The Western Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 566, 12 October 1869, Page 2

The Western Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1869.

It is probable that, v.ltnin the next twenty-four hours, one or more of the candidates for the Superinlendeney will be the " observed of all observers " in the streets of Westport and Charleston, where there happen to be at present, and at most hours of the day, more of the determinedlv observing than the deservedlyobserved. It cannot be anticipated that, either simply or in company, will the sitting Superintendent pay these districts a visit; for, while he has personal!v made no promise on the subject, it has been stated more than once, and more or less authoritatively, that it is not his intention to do so on the present occasion. 13ut Mr Akersten may, at least, and as the first, be expected. And so may Mr Gibbs—if not simultaneously, at any rate prior to the day of polling. Of the merits of either of these candidates the electors here are, unfortunately for themselves and the candidates, but indifferently informed. With Mr Akersten a few, aud only a few, are acquainted ; and it is creditable either to the feelings of these few, or to the merits of the man himself, that the feelings entertained towards him are of a favorable character. To the multitude, however, he is little known. Being equally ignorant with the multitude, we shall not say that he is not also a "great unknown." Time will tell. We shall, no doubt, hear enough of himself, and for himself, from himself; we shall hear enough against !iim from his enemies. It will be for the local Press to distribute as widely as possible what may be sa'd on the one side, and to discriminate what may be fairly selected as sources of information from all that may be written on the other side, u nothing extenuating, nor setting down ought iu malice." Thus equally informed, the constituency, we do not doubt, will prove themselves quite capable of judging for themsleves. Mr Gibbs, on the other hand, is a candidate with whvmi a majority of the electors may boast of better acquaintance. As a Provincial Councillor, as a frequent contributor to the Nelson journals, as a considerate supporter of the «omplaints contained in the petition for Separation, his name is publicly familiar. Thus familiar we can scarcely think that it is not also in popular favor. If this favor should still require some fostering we should recommend our readers to peruse such remarks as those which we quote from our Nelson evening contemporary, and which, we need not say, are written from a purely Curtis point of view. If, as our minute contempora-y says, the " leading feature " of Mr Gibbs's character is his " faculty for opposi-

tion ;" if he hag " determinedly exercised tin's opposition against whatever emanated from the present Superintendent ;" if, in addition to that, he is, as he is described, a man of "abundant energy and unlimited self-assurance," wo imagine that, in these facts and features, the electors of the West Coast will find much that is meritorious. If it should even be that, in the Superintendent's chair, he would not be at another time " the right man in the right place," he is undoubtedly, at the present juncture, " the man for the situation." It ought to be enough for us on the "West Coast if, in the past, he has done no more than " render himself notorious as an opponent of the present Government." We may well be content to leave it to the future to demonstrate the doubtful assertion that in that opposition he has been " blind and undiscerniug." Especially may we be content to be blind to all that our contemporary represents with regard to his Quixotic disposition, until our own discernment is put to the test by his presence and personal explanations. It may be that, to play the part of Sancho Panza to hi 3 Don Quixote, there will be found on the West Coast six hundred ready rivals.