WAVERLEY MUNICIPAL ELECTION. - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) - 23 Jul 1859 (original) (raw)

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Sat 23 Jul 1859 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)
Page 5 - WAVERLEY MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

I WAVERLEY MUNICIPAL ELECTION. i

YESTERDAY morning, the balloting -papers of those

who had recorded their votes at this election on the

day previous, were duly scrutinised at the Waverley

School of Arts, i Shortly before one o'clock p.m., the

Returning-officer, Mr. Charles St. Julian (accompanied

by the two other, presiding officers and scrutineers), are

ceeded to the hustings, where upwards of a hundred

persons had already assembled, The

RETURNING-OFFICER stated that the result of

the poll which he was now about to announce, was

no doubt, virtually a final one but that in compliance

with the Act the official declaration would not

be made until the next morning, at nine o'clock. The

votes recorded at this election-as had, after a careful

examination, been ascertained were as follows:-

Charles James Smithers. 78

William Bell Allen .,..33

Cornelius Frederick Edwards. 23

As to the first eight gentlemen on this list Messrs.

Birrell, Smithers, Browne, Joseph "V Vickery, Simmons.

Newland, James Vickery, and O'Brien, there could

be no question but that they were elected councillors.

The votes, however, for the ninth and tenth, were

equal, and it therefore would become his very the

pleasant duty to decide which of the two was to be

returned. This question was one which he conceived

ought to be decided, if possible, upon some definite

principle, and without reference to individuals. He

had known and respected Mr. Watt for many years,

and scarcely knew Mr. Dickson, even by sight But,

inasmuch as Mr. Dickson was a resident in the district,

and Mr. Watt was a non-resident, he thought

he ought to prefer the resident candidate. He

could not, however, then announce his final

decision, as the Act required that the official declara-

tion should not be made until the following day ; but

he might as well say that his present intention was to

Mr. H. WATT, on coming forward, shook hands warmly

with the Returning-officer, and expressed himself as

well satisfied as if the decision were in his favour.

He thanked those who had been good enough to vote

for him, and said he was quite satisfied to he himself

off as his friend Mr. O'Brien was in.

Mr. J. BurnELL, in addressing the electors, observed

that he was placed in a position (at the head of the

poll which he certainly had not expected, and was

afraid that he hardly deserved ; nevertheless, he

would, at all times do his utmost to merit the confidence

which they had reposed in him

Mr. C. J. SMITHERS also briefly returned thanks to

the electors for the honour which their suffrages, had

conferred upon him, and intimated that he would

always make it his study, whilst in office, to advance

the general interests of the municipality. Mr.

C. BROWNE also returned thanks, in suitable

terms, declaring they had placed him much higher on

the poll than he had expected to be of he stated that

he was fully prepared to do all in his power to merit

the confidence they had reposed in him.

Mr. JOSEPH VICKERY thanked the electors for

having returned him, and especially thanked several

of them for having worked for him so energetically.

But for that opposition which had been got up against

him in various quarters, he would doubtless have been

higher on the poll. As it was, in the face of the

building which had been practised, he had scarcely

expected to be returned at all

Mr. CHARLES SIMMONS returned thanks; he expressed

also his conviction that the electors hid, on

this occasion, returned the nine best men.

Mr. W. NEWLAND then briefly returned thanks, and

confessed that he was peculiarly gratified at the mark

of confidence which had been given him, considering

that he had been so short a time in the district.

Mr. JAMES VICKERY likewise expressed his ac-

knowledgments he would," during his brief term of

office, so watch over their interests as to merit re-

election at their hands in February next.

Mr. F. O'BRIEN returned thanks, but intimated his

deep regret that the electors should have rejected

some of the best men. He would have preferred to have

been himself one of those put aside rather than

see Mr. Hercules Watt one of the first residents, in

the district cast out. He said he had already' asked

the Returning-officer if he (Mr. O'Brien) could not re-

tire in favour of Mr. Watt but the Returning

officer had told him that it could 'not

be done. He would tell them candidly that

he would never appear before them as a

candidate for re-election unless they should he prepared

at the same time to elect Mr. Watt. As a conclusion

to his speech Mr. O'Brien produced two fine

specimens of vitrified quartz, and assured the electors

that there was a quarry of that material in the neighbourhood

of Bondi, at least 150 feet in depth, out of

which they could make their roads,

Mr. JAMES VICKERY returned thanks on the part

of Mr. Dickson, who had been compelled to go elsewhere,

or he would doubtless have been present and

so ready to think them in person.

Mr. W. BALLEN thanked the electors very heartily

for rejecting Mr, and said he thought they J-tfit elected

the nine best men. He should never have come forward,

but that several of his friends had urged him to

do so, and he accordingly did not feel himself at liberty

On the motion of Mr. BIRRELL, seconded by Mr.

H. WATT, the thanks of the electors were awarded,' by

acclamation, to the Returning-officer, for the manner

in which he had conducted the election.

The RETURNING. OFFICER thanked the electors for

the mark of confidence thus bestowed upon him.

He had endeavoured to act impartially, and in so

doing, to use the best of his judgment. He felt glad

they were all satisfied. He begged, on his part, to

compliment them on the strict order and propriety

which had been maintained throughout the

election-notwithstanding the deep interest which

it had evidently excited. He would take

this public opportunity of testifying his thanks to all

the candidates and their scrutineers for the courtesy

and kindly feeling which they had uniformly exhibited, '

Three cheers were then called for, and heartily

responded to, for the Queen, three more for the nine

councillors, and the same for the defeated candidates,

which terminated the official proceedings.'"'

. It is understood to be likely that Mr. Dickson may

personally apply to the Returning-officer for leave to

retire in favour of Mr. Watt. In that case it seems

probable that Mr. Hercules Watt may even yet he