Saturday, _July 29th._ Domestic Gazette. Election of a Representative
for the City of Melbourne.--On Wednesday last, no little commotion was
created by the election of a member (nominally) to represent the
interests of the Citizens of Melbourne in the Legislative Council, but
the thinking portion of the community having arrived at the conclusion
that representation in the Legislative Council at Sydney, under existing
circumstances, was a farce, had determined, virtually, upon adopting a
similar course to that pursued at the nomination of Candidates for the
District, and the Right Hon. Earl Grey was consequently proposed as a
fit and proper person to represent our interests in the Legislative
Council, and this proposition, with two or three exceptions, met with
unanimous approval at the meeting. After the first hour's polling, it
was clear that Mr. Foster had no chance, and as this became more and
more apparent as the day advanced, some hundreds of voters who had
intended to support the favourite were deterred from doing so under a
conviction that their votes would not be required, and the unfavourable
state of the weather counteracted the desire to be present at the scene
of action. It was understood that the Mayor would, on the following day,
declare on whom the election had fallen, and at noon, many hundred
persons and, notwithstanding the still unfavourable state of the
weather, assembled outside the supreme Court House, and a few minutes
afterwards the excellent Band of the Total Abstinence Society, might be
seen wending their way to the spot, headed by Mr. J.P. Fawkner.
The Mayor addressed the Meeting as follows:--"Gentlemen, I have called
you together again for the purpose of declaring on whom the late
election has fallen, but previously to doing so I will read two
protests, one of which has been sent to a deputy returning officer, and
the other to myself." His worship then read the protests, which are as
follows:--"I, the undersigned burgher of Bourke Ward, do hereby protest
against the Returning Officer receiving any votes for the Right Hon.
Earl Grey, on the following grounds:--
"First, that Earl Grey as a Peer of the British Parliament cannot hold a
seat in a Colonial House of Legislative Representation.
"Second, That he cannot move Her Majesty in two distinct Legislatures.
"Third, That he is not qualified according to the Act.
"Fourth, That he is an absentee, and there is no one present to
represent him--to state that he will sit if elected.
(Signed) "Sidney Stephen, Barrister-at-law."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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