The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 147, 20 January 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1868.

Advance West-port! Such is supposed to be the motto peculiarly appropriate for the future Liverpool of the West Coast, and a very appropriate one it would be no doubt if the inhabitants of Westport took any interest in its advancement, but without their aid how can it be possible for it to advance. It is easy no doubt to make this their motto and to cry it aloud in their public meetings, but, as usual with all the transactions relative to Westport, it ends with the cry—vox et prceterea nihil. How many times has the voice been raised and there ended. It is not so long since that the universal talk was for increased representation, and after a time we got it, and what is the result? We have to go begging for a candidate. At the first election, Mr Bentley was returned without his knowledge, and was, as it were, all but compelled to take his seat, whether he would or not; and now, at the second, we shall either stultify ourselves by sending in a gentleman who is not fitted for the office, however good his intentions may be, or send in a man who tells you plainly that he goes in more for the furtherance of his own interests than anything else. We must give Mr Graham credit for perseverance and a certain amount of consistency, and if he had only a little more tact we doubt whether we could find a better man. Eschewing all aid from Committees and other bodies, he believes in the well-known adage that " if you want a thing done, do it your yourself," and he acts upon that principle. In spite of the laughing, jeering, and scoffing of those who have not got one tithe of the pluck that he has, Mr Graham proceeds about his business —he holds a meeting at the Post Office Hotel, and addresses a large number of people ; and if his language is not the most choice or polished, there is an air of truth and sincerity about it, while he has shown that he is not deficient in repartee. He then proceeds up to Addison's Flat, and holds a meeting there, which was attended by nearly all the mining population, who pass a unanimous vote in his favor, and he then tackles the Commissioner with a request for a polling-place at Addison's Flat, but which he is not able to obtain. All these proceedings show Mr Graham ot be a man of action, who does not believe in letting the grass grow under his feet, and but for the reasons before enumerated, we would say elect Mr Graham by all means. The iiext on the list is Crate, the irrepressible, whose children, not himself, receive £4OO a year from the* Buller, and who has no objection to get a slice of land if possible. No doubt, Mr Crate would like to get into the Provincial Council for more reasons than one, and "" His Honor" would often receive in that case the benefit of Mr Crate's advice; but we do not think Mr Crate, with all these

desirabilities, is exactly the Westport'. So far the matter present, and from all we can see at present, it is a case of return either Graham or Crate, and throw up our hats and cry " Advance Westport." There have been requisitions out of number, but nobody seems desirous of the honor. In the first place, there was Mr Robert Milieu, who, after wavering, declined on business reasons ; then came Mr J. B. Clarke, who had no objection to stand if his committee secured his return, but business prevented him from taking any steps in the matter; then followed Mr Jno. Munro, who also declined on business grounds. Names have been mentioned out of number, but all have declined for one reason or the other, but who are all ready to cry " Advance AVestport." The last name mentioned, a dernier ressort, is that of Mr Tom Goodwin, who it seems at the last moment has consented to stand, and will hold a meeting this evening, when he will expound his views. If he is in earnest, we wish him every success, for he is to be preferred to either Graham or Crate The' time is now drawing nigh when the matter will be decided, and the interests are too great to be trifled with, and if no gentleman can be found sufficiently interested in the welfare of the district to venture upon being nominated as a candidate in lieu of Mr Graham or Mr Crate, would it not be better to advertise for a candidate, or in order to show how we value the honor, nominate and elect Prince Alfred or some other august personage