West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 648, 22 October 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1867.

The contest for the Mayoralty luis resulted in the election of Mr Shaw, by a majority of twelve over Mr Button, and of seventy-five over Mr Prosser. The numbers polled were for Mv Shaw, 205 ; for Mr Button, 193; and for Mr Prosser, 130. At the election for the Municipal Council held some ten days back, Mr Shaw polled precisely the same number of votes that he did yesterday in his candidature for the Mayoralty. Mr Prosser's votes were within 84 of the number recorded in his favor on the 10th iust. The votes for Mr Button yesterday, were no less than one hundred and twenty-seven short of tho number polled for him last week. The numbers may be more clearly put thus : — TOE POE COtTSCILLOH. MAYOR. Shaw 205 205 Equal. Button 320 193 Loss 127 Prosser 214 130 Lo-s 81 A larger number cf electors polled yesterday than on the previous occasion, 528 single votes being recorded. If the interests represented by Mr Prosser and Mr Shaw, had not been divided, by two gentlemen having precisely the same claims to honor at the hands of their fellow citizens, the numbers would have stood for Mr Button, 193 ;• against him, 335. _ The result is very satisfactory as the vindication of a great public principle. We are glad to see that the trading interest has triumphed, as it ought to have done in a commercial town. We believe that if either Mr Prosser or Mr Shaw had stood alone against Mr Button, either of them would have polled the total of votes nowTecorded for them both. Under all" the circumstances of the case Mr Prosser stands unexpectedly high on the poll. Tn civic preferment, there is a necessary order of time. We can have but one Mayor a year. But yeqr follows year, and the civic chair is occupied by a certain succession, according to all Municipal common-law. Mr Shaw will, however, probably enjoy the distinctiou of being the last, as well as the first Mayor of Hokitika, elected to that high office by the popular vote of the citizens. The present ordinance is validated until the end of the next session of the General Assemby only. Our future Municipal Government may have to be established on the basis of the new Act just, passed by the Assembly, which confers upon the Municipal Council the power of electing the Mayors of Boroughs.

' We trust that with tho close of this contest all anger of feeling that has been engendered during it will cease, i We believe that Mr Shaw will make a useful, practical, Mayor, and he will have the advautage of being surrounded by Councillors of intelligence, ability, and industry. If at the termination of his year of office, he has been found to fulfil tho expectations that have been formed of him by his supporters, he will retire with honor to himself as a faithful public citizen. Like any other public man, however, tho new Mayor must never be allowed to forget that all political distinctions are^ political trusts ; that the highest civic office is not conferred upon a man as a mere compliment ; antl that public responsibility is proportioned to the public confidence reposed. In what may be called almost the infancy of our Municipal institutions, and at a time when the Municipal principle of government is likely to receive a much larger development than has hitherto been allowed to it, it is of the utmost importance that a man holding a position so responsible as that of the Chief Magistrate of a capital town, should be amenable to the fullest extent to a legitimate public criticism. "We will only say, in conclusion, that we hope Mr Shaw's conduct in the civic chair will be, throughout his term of office, such as will justify the marked and flattering confidence that has been reposed in him by his fellow citizens.

We publish, from our evening contemporary a telegraphic summary of news received at the BlufT by tho Suez mail. Mr Hogan, who for a long time has been connected wkh tho theatrical profession, takes his first benefit in Hokitika at the Prince of Wales Opera Houso this evening. Tho first '*piece selected is " The Rebel Chief, " said to bo from tho pen of Ire land's great liberator, tho late Dnniol O'Con. Nell, Esq., and in which several amateurs will take parb. Notably amongst these wo may mention Mr John Dixou, iHio was very active yesterday in electioneering mat tors, and tonighfc essays his first appearance on any dramatic stage. The laughable farce of " Cool as a Cucumber" will also be performed, in which Mr Bartlett will appear in his celebrated impersonation of "Plumper." Tho whole strength of tho company at tho Prince of Wales will be brought forward on this occasion, and we trust that Mr Hogan will have a very full house on the occasion of his benefit. The following is the return for the Hokitika Gaol for the week ended October 19th, 18G7:— Males — For trial, 1; penal servitude, 5; hard labor, 37 ; imprisonment, 2 ; default of bail, 3 ; default of fine, 4 ; debtors, 11 ; remand, 1 ; total, 61. Females — Hard labor, 4; debtors, 1. Of the 37 male 3to hard labor, 13 aro employed afc Weld street gaol. Received during the week, 6; discharged, 2. The Wellington " Independent" say 3 :—: — "Next Christmas, if nothing intervenes to delay his departure, will sco Mr Fox again among us, to the satisfaction of a large circle of friends, as [he purposed leaving Southampton for Panama on the 2nd November. Wo fear, however, that ifc will not be with much satisfaction that Mr Fox will observe the change, almost revolution, that is taking place — faster than we living in the midst of it can correctly discern — in the tone of the country, and its political prospects. Even that gentleman's unswerving faith in Provincialism may bo somewhat shaken to find on reaching New Zealand that nearly half of its Provinces have had to succumb to the force of circumstances and fall into the financial vortex that looks at present so threatening to every institution in the colony, political or commercial. We hope tho next sessiou of Assembly will find Mr Fox in his old place, with his pleasati* 1 voice and his nervous eloquence ringing once more in tho roof of our Hourc of Parliament.'' The Moorhouso tunnel, between Lyfctelton and Ciirisfchurch, is expected to be open for trall'c about (he middle of November. Messrs Holmes and Co have published a letter which explains the delay, and reveals a circumstance which might have been of scriou s import in connection with tho work of forming tho tunnel. Tho opening of the tunnel has been delayed ,by tho excessive hardness of a vein oC trachyte met with in driving the floor levels. It would appear as though tho line of tho tunnel just passed over tho vein. What would have been the consequences of meeting ifc throughout the whole area of the work for 350 foot in longlh, ifc is hard to say. The probability is that the work would, for a time, have been abandoned. Tho " Ofcago Daily Times " of tho 2nd inst., says . — There was a meeting of members of the Roman Catholic Church, last evening, at tho Imperial 'Hotel. The object of tho meeting was to initiate stops towards tho procuring of a British Bishop and priests for the Middle Island of New Zealand. It was explained by the several gentlemen who addressed the meeting that, by the British Roman Catholics, who formed tho majority of tho adherents of (.hat Church in this Province, as well as in the other Provinces of tho Middlo Island, a great want was felt, through tho almost entire absence of any other priests except those connected with tho French Mission. Ifc was stated that it was now estimated that thore wero 80,000 Roman Catholics in New Zealand, yet the proportion of that number resident in tho Middle Island had only the services of thrco British priests— the Roy Mr Wiili.uns in Otago, and two clergymen on tho West Coast. Bishop Viard, ifc was stated, had been petitioned on the subject, but no steps were known to havo been tukcu to remedy tho present position of matters, and ifc w,i* considered ' that ifc was high time, espociully in the interests of tho children of tho members of tho Church, that British priests should bo provided. Testimony was borne to tho pious and zealous character of the French missionaries, and reference was made to tho Rev. Mr Moreau as a worthy typo of his brethren ; but it was considered that thero was now necessity for priests being procured for those districts in which there are none at present, or for tho presence of British priests, who could discharge their duties and communicate instruction moro satisfactorily than priests speaking only a foreign tongue, or defective English. It was suggested that a meeting should bo hold afc which more ddlnito and regular sieps should bo taken— such as the appointment, of a committco to communiuato with ,lho members of the Church in other parts /f tho Middlo Island; audit was agreod tlyst such a meeting should be (jailed for Friday evening next.