The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 164, 25 February 1854, Page 7

The Lyttelton Times.

February 25, 1854,

OUR last number recorded the reassembling of the Local Legislature of this Province. Amongst the important subjects announced for immediate consideration both in His Honor's speech and by his Executive Council, not the least was one to which a correspondent lately invited our attention viz., a due supply of labourers.

.Whether we have allotted sufficient space in our columns to this subject, or, as our correspondent seems to intimate, have failed in our duty of directing public attention to it, we will not take upon ourselves to determine, only at present reminding our readers, amongst sundry reports of meetings and of Committees on this subject which have appeared in this paper, of a long article upon the question in our number for November 19th. In fact, however, though we have constantly felt the vital importance of an adequate supply of labour to the progress of this Settlement, it seemed needless to recur to the subject as long as there appeared no prospect of such being within our reach. We now, it appears, can congratulate the Province on some practical steps being taken to fill up, by a gradual introduction of fresh hands, the vacancies constantly caused in the ranks of our labourers either by the extension of stations, the rise of fresh centres of business, as Kaiipoi, or by the progress so rapidly achieved in this Province from the. condition of dependants on wages to that of owners and cultivators on their own accounts. Whilst, though, all we presume would agree that the introduction of labourers from. England in proportion to the demand for them was highly desirable, there may be differences of opinion as to the most beneficial mode of accomplishing this object. It nppears to us that an uniform syslem should as much as possible be aimed at. When a man who has bound himself to repay out of his wages the passage of himself and family,—however fair and advantageous to himself such a means of getting out here may be, —meets on board the same ship or in the colony others, perhaps single "men —his competitors in the labour market—who have obtained a free passage, and can therefore at once apply their whole earnings to their own benefit, he naturally experiences a feeling of injustice and discontent. ■> Whereas, on the other hand, if all have equally to repay their passage money no invidious distinctions of the sort occur. It should then, we think, be determined whether the passage hither is to be in all cases wholly free, or in part or in whole to be repaid to the public or to individuals. On many accounts, if practicable, we should incline to the latter course. It is in itself equitable that a man who is raised from a condition of earning 10s. a week, to that of obtaining five or six shillings a day, with shorter hours of work, should contribute out of his first wages towards a fund for bringing out others in turn to shave his prosperity. Again, a boon which a stranger professes to offer gratuitously is apt to excite suspicion in an English labourer that something more is meant than meets the eye, and an eleemosynary

character given to a transaction is apt to degrade the recipients of the bounty. We believe that the Masters' and Servants' Ordinance in Australia, by which a master is punishable who engages a servant without a regular discharge from his last place, and also punishes Lbe man who breaks his engagement, has been found to work well, and to protect the honest man willing to fulfil his contract, by restraining the dishonest who would gain an advantage by breaking faith. But not enly are the conditions on which labourers are to be brought out a matter of some importance, but still more so the means by which the proper sort of people shall be selected in England. We would endeavour rather that the emigrant should seek out and solicit our Agent, than that the Agent should canvass for emigrants.

This appears to be capable of accomplishment by means of those already in the settlement, and well acquainted by experience with the sort of people who would do well here, being induced to send for their own relatives or those well known to them as neighbours in the old country. Employers of labour, too, may often know of desirable people in England whom they would wish to recommend for assisted passages, and whom they would induce to come out by offering them employment at stated wages, and by advancing them part of their passage money, were they only secured in reaping the benefit of the trouble and present outlay by retaining the services of the new comers on the terms agreed upon. There is also a source, though the subject is rather a delicate one, whence probably some useful assistance might be derived, were our Agent to be in confidential communication with the Chaplains and acting managers of some of the numerous schools and asylums for the reformation of juvenile vagrants, like the^Philanthrophic Society's farm at Redhill, and others. We had means of knowing that pupils of an industrial school, originated by Captain Brenton, at Hackney, after which most of the more modern ones are copied, were most highly appreciated at the Cape of. Good Hope, so much so that the colonists were anxious to pay the passage and outfit of more than could be supplied.

We have thrown out these suggestions in the hope of eliciting any others which may prove useful in furthering a measure on which we feel assured that the progress and prosperity of this Settlement, for some years at least, must mainly depend.

The second session of the 'Canterbury Provincial Council opens with a promise of full employment for our representatives in the consideration of a series of practical measures necessary for the carrying on of representative government. Considerable labour must have been judiciously bestowed to mature the several bills on such diverse subjects proposed to the Council by the Executive. There is a Trespass Bill, an Immigration Bill, a Bill to appoint an English agent for the Province, a District Corporation Bill, an Educational Bill, and one for the Disposal and Management of the Waste Lands, besides two private bills, one brought in by Mr. Hall, on the petition of the Agent of the Canterbury Association, proposing to give corporate powers to the members of the Church of England in the Province ; the other by Mr. Packer, on a petition of Mr. E. G. Wakefield, to alter a portion of the road along the river Avon.

We understand that nearly £2000 lias been handed over to be dealt by the Provincial Council, being a balance of account between the General and Provincial Governments due on account of the Land Fund. A report of the proceedings on

Wednesday will appear in our next. We may however state, on good authority, that something over £400 lias been voted for repairing the Riccarton Road and swamp beyond, £300 towards a mode of crossing the Rakaia, £300 for the Papanui Road, £92 for the Bridle Path, and £400 for a Bridle Path to Akaroa. This is a good beginning. On the 3rd January, Lieut-Governor Wynyard, as Chief in command of Her Majesty's military forces in New Zealand, by virtue of Her Majesty's Letters Patent, took the prescribed oaths, and assumed the office of Governor, vacated by Sir G. Grey's return to England. On the 24th ult., the Lieut-Governor " disallowed," by proclamation, the " Empowering Ordinance" passed by the Provincial Council of this Province. The General Assembly of New Zealand, has been summoned by the Lieut-Governor, to assemble at Auckland on the 24th day, of May next, the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. The following1 gentlemen have been called to tlie Legislative Council of the "General Assembly:— William Swainson, Esq., of Auckland, William Henry Kenny, Esq., of Onehnnga, Frederick Whitaker, Esq., of Auckland, John Salmon, Esq., of Auckland, The honourable Heurv Petre, of Wellington, Henry St. Hill, Esq., of Wellington, ' John Yeedon Lloyd, Esq., of New Plymouth, George Cutfield, Esq., of New Plymouth, Ralph Richardson, Esq., of Nelson, Henry Seymour, Esq., of Nelson, Mathew Richmond, Esq., of Nelson, John Charles Watts Russell, Esq., of Canterbury. • ' Edmund Hooke Wilson Bellairs, Esq., of Otugo. lv conformity with Her Majesty's instructions, the following gentlemen have subscribed the proper oaths as members of the Executive Council for the Islands of New Zealand, viz.: The hon. Andrew Sinclair, Colonial Secretary The hen. William Swainson, Attorney General, The hon. Alexander Shepherd, Colon la Treasurer. Lyttelton Resident Magistrate's Court, Febbuary 18th. Charles Beazley charged with drunkenness. It appeared by the lock-up Register that the prisoner had been convicted for drunkenness in January. Fined £1 with costs. Feb. 20. Regina v. Caw's.—Rowland Davis was charged by the sergeant of police with, having sold liquor to Eli Sara, a Maori. J. Hill" sworn, interpreter. Eli Sara sworn, —I was locked up one night, Monday, for being drunk. I was brought before the Magistrate and fined 10s. Joseph Tumutu was taken up and lined too. I got the drink from Mr. Davis, 4 glasses of rum. I paid one shilling and fourpence to Mrs. Davis. Mr; Davis gave me some, and Mrs. Davis some. Mr. Davis has not spoken to me since. I don't know who'gave Tiimutu his liquor. The defendant denied having served the men, but said that he had often" given liquor to Maories. The Resident-Magistrate said that complaints had lately become frequent among the elder Maories of the drinking which was beginning among the natives. He thought that there vwis no excuse for Mr. Davis, who. as a publican so long in the north Island, and here, must have known the law very well, He therefore fined the defendant £10 with costs. Feb. 20. Michel v. Sivinbourne —This was an action for damages brought by Michel, a, Frenchman, at Akaroa, against James Swinbourne, for breach ot contract in sailing for Melbourne in May, 1853, without bis wife and children, who luuftaken passages. He called witnesses to prove that in May last, the '' Despatch* bad sailed before the time agreed upon. Mr. Swinbourne denied this. There was a good deal of contradictory evidence, and the Court was of opinion that breach of contract had not been proved. Case dismissed, rlaiiitift u> pay till' C^'StS.