ART UNIONING A MAYOR.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1141, 13 January 1874, Page 4

ART UNIONING A MAYOR.

The constant contributor F. in the Nelson Evening Mail says:— They have had an important and valuable lottery at Greymouth lptely. None of your curry combs or mane combs for prizes, nothing even such trifles as a piano or a set of harness, but the great and only prize was the Mayoralty of that thriving town. It is one of the peculiarities of our code of laws that it is delightfully contradic lory. In one instance lotteries and all such games of chance are denounced and provided against, and in another they are not only encouraged but actually insisted on by the law of the land. Bo Grreyinouth has had to dip iuto the lucky bag for the purpose of dragging out a Mayor. It is provided that when the votes for the aspirants to that office are evidently divided, lots are to be cast, and chance is decided who of the two is the better fitted for the civic honors. I forget the names of the " ties" at Greymouth, but Smith and Brown will do, so Smith was written on one paper and Brown on another, and Smith and Brown were then shut up in a hat together. One of the Councillors, upon whom devolved the office of prestidigitateur having, I suppose, first of all tucked i:p his sleeves in the orthodox style, just to show that there was no trickery about it, dipped his hand into the hat, and, with no other musical accompaniment than that of the throbbing hearts of the Councillors that were pit-a-patting all round him, pulled out Smith between his finger and thumb, and so Smith was declared duly elected to sit in the Mayor's chair and draw the Mayor's salary. Especially at this festive season of the year, such a proceeding is highly suggestive of Little Jack Horner of nursery notoriety, who, we are assured on the best authority could not refrain from inserting his thumb into a Christmas pie and extracting a plum therefrom. But our little friend Jack was a fool to Councillor Blank, who dragged a real live Mayor out of a hat. We must get a Municipal Corporation as soon as ever we can in Nelson, if it ia~only for the fun of appointing a Mayor on the ArtUnion principle.