WAIKATO ELECTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3003, 13 October 1891, Page 2

WAIKATO ELECTION.

DECLARATION OK THE POLL.

At noon on Saturdiy, i p>n»i-Wihle number of electors and t Mmrs assembled at the Court-home, IF.miiHon, to hnar the fl.iolurattnii of tho poll in connedi.m with 'Thn "Kntnrning Officer (Mr W. \. Searancke), in accordance with thu 17th section of the Eloctor.il Act Amendment Act re.id out the. number of vote- recorded for e>eh cimlidato at the re--no.:tivo p.,11incr plaeos. the totals b<Mtte : Mr- IvlwmH I/ike, u'!l7 ; Mr W. A. Murray, W2. Majority, for Mr 1,-ikn, li.'tf. Tnfnninl votes 10. MrSearancket.lie.n declared E. Tiikn. Ksr,.. nf Ohaui)... dtdvloctodt'. r->-present the Waiksitn electoral district in the General Assembly nf Xew Zeal'.nrl.

Mr Lake then cum-! ft.i ward and w.vi received with cheers, He siid that ho thmked the electors verv hoxrt.ity for the honnur they had drino him in placing him at Mm head »f tho null. As their representative he would always endeavour ,-m to act that they would not repent their choice. (Cheers). Mr W. A Murrray, on rising was also received with applause. Mr Miurray said that as he was suffering from a severe cold, In) was Hurry hn could nut dn justice to the occasion. Hβ did not intend to make a Kpcech, but he thanked the 402 lectors, who had supported him. Their voting for him had been a spontaneous act. and although he was not successful this time be was not conquered : but would bo heard of again when, by better orcinisation and more united action, the rnsu.lt. would bo a different ono. They had much to contend aguiust during thu contest and had thn Pi ess in the district suppressing and distort.inpr the truth. (Cries of "_Xo. no.") Mr Georgo Edgeeumbo : It is a lie. Mr Murray said that it wan not a lie. On two occasions the action of the paper had been tho moans of persons being unjustly imprisoned. One was the case of 'Robert Mackie, of Te Arolia, who was sentenced to prison for :i dobt which ho said he did not owe, and the other was that of Mr Kay, who was imprisoned for f>o davs fur shooting a pheasant or a hare. Ho again thanked those, gentlemen who had coinn forward to support him at some peisonal risk to themselves, for they would not Ino nnmaiked. There was not tha , -, freedom hero that there was in tho district lie had Koi no from. IA voice: Yon had butter go trick there] N» doubt thuy w.>nld like him to gti b:iuk, but he did not intend to; and the next time ho caino forward ho would have a different record. Tho lorsnl nnpe.r had said that he was thn (Government nominee. That was not so, for had he come forward as a Government or Opposition supporter he would have bettn in a different position. Mr Murray again thiinked thoso present who had supported him, and asked them to thank the others. He had made many friends during the contest.

Mi , lleorge Edgecumbo said tint 'in rt:crretted the remark* made by Mr Murray. They had nn connecti-m with tlin present election, iind should not have been introduced there. As the proprietor of the only paper in the. riistrict. he had always endeavoured to do jnstica to all sides—-(ap-plause)—and lie might say that during the present I'lnctiiin tu-ciry i: nii'imriieaUou he had received in cumioeliou with it had beon inserted.

Mr I'arr and Mr Castleton : Quite right.

A vote of thanks to tlio returning officer closed tlio proceedings.