ELECTING A CHAIRMAN.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 301, 4 December 1884, Page 2

ELECTING A CHAIRMAN.

The author of “ Jottings at Random ” in the Hawke’s Bay Herald writes England takes the cake again ! For a long time the struggle i i Vincent County, for the chairmanship of he local Council, stood unique, and the contest between plump Vincent Pyke, his opponent, and their respective followers, wag admit,terl to be the grandest specimen of paltry chicanery with a view to “honors” that the world had ever seen. It is now eclipsed. At Thornhi’l, England, the local hoard recently met- to elect a chairman. They met at 6 o’cloek one evening, and were unahle ‘o agree. Throughout the whole of the night ♦hey wrangled, sometimes standing up to talk, and sometimes shouting at each other irom two opposing lines of imprisoned beds

' fi • ■ a '’•■ ■ During the night, wife was very ill managed frto pair -or half-an-hour, but was back to P* the ficeie punctually to time, As morn- * ing davnea the contestants arose, and fc waahinoßonveniencCß and refreshments were . famish© by partisans among the ratepayers who cane flocking to see the strange struggle. ■ One number, who had traveled 700 miles to be preent strayed outside the boardroom door, aid prepared to take a vote. This led to a fee fight, during which the member I locked tut succeeded in regaining an entrance. The dry wore on, and the following night L came 6 an end, and was succeeded by an- * other day, and 48 hours after the sitp ting lad commenced and after fights and t “ ructons ” more befiitting a lunatic asylum * than > deliberative assembly, the balance of r power was destroyed by death—not of a memk oer, bat of the wife of the member who paired B.the first day, and who, when his wife died, Kkd te leave the scene, The stronger party Mhen sleeted their man. I had almost forgotten to state that of the contending parties one vas like Stout and one like Vogel—that is one was a “ Liberal,” and the„other a k«“ Comervative ” crowd of ruffians.