The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 70, 8 May 1852, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

May 8, 1852. A more striking illustration of the justice of our remarks on the 24tii April, than that afforded by the recent meetings called at Lyttelton and Christehurch, cannot possibly be imagined. The morning meeting consisted of five men and a boy, the evening meeting of nearly 150 persons; and so it^ is not improbable that the promoters of" these two meetings, starting from the sanfie point, may have arrived at exactly opposite conclusions. It is probable that the utter failure of the Christehurch meeting may be attributed to the apathy and indifference of the people to all public questions, whilst no one could have attended the meeting at Lyttelton, without being impressed with the belief that the people, instead of being indifferent to public questions, are but waiting for the opportunity of dealing with them satisfactorily. The has arisen simply from the hours at which the two meetings were called. It is so well known that men of business, mechanics, and labourers cannot and will not leave their business, to attend morning meetings, that an advertisement calling one is a very significant hint to four-fifths of the community that there attendance is not wanted. The five and a half men who constituted the meeting at Christehurch, adjourned themselves to next Tuesday Evening. That was a good step ; let them follow it up : let them take care that it is "universally known that the meeting is so adjourned, and that a real meeting, and not a sham one, is to take place at that time, and we v are persuaded that Christehurch will ndV be behind Lyttelton in fulfilling the duties which attach to citizenship in a community of Englishmen. J"^_, We must say a few words as to what occurred on Wednesday evening at Lyttelton. The result was in a great measure different from what we had anticipated. The resolutions were vague and general; but from what fell from the speakers, the original idea put forward by the Land Purchasers' Society, appears to have been con-

siderably modified, rather we should say, to have been developed into a much more important one. It is needless to say that we cordially approve of the rplan sketched out-by Mr. Fitzgerald, for that plan was accepted with evident pleasure by the meeting. The scope of the design has been enlarged. The Society no longer wears the aspect of a mere political debating club ; it aspire&)tp become a school for the political educatr&tt of the people. Through the instrumentality of lectures, it is designed to abstract the minds of the people from the ./narrow sphere of local interests and village politics, and to engage them in the consideration of those great principles which have been at work in all countries, and at all times; to lead them to investigate the sources of national prosperity by studying the examples of national greatness, and so by habituating them to deliberate calmly arid soberly on the various social and political questions which have agitated other communities, to enable them to come in the same spirit to the discussion of their own affairs This is a great design. Its accomplishment rests with the people alone. If it possess not popular sympathy it will come to nought. At present it exhibits the surest elements and the fairest prospects of success. The meeting at Lyttelton comprised members of every class in the community. The committee which was appointed to draw up the constitution of the Society consists of officials, storekeepers, stockowners, and mechanics, and the proceedings exhibited "that singular unanimity which has hitherto digjtinguished this settlement, and for which we earnestly hope it may ever be preeminent.