A PEEP AT CANTERBURY

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 88, 9 February 1863, Page 2

A PEEP AT CANTERBURY

[By a Correspondent.] I send you my first impressions of Canterbury. I had landed at Lyttelton some 14 years ago, when a tent here and there, and a tohare or two inhabited by Capt. Thomas and staff, I)r. Donald, and one or two private gentlemen, were all tho dwellings, and of course, was quite struck with the change in the appearance of the place. It has a pretty “Bay of Naples” look on facing the town previous to landing, the sloping position of the different rows of houses and streets, backed up by the steep hills, giving one no incorrect notion of Naples, on a very small scale. It is a pretty little spot, but very, very hot, and when a nice little breeze does some down from one of the old crater-looking peaks, gentlemen and ladies who happen to be promenading any of the principal streets are in a few seconds transformed into a company of millers, covered from head to foot

with fine wie dust; but it is easily brushed or shaken off, so no one minds it much. The roads to the capital of the Province, “ Christchurch” are —one over the hill (by a bridle track) immediately behind the town, the other by a winding path for carts and vehicles, by “ Sumner," round the rocks and down' the hill-sides by a gradual fall to the level of the sea, along the banks of the Heathcote river (which enters the sea at Sumner,) over a ferry 3 miles from Sumner, and then on 4 miles of good level road to Christchurch. On jumping off the car, which conveys passengers to Christchurch, and looking round, the visitor is at once struck by the bustling business look of the place. It is a decidedly go-a-head city. The public buildiugs, the churches, and large mercantile stores and places of business are all of a substantial character. The English Church, the Wesleyan Chapel, and the Presbyterian Kirk, are each in their way nice buildings. The Provincial Chambers are handsome and commodious, they have a very handsome appearance when approached from Gloucester-street over a neat little bridge, beneath which winds the pretty stream of the “ Avon.” The grounds surrounding the Buildings are tastefully laid out, and shaded by trees, the whole presenting a very pleasing little picture. “ Taste" is displayed in everything here. The streets are broad and well, made, and ten years after this, few towns will present a more striking and elegant appearance than the chief city of Canterbury- New Zealand has no reason to .be ashamed of its two Southern Capitals, Otago and Christchurch. The port of Lyttelton, where tehre is always a goodly array of vessels and steamers of all sizes loading and unloading, can communicate with the capital by the telegraph, which is carried over the steep hill at the back of the town, and bears along its wires correspondence which saves the merchants and citizens many a letter, and many a weary walk or ride. The Tunnel is rapidly progressing, and machinery for piercing the rocks more efficaciously and and quickly on the plan of the Mount Cent's machines is on its way out now. Fifty navvies and their families arrived last week, and everything promises its speedy completion. The works, as far as I can judge, are of a solid and substantial character. A new wharf is about to be built here, and roads and bridges are being carried on all over the Province. Various Townships are being formed in districts where the agricultural population is thickly settled, and its wants demand such. There is little or no difficulty in disposing of the sections and allotments. Sheep-farming and cattle-breeding are extensively carried on, and agricultural farming here bears*the belle over any Province in New Zealand, considering, at the same time, the difficulties the settlers had to contend with, the high price of land, and its comparative youth as yet. The late Gibbon Wakefield’s policy, as regards land and its prices, has come true in this province, and it seems that the high price of land is the very thing that makes this settlement what it is, in place of being like other settlements which we see, nearly bankrupt, whilst their rich and fertile lands have passed chiefly into the hands of speculators, where it remains shut up to all intents and purposes, so far os the general good of the Province is concerned.

Several parties are out prospecting, and gold lias been brought in by Capt. Dixon’s party, who have lately claimed the reward of £I,OOO (as also a native has %)ne.) Chapman’s party and others have returned'to Otago, after having explored up country across the bend of the Wanaka Lake, they found plenty of gold, (after crossing the boundary line) in Canterbury province. Our prospectors, from this, are spreading all over that range of country, so something must come of it. There is work here for all. Laborers get, I believe, 7s. to Bs. a day. Mechanics, from 10s. to 12s. Shepherds, same as in Hawke’s Bay, and superior hands get very high wages indeed. Shipload after shipload of Immigrants arrives, and in a fortnight are absorbed into the country. There is a constant steady business always going on, and the general aspect of the whole place and manners, dress, and business transactions, farming affairs, mode of living, &c., is decidedly English. Schools and seminaries of everydescription abound here. Clergymen, doctors, lawyers, surveyors, architects, and gentlemen of the pen are plentiful. We have three good newspapers, the Times, Press, and Standard , all good, and clearly and ably written.

There is no regular theatre, but representations are given, I believe, in the Town Hall occasionally, whch is also let for concerts, balls, &c. Anew Music Hall is “ about to be.” An immense Carriage Repository, built by Mr. Barnard, was opened with a promenade concert, at which, I hear, 1,400 or 1,500 attended. Speaking of concerts, the English Opera troupe have been here for some time, and though consisting of only five members, are a perfect orchestra in themselves. Kohler exceeds anything I could have believed one man capable of. His performances on the rock-harmoni-con, accompanied by the drum and cymbals, all of which he plays at once ! is inimitable and perfectly beautiful. His solos on the concertina, cor-net-i-piston, and French flageolet are perfect in execution and expression. Solomon is a splendid pianist, and the singing of Madame Carandini, and Messrs. Shervin & Small is excellent, each in its different style. They are the finest musicians and the most talented performers who have visited New Zealand. They may probably visit Napier on their return from Auckland, whither they are now going, I believe, soon. In conclusion, I may add my general impression of this place is, that it now in its comparative youth, gives plain indications of what it will be, one of the first cities if not actually the fiest city in New Zealand. Lyttelton, 23rd Jan., 18G3.

New York merchants have held a meeting to protest against fitting privateers in England. Vancouver’s diggings a deception; numbers returning. Markets brisk. Flour, 5 dol. 50 c. to 6 dol. Oats scarce and in great demand, at 2 dol. to 2 dol. 37 c. Wheat, 1 dol. 60 c. A little skirmishing had taken place, but no decisive battle had been.fought. Commander Renshaw had driven the Confederates, with considerable loss out of Galveston.

THE NOVEMBER MAIL. (From the Wellington Independent , Jan. 31.) By the courtesy of the hon. Mr. Mantell, we are enabled to extract from the Home News the chief items of interest. There is not much that is important even in the American News, and still less in that relating to Europe ; perhaps the most startling is the proposition of the French Emperor for a mediation, with a view to bring about a suspension of hostilities between the American belligerents for six months. England and Russia, to whom the proposal was made, both disapprove of it. Earl Russell declines, because “ after weighing all the information which has been received from America, her Majesty’s government are led to the conclusion that there is no ground at the present moment to hope that the Federal Government would accept the proposal suggested, and a refusal from Washington at present would prevent a renewal of the offer,” and therefore thinks it better to watch the progress of events, so that when a favorable moment arrives “ to offer friendly counsel,” the three courts may be in a position unitedly to avail themselves of it. Russia thinks an attempt at mediation just now would have an opposite tendency, but if France insists and England acquiesces, she will render “ if not official aid, at least moral support.” The British press generally approve the course taken by Earl Russell, deeming any offer of mediation as certain to be rejected. Writing before the decision of the Government had been made known, the Times says—“An armistice would be m favor of France and England, who want cotton, and advantageous to the Southerners, who would willingly sell it, but it would tie up the right arm of the North We are to ask her to allow her enemies to reprovision themselves, and to restore their credit by the export of their cotton, and we are to ask her at the same time to cut herself off from the most promising field of operations for a whole year. The season for the employment of the Northern gunboats is about to commence. The Spring will bring the possibility of a second invasion of the South, yet we are to ask the North to forego their best opportunities, and to remain inactive till the heats of Summer again drive their armies northwards, and render the banks of the river inaccessible to their gunboats.”

After the publication of the decision, the same journal remarks—- “ Reports have been so many and so various on this subject, that the Emperor has done well to let the opinion of his government be fully known. It was said by speakers like Mr. Cassius Clay, that England—base England—was the only enemy the Federals had in Europe, and that the continental sovereigns sympathized deeply with the efforts of the Americans to preserve their Union. To abuse the Britisher and to express unbounded confider ce in France and Russia, has been the universal practice of the Republican orators, some of them, no doubt, believing what they said, but the greater number impelled only by a splenetic hatred of ourselves, and a hope that they would sunder us from our allies on the American question. All this is at an end now. In every household, in every soldier’s tent, both North and South, it will be known in a fortnight’s time, not only that the French Emperor wislies to end the war, but that he thinks it cannot end in the subjugation of the South. The moral effect of this European discussion is, indeed, as great as if the throe powers had actually tendered their mediation. If a joint note were read to Mr. Seaward at Washington, it could add little to the warning he receives from the despatches of M. Drouhyn do Lhuys and Earl Russell, and even from the temper of the Russian government.”

The affairs of Greece occupy an equally prominent position in the deliberations of the same three cabinets. Non-intervention is the policy they have professedly mutually agreed to adopt, so the Greek National Assembly summoned by the provisional Government will choose a new king. Candidates were as plentiful as blackberries, but they appear to have all been eclipsed by the nomination of Prince Alfred, who, it was said would be, and according to the Red Sea telegram was, elected. By the provisions of some “ balance of power” treaty, the members of the reigning families of France, Russia, and England, are however excluded, and the two first-mentioned powers are determined that it shall be strictly adhered to, which leads the Times to say “ whoever may accept the crown, it will not be Prince Alfred,” since, even if he is not positively debarred by treaty, it would be most inconvenient and impolitic that he should occupy a throne which would eventually place him between two rival allegiances, and immediately bring about embarrassments of a very troublesome kind. The other principal personages who have been named are the Count of Flanders; the Duke of Lieuchtenberg, grandson of Eugene Beauharnais, and brother of the Czar, also disqualified for. the same reason as Prince Alfred is ; Amadeus, second son of Victor Emmanuel; Prince Ypsilanti, son of the well known chief of the Hetairia, the secret society which freed Greece ; and the Archduke Maximilian. Garibaldi has been rerhoved to Pisa, and is considerably improved in health. Dr. Partridge, the London surgeon who was twice sent to his aid, has been less fortunate

than his French coadjutor M. Nelaton. The former was of opinion that there was no hall in the foot, while the latter was convinced that there was, and made a peculiar-shaped instrument to probe the wound with. This instrument was of great service in the final aeration. As soon as Dr. Zenetti had extracted the bullet, the prefect of Pisa sent the 1 following telegram to M. Nelaton—■

“ Ball extracted from Garibaldi’s wound in conformity with your diagnosis, confirmed by the result of your stylet. Honor to you!” The Lancashire distress increases fearfully. There are 240,000 persons receiving parochial relief. At the same time last year there were only 60,000. About 120,000 more are receiving relief from public committees, and the increase in the number of the distressed is about 13,000 weekly. The subscriptions x-eceived by the London committee average ,£6OOO a day. Manchester has held a general meeting, which, with a system of house to house visitation, produced .£,00,000. For blankets and bedding alone, an amount of £300,000 was required before Christmas, winter having set in early and with unusual severity. Hitherto, the outlay has been for little more than food, now clothing and food has to be provided. Mr. Cobden writes from Blackburn:— “I have seen much to gladden one’s heart amid the sorrowful scenes of this stricken place. All parties and sects are fused into one common effort of charity. The vicar was kind enough to accompany me to the soup-kitchen, when I found a Catholic priest with a cook’s apron round his waist, superintending, in his turn, the distribution of food for the day. The manly good humor and pluck with which hundreds of the more wealthy of the community address themselves to the almost superhuman task of organizing a systematic relief for the overwhelming mass of destitution with which they were surrounded, and the perfect good order and cont entment of the poor people themselves, is a sight to cheer one’s heart with the consolation that it is not an unmixed evil, which thus unites all classes, sects, and parties in the bonds of one sympathetic kindness. Pray do what you can to help those brave people. The health import of the cotton districts is good, the fever at Preston being on the decrease, and not appearing elsewhere. The manufacturers are said to be doing all they can. By the help of the Queensland Government, aided by local subsci’iptions, 1000 families were to be sent to that colony every second month, and thirty mill-giids have been provided with passages by the Otago Government. These, with 70 additional females, ai’e now on their way under the personal superintendence of the well-known Miss Pye, who is paying a visit to New Zealand and the Australian colonies the better to enable her to cany out her mission thoroughly for the future. The wool sales were somewhat flat, the late advance not being maintained.