CAVERSHAM ELECTION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 240, 5 September 1872, Page 6

CAVERSHAM ELECTION.

The official declaration of the pdJHH|| made to-day at noon by Mr Strode, In^Ml presence of some twenty persons. The numbers were : — Cay. G. I. A.Bay N.Far. P'bello. Tolmie ...85 45 36 12 39 Cutten ...66 28 51 0 7 Richmond 10 0 0 0 Majority for Tolmie ... 65 Mr Tolmie was declared duly elected ; and in returning thanks to those who voted for him, said he would take the earliest opportunity of proceeding to Wellington to take his seat. He had to thank the opposing candidate for the good feeling and cordiality manifested during the contest. Although the contest had been keen, there was no illfeeling or want of generosity manifested. Mr Cutten thanked, very sincerely, those who voted for him ; because they had voted f or|him from a strong conviction that his principles and the views he took were correct. 3vo unfair advantage was taken ; neither was an influence used by him in procuring a single vote. He did not mean to insinuate for a moment that his friend, who opposed him, had used any such influence ; nor would he for a moment assume that ; but he mußt say that very strong influences were in force against him, which, to a certain extent, accounted for his loss of the seat. Mr Tolmie represented a strong and most power* ful interest in the country ; and that interest was no' doubt used to its utmost power in this contest. He observed specially, on going out to Green Island to ascertain the state of the poll there, that while the old settlers, or the "old identities," as they had been called, voted strongly for him, the f elhnongeries, the woolscourers, meat preservers, and collieries were all dead upon him. (Laughter.) There was no doubt that Mr Tolmie commanded these interests to a great extent. Besides that,, although he did not avow at the time of the election his exact political principles — he was prudent enough to avoid giving a positive declaration then asto how he intended tovots — Mr Tolmie was now a decided supporter of the Government. Had that fact been known before the election the contest might possibly have had a different termination. That Mr Tolmie was undoubtedly an avowed supporter of the Government they all knew now. The present Government would stand on no trifle to maintain its present position. Political appointments of all sorts and kinds, increased clerks and servants in every department of Government, were not caused by the increase of business, but were to a very great extent the means by which the Government maintained- itself in power. After telling an anecdote about one of bis opponent's supporters sitting on an old hat belonging to one of his (Mr Cutten's) supporters, and then telling him to get in its place the best hat he could get at a hatter's in town, as being one of those little things which helped to carry an election, Mr Cutten went on to say that on the morning of the election he most sincerely believed that his election was secure ; that he had got a decided majority; — in fact, from the promises that had been given him, he was sure of being returned. At the North-East Harbor, especially, he had an enthusiastic meeting ; nearly everybody seemed inclined to vote for him. He could now account for it. He found there had been some misconception on the part of the electors there as to the actual state of politics. It appeared to them that his Honor the Superintendent was decidedly opposed to the Government, and by supporting Mr Curtis's resolution was endeavoring to throw them out. He therefore thought the fact of his opposing the .Government and the Superintendent seeming to be against them, Was the cause to a great extent of his being well received at N-E. Harbor. A number of persons he might name— Mr Henry Driver and Mr John Cargill in particular — had written satirical letters, saying that they intended to take no part in tha election. Of course people could form their ownopiniens ; but the opinion he (Mr Cutten) had formed in reference to Mr Driver was, that if any — election took place within twenty miles of Dunedin, that gentleman, it always appeared to him, was there like " the devil in a gale of wind," and with very much the same motives as were usually ascribed to his Satanic Majesty- (Laughter.) With reference to the election, he found that it had not been decided by the electors of the district, There was a numper of men in the district who had no business to be on the roll, and a good many it who ought not to be on. As an elector of the district he iras prepared to subscribe and give his assistance towards havingof the roll perfect before the next election. Mr Strode : It very different this year. Mr Cutten was glad to hear it. It was useless to expect the Returning Officer to know who should be on the roll and who Bhould not; the settlers ought to see to it. He admitted that the election to agreat extend showed— and he was sorry to see it —that the present Governmen represented, the interests and wishes of the electors, i.e. the electors were not prepared to give up the extravagant and reckless expenditure some on at tko present time all nvnr it© Colony. As he had before said, he was very sorry for it, because if he present Government continued as it was going on, it would bring the Colony in a very short time to ruination. He confessed he had been sold in this election ; and especially at Portobello. For the last two years he had been in a chronic state of election. This was his sixth contest, and he had always been beaten by a local man. This time, confound it, he was not the only local man : hence his defeat. Still he held to his principles ; and the time might come when they would be in fashion. He could not be expected to do more than he had. Elections were rather expensive ; but he had come forward because he had been accused of having gone to sleep, and not having taken any share in politics. He would be hanged if he had not now had his share of politics ; not only had he wasted money, time, and labor, but had submitted to be bullied by everybody. He had to say this. He could not be expected to fight the electors' battles any longer. If that or any other district in the Province chose to ask to come forward, and guaranteed him something like a decided majority, he was game to fight till he was dead. '•' Mr Toum denied that he was a supporter of the Government ; he went to Wellington as unpledged as he was before the dieMr Cuttbn withdrew his assumption that Mr Tolmie was a supporter of the Government. It was founded on the Luna being Bent down for him. Had he (Mr Cutten) been elected, he was afraid he would have been like the little boy : the Government would have made a " lunar " at him to prevent him going up.— (Laughter.) A vote of thanks to the Returning Officer conoluded-the proceedings. Permissive Bill. — On the ,20th instant Mr Fox presented a petition from 25 inhabitants of Otawatea in favor of the Permissive BilL Mr Batbgate presented the following petitions z— 300 male inhabitants of Oamaro, 220 female residents of Oamaru ; and 2,310 males, and 2,100 females of Dunedin and adjoining country districts. Mr Clark presented petitions, signed by 45 electors and' 32 female inhabitants of Port AlWrt» in favor of the MBMBiIL