should also care for his moral and

spiritual welfare, and not lead him into temptation. We should prefer seeing a fourth candidate, with some pronounced policy, who, with Sir William, would be able to leave botli the B.’s in the lurch ; but as this is not to bo hoped for, of the evils—the two B.’s—choose the least.