PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTION.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 481, 23 March 1869, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTION.

Saturday was the day appointed for the nomination of a member of the Nelson Provincial Council for the Buller District, in the room of Mr Bentley, who had lately resigned. The place of nomination was the Courthouse at Westport; the hour was noon ; the Returning Officer was Dr. Giles, B. M.

Mr W. Pitt proposed Mr Robert Caldwell Beid as a fit and proper person to represent the Buller District in the Council. He said it gave him great pleasure to be allowed to make the nomination. It was not necessaryfor him to make anyremarks. Most of those present had known Mr Eeid longer than he had. But during their intimacy he (Mr Pitt) had discovered that the candidate possessed all the qualities which would enable him to represent them with credit to himself and to the district which sent him. He was glad to find that there were some who would submit to some inconvenience to perform their duty to the State, although, under existing circumstances, little could be hoped for at the hands of their representative in the Nelson Council. Mr T. Sheahait seconded the nomination.

No other gentleman was proposed, and the Returning Officer declared Mr Eeid to be duly elected. Mr Eeed, after thanking his proposer, his seconder, and those of the electors present who had indicated their acquiescence in his nomination and election, explained the reasons which induced him to accede to the requisition which he had had the honor to receive. When first the writ for the present election reached "Westport, he, with others of the constituency, felt the difficulty of obtaining a local representative, who could afford from business avocations the time necessary to attend the sitting of the Provincial Council in Nelson, and, knowing that Mr Luckie, of Nelson, had the ability to expose the Curtis policy so much complained of on the Goldfields, he exerted himself to secure that gentleman's return. He had. reason to feel, however, that the desire to return Mr Luckie was not in accordance with the full wish of the majority of the electors, The knowledge that Mr Luckie's sympathies were Provincial, and that he was adverse to the proposed separation of the district and its establishment as a County, considerably militated against the chances of his election, and especially at the present time, when these questions were being so warmly discussed. Mr Pitt had then been waited upon by several gentlemen in town, but, in consequence of his holding an appointment of emolument from the Government, he was unable to to accept the position in which a large majority of the electors would undoubtedly have been glad to have seen him placed. Having then himself _ received a numerously signed requisition, he had consented, though not without reluctance, to comply with it, and to come forward as a candidate. He had held the opinion that, under existing circumstances, it might be as well for the constituency to return a blank writ on the occasion, as an expression of the dissatisfaction and indignation which prevailed in the district, in consequence of the maladministration of its affairs, but this might not be so easily effected as might appear, for this reason, that, unless the electors were thoroughly unanimous, any two of their number might come forward and nominate an outsider or

a Nelson man, and thereby thwart the designs of the majority. So much for his reasons for placing himself in the hands of the electors. Having been now returned without opposition, he might be expected to make promises of some sort, or, at all events, to say what little he might aspire to do when in his place in the Provincial Council. It was, no doubt, the opinion of the electors, as it was Mb, that one of the matters to which such a Government as that of Nelson should give its first and best attention was the opening of the country by the construction of bridges, and the formation of roads and tracks. In this district, the most important and most urgent of such works was the formation of a road to the Lyell, and along the banks of the Buller, where there was now a daily and steadily increasing population. It would be his endeavor, along with his colleagues from the West Coast, to obtain the funds for the formation of a dray road to the diggings in that district. The most essential local requirement was, as they all knew, the construction of wharf accommodation and protective river works ; and, considering that to be an equally important question with that of roads, especially in connection with the interests of the township, it would be his endeavor to advocate the undertaking of effective works, as well as other local necessities or improvements. There was another question of considerable interest to the district, and with regard to which a public meeting had lately been held. He referred to the project of obtaining a steam-tender and tug-boat for tie Buller river. He considered that was a matter in which assistance would very properly be given by the Government, as was already done in similar cases by Governments in other parts of the colony. In such a locality as this, it was both natural and usual that a Government should assist in providing facilities for trade by subsidising steamers suitable for this and other ports along the coast. There were many other matters of minor importance, or even greater interest, to which he might allude, but he would content himself with promising that to all reasonable proposals he would, in conjunction with his colleagues from the West Coast, give his utmost support, with the view of advancing the interests of the Buller and the Goldfields generally. A vote of thanks to the Beturning Officer concluded the proceedings.