ELECTION ITEMS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 194, 28 July 1884, Page 2

ELECTION ITEMS.

An Auckland contemporary give the following : —A rather peculiar incident occurred in connection with the Wakatipu election. Mr. Fergus was removed to the Franklyn Hospital, and while there he was waited on with a request to address the patients. The request came from a man whose arm had just been amputated. The chairman was appointed because he had both hands and feet frostbitten, and could not applaud. Most of the audience were in bed, and the candidate was on crutches, and had one leg in a sling. The hospital, it may be stated, was a polling booth, so that the patients who had the franchise could exercise their privileges. Mr. W. Swanson has received very general condolence in Auckland on account of his recent defeat, and from the South a large number of telegrams from members and others have poured in to himself, to Mr. Mitchelson, and to others, expressing regret that he was not successful. Mr. Bryce, Native Minister, who entertains a high opinion of Mr. Swanson, telegraphed him a most kindly message. Mr. AHwright, member for Lyttelton, telegraphed—“ Victor by forty,” to which Mr. Swanson replied—- “ Vanquished by fifty-three.” It would appear from the following, which appears in the Napier, Telegraph, that Gisborne is by no means singular in its mode of conducting election meetings :—“ For about an hour the candidate (Mr. Ormond) had a good hearing, and then, a detachment of the opposition camp having arrived, a disgraceful scene was enacted, which almost beggars description. Cat calls, cheering, groaning, and general uproar succeeded each other almost without interruption, the candidate's opponents apparently being unwilling that the statements he was making should be heard. He denounced Mr. Sheehan for having promised Father Grogan to support denominational education, which at his meeting h? has the effrontery to deny. The meeting was brought to an abrupt termination about 9.30 with a vote of confidence in the candidate, amid much cheering, so much cheering that the customary three groans for the papers were forgotten, and the meeting broke np in disorder.