Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 10 February 1870, page 2
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF THE POLL.
THE official declaration of the poll in the East, West, Valley, and Kangaroo Point Wards took place in the Chamber of Commerce, Town Hall, yesterday, at noon Although only a formal proceeding, it attracted considerable attention, and the room was tolerably well filled
The MAYOR, in opening the proceedings, said they had met that day, in accordance with the 29th clause of the Municipalities Act to declare the result of the poll in the different wards in which the election of aldermen had been contested
Mr ALEXANDER WATSON raised an objection to the proceedings, on the alleged ground that the provisions of the Municip shires Act had not been complied with
the MAYOR then proceeded to formally declare that Mr F Murray had been duly elected for the East Ward, Mr Reuben Oliver for the West Ward, Mr J D Heal for Fortitude Valley Ward, and Mr E J Baines for Kangaroo
Point Ward
Also, that Messrs John Crowther and John Hull had been duly elected as auditors for the municipality for the ensuing year
'The MAYOR said he must congratulate the ratepayers on the unusual interest which had been taken in the municipal elections this year. He hoped it was the certain fore runner of better times, and that the time would never again come when the Government would have to appoint nominee aldermen He (the Mayor) looked upon it at the time, and still thought that it was disgraceful to the metropolitan city for the Government to have to stop in and nominate aldermen He thought from the interest taken in the proceedings the previous day that no such thing would happen again in Brisbane
Mr ALEXANDER WATSON -OSO to inform the meeting that a written protest had been signed by himself and a number of ratepayers and sent in, but His Worship had taken no notice of it
the M VYOR said the written protest alluded to by Mr Watson made good the old proverb, " Save me from my friends " He (the Mayor) did not want to allude to it, but must now do so Several names appeared on that paper which were not on the rate book at all Four
persons had signed the document who had no votes, and two of the others were the names of persons who had voted for auditors although they signed that protest against the election of
auditors He could not see how Mr Watson and his friends reconciled then conduct with reason or common sense He had declared the
election void, and did not intend to take any
further action in the matter If Mr Watson
thought well to do so he could
Mr. WATSON contended that it only required the names of five ratepayers and he had nine good names to his protest He also said that a person could protest against the validity of an election although he might have voted
Mr HEAL, the newly elected alderman for the Valley, said he thought it was his duty to thank the Ratepayers for the honorable position they had placed him in He hoped that the confidence they had placed in him would never he misplaced, but that he should to able to meet their highest expectations He trusted the aldermen would work together in harmony for the good of the city, and that he should be able to work with his follow aldermen in all matters of interest, and that if they disagreed it would be upon some important principle
Mr R OLIVER said he too must return his
grateful thanks to the ratepayers who had returned him by so large a majority over so formidable
an opponent He hoped while he was in the Council he should never do any thing to forfeit that confidence which had been placed in
him
Mr MURRAY said his thanks were due to the citizens of the East Ward for giving him such a large majority He could not but feel gratified with the result His conduct during the time he had been in office appeared to have given satisfaction, and he should endeavor to do his duty faithfully to the ward in the future
He was glad to see the contest of the o\ tous day as it appeared to him to be a revival of the interest the rate payers ought to take in municipal affairs If he had the honor of coming again before the rate payers of the East Ward, he hoped his conduct would deserve the support they gave him the previous day
The MAYOR then declared the meeting duly
closed
Mr WATSON proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor He said personally he had great respect for him, but politically they were at daggers
drawn
Mr MARkWELL seconded the motion. He said he believed His Wor ship had ever ted out the elections in a fair and honorable manner.
He was perfectly satisfied with the election for East Ward the previous day He was thaul ful to those ratepayers who voted for him and even to those who voted the other war, as they had thereby saved him a considerable amount of
trouble and loss of time
flu vote was carried by acclamation
The MAYOR! in returning thanks said he could not but feel gratified at the handsome manner in which the vote had been proposed and i in bed He almost thought the vote was uncalled for is by acting as Returning Officer he had only performed a public duty which devolved upon him by virtue of his office How i ever it was gratifying to know that he had performed this duty to the satisfaction of every
body contented ITehopid he should always net conscientiously many public duty he had to perform Perhaps there had been occasions in which he had had to differ with the people with whom he came in contact but he could honestly say that during the two years he had held the office of Mayor, he had not done anything in any way which reflected discredit on the office He hoped the ratepayers would be able to say the same of his successor
The proces linga then terminated