CORRESPONDENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 259, 25 April 1855, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Lyitelton Times. Sir.—As I was one of those who approved of the memorial which was presented to His Honor the Superintendent, praying for a Corporation for the town of Lytteltou, I suppose I hud reasons for doing so. If you will allow me I will tell you what my reasons weie, for I have not altered my opinion in this matter notwithstanding the outcry which has been raised and the satire that has been directed against the rather big looking bill proposed by government.

Let me first dispose of some objections which have been made by yourself, Mr. Editor, and by your correspondents, and Jet me say that in my opinion, you would have done your duty to the public better, if, when the subject was discussed by the Colonists' Society, you had at once stated your objections which could have been then considered and disposed of, and you would thus have had the credit of attempting to guide opinion, and would not have been obnoxious to the charge of only following in the wake of a public outcry.

. In his speech at the late meeting Mr. Dampier supports your opinion, that the Provincial Council cannot make a corporation. Mr. Dampier is a very good lawyer, but I think the At-torney-General may be presume.! to be as good. And the Attorney General thinks that the Provincial Council can make municipal corporations, for he advised that the Auckland Corporation Act was valid. Mr. D., if I recollect lightly, had previously said that the Provincial Council could not pass the Church Trustees Ordinance, because it could not make a corporation, but tiie Attorney General thought otherwise, anil the Ordinance became law.

But a man need not go to a lawyer to read the Constitution Act. TheProvincialCouncil's powers are limited by express words in that act, and the power of making Corporations is not one of the things prohibited. The 70th clause enables the Crown to make Corporations, but Sir John Pakington in his despatch, clause 32, states the reason for introducing this clause, viz. ; to preserve to the Crown a; power which would have been otherwise set aside by the act, and this, in order to prevent any clashing with measures which the Government might be then taking for the establishment of Corporations under the old Institutions. The legal objection, I therefore look upon as a mere quibble. Next, Mr. Hamilton and some of your correspondents are amused at the idea of a corporation for so small a town as Lyttelton. Well, the idea or giving legislatures at all to a Province so small as Canterbury, was ridiculed by the enemies of the Constitution Act in England. But yet. I think it may prove that the creation of the Provincial Governments, was one of the most, if not the most valuable clause in the act. And is a Corporation for a town of 900 inhabitants more absurd than a Parliament for a dis- 1 trict of 4,000 ? But I go further than this: I ' believe we should do no injury to ourselves, and nothing ridiculous, if we gave power to every twenty men, who might form a neighbourhood, to elect their own constable, and provide for their own little local wants, which are better known and will be provided for better by the 20 than by the 4000. We don't want central control so much as local liberty i" * colony. I believe that in the power I seek here, lies much of the prosperity that bus been achieved by the United States of America. 1 therefore cannot by ridicule be driven to give up the principle I hold, nor can I be deterred by the fancied tenors of perpetual elections which haunt the mind of some. I for one shall never grudge the trouble of'recording-my vote either for the members of our little Parliament or ot our liule Corporation, for L trust we shall realise

Practical outcome " both from the one and the other. . But I take smother objection. Mr. Dampier says that the bill does not provide for any property being given to the Corporation. This is true, but how could it ? Everybody knows that the Provincial Council has as yet no property to K ive, but the bill enables the Corporation to hold properly, and so far as one can learn from report it is now well known that the Government did contemplate endowing the corporation with reserves about Lyttelton, which our new Laud Regulations would enable the Provincial Council to do. I for one think that so soon as thy Association's affairs are settled all the valua Yvs? wharf property should be made over to the Corporation. And I have no doubt it would be done. But again, we are to fear the power given by the law to tax ourselves, and we are threatened .that Government will always reply when we want any grant of money, tc Tax yourselves, you have the power." The power of taxing ourselves is a most valuable privilege, and if the privilege be used with prudence, the payment of our tax would be a saving of our pockets in more ways than one; and after all we can use the. power or not as we please, for we are not to be forced to use it. And as to getting Government grants in aid of PubHc works, I think we stand a better chance of getting them when we have a body which can give expression to our wants, and to whom can be entrusted the expenditure of the money. And then for the cry of expensive machinery.

What expensive machinery need there he? I know there are many of my fellow townsmen who will be quite willing to undertake without jtay the little trouble that will be involved in carrying on our affairs at first. And if, as you Kay, the Government would tlo the work required I yet doubt whether they would do it as cheaply or as well as we should oufselves.

Lastly let me say why I think we want a corporation. First, we want to have the drainage of tbe town regulated, for we don't wish Lyttelton to become what so many colonial towns become, a pest-house. Begin now, and this can be prevented. In a few years it might be too late. To provide for the cleanliness of the town, we want, not"the authority of Government officials and inspectors, but local authority. It is not a Provincial matter. Let the people of Lyttelton keep Lyttelton clean and healthy. Again, I don't wish to see Lyttelton burnt down for want of a little local authority. It js all well enough to say, Insure. Insurance would go a very small way towards repaying the loss and ruin \yhich would follow a fire, not to mention the cfiance of oar friends on ihe flats taking advantage of the calamity to get up a rival port town at the mouth of the Christchurch " ditch," with jetties, breakwaters, and docks to match. Well, I want to see my neighbour prevented from building a dangerous chimney—proper water tanks provided—an engine procured— buckets, &c, kept in repair, and so on. I rcniemher several meetings held about a fire-bri-gade. The then Inspector of Police, now promoted to the office of Superintendent, presided and enlivened our somewhat useless meetings «y his wit. (Alas, he led a far happier life when he was our fellow-townsman than I fear he can possibly do now!) At those meetings we found we could do nothing effective. There was uo local authority. However, an enginehuuse was built, and some buckets and ladders bought, which are falling to pieces. It is nobody's business to look after them, and so some dozen persons paid the whole expense of what ought to have been provided by the town, and the money is next to wasted. T Again, I want to see our streets kepi in order. 1/ ls not pleasant to have one district of our I .nail town cut off from all communication with the others, during ihe winter, and it would not oe undesirable to have power to cover in pitfalls, aim to order a piece of fencing to be put up in breakneck places, &c. But nothing of thin can be done, for we have no local authority. But to come to the Government measure. It looks a little hig, and it certainly frightened me at hist, especially when I saw that "being open to'ridicule, there was some chance of our losing wll'it I think is so desirable to obtain. But though the powers given to the Corporation are numerous, (many of them I would leave out altogether), very few would be exercised at n>"Rt. And on looking through the Government D'H carefully, I do not think there is so very much to cm out, that it should be rejected altogether as unworthy of consideration. But it 10 not my intention to enter into all the details

of the measure. I have only written this to try and prevent the people of Lyttelton fromljbeing ridiculed out of a principle, for I believe most of them are in favour of some power of Local Government being granted. And after all where does the ridicule come from ? So far as I can judge from the arguments used, it comes from those who, having: there is no doubt many other good and reasonable grounds of opposition, object to the very increase of the electoral principle and of popular power, and who considering themselves, as the phrase is, " gentlemen," are offended at the idea of having " snobs" in power, f fancy from the tone of their letters I hear them say—"A pretty joke to have and —— set over me as town councillors; fancy such fellows rating me." Sir,l guess this cry has been got up by those who perhaps unconsciously are actuated by a feeling of hostility to " the people" managing their own affairs, and are in favour of popular government only so long as it does not extend beyond their own class.

I say then let ns get some corporate powers(We have not now so much as the smallest parish in England). Get corporate power, corporate property will follow. Let the people of Lyttelton manage their own affairs, and I think that in a few years hence, instead of being pent up in a few streets in an unhealthy town, we shall have room to dwell and expand in, and Lyttelton will become what I have always said it might become, the healthiest and most picturesque town in New Zealaud. 1 am, Sir, Four obedient servant, A WILLINO BIJIIGESS.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times.

Tt bas been said many times, and I beJieve most: truly, that there are no poor in Canterbury: Would it not be as well tberefore if the money winch is collected at the offertory in our churches, and which is I suppose intended for the poor, at least I judge so from the beautiful sentences which are read during the collection, were added to the fund now collecting in all parts of the world, for the widows and orphans of those brave men who are falling for the cause of liberty in the east, and whose daring exploits make the cheeks of all Englishmen who read an account of them, blush with pride at the gallant deeds of their countrymen? It will I think be a disgnce to our settlement should no collection be made in aid of a fund which will be most readily subscribed to by erery one worthy of the name of an Englishman.

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To the Editor of the LyUelton Times,

Sir,—Your correspondent, George Allen, in Saturday's paper, says, "There are people in the Settlement who sow five or six acres of a fifty acre section with oats, as a trap or bait for all their neighbour's cattle, far and near, and if trespassed on, the law allowsjdamages that encourages many in idleness who thus procure a living."

Now, Sir, I happen to be an occupier of land near to that which is held by George Allen, and I know not of a single instance of any individual who has acted as he assert!:, but I know instances of those who, after suffering very considerable loss by trespass from his bullocks, have at last—when all remonstrance was found to be unavailing—been driven to the necessity of demanding "ordinary damages," not as a compensation for the loss sustained, bat in the hope that such a step would make George Allen take the care of his cattle which the enlightened fratner of the present trespass law intended the owners of wandering.bullocks to exercise.

1 therefore entirely and distinctly deny that there is a single cultivator in Canterbury " who has set a trap or bait for his neighbour s cattle, or has been enabled to live in idleness from the proceeds of trespass" which the law empowered him to obtain, or who has not suffered damage to the amount of twenty, shillings for every shilling1 he ever realized under the provisions of the present Trespass [.aw ; and I now emphatically call on George Allen to specify distinctly by name those persons whose character he has ntanded with dishonesty, otherwise the name of George Allen will hang high before the public «uze as one notoriously associated with the unenviable distinction of publicly asserting direct falsehoods. Yours, &c. Asm- Humbug.

WELLINGTON. There is no intelligence of any great importance from Wellington. A memorial is being got up to the Provincial Council, in favour of increasing the number* of its members, Wellington being the only southern Province which has not had already passed an ordinance to effect that object. An action for libel was brought against the editor of the "Spectator" by Captain Daniel for stating that the latter was " drunk and disorderly" at the public meeting held in the Hutt on the arrival from Auckland of the members of the General Assembly. Evidence was taken at great length, and the case appears to have excited great interest. The Jury could not agree in a verdict, aud a Jutot was withdrawn on either side by consent. .

Patbiotic Fond.—On the 24th inst., a public meeting in aid of the Patriotic Fund was convened by the Superintendent at the Athen»um. The room was well filled, and the proceedings were marked by great unanimity, and a cordial desire to promote the object for which the meeting had been assembled. Of this the best proof was given in the subscription list which was opened at the close of the meeting, and which exceeded £500. This included the sum of £102, subscribed as a testimonial to Sir George Grey, but which by the regulations of the Colonial Office be was prevented from accepting. Sir. Varnham announced to the meeting the intention of the subscribers to contribute this sum, as the.most appropriate and graceful application of it, to the Patriotic Fund. Mr. Hunter, who has taken the most active part in promoting this movement, h;is been appointed treasurer to the Fund. The amount now collected exceeds, we believe, £850.

It is intended to promote subscriptions in aid of the Fund throughout the Province, and with this view district committees will be formed to collect and forward subscriptions to Wellington. We hope the example, first set at Nelson, will be followed in the other provinces, so that the contributions from the colony of New Zealand will show that though removed from •ur Fatherland, still "our hearts unlraveU'd fondly turn" to it. that our feelings are as strong,our sympathies as warm in everything that concerns its honor and welfare as'when we were its denizens. Wellington Spectator, March 28. The Waterwitch had arrived from Newcastle after a passage of 25 days. She took 100 horses on board, but landed only seventy-five. Flour was £53 a ton, potatoes\£l2; bread 5d per lb. NELSON. Oar contemporary, the " Nelson Examiner" has commenced a new volume in an enlarged and improved form. Thirteen ye.irs a«ro, 'prior to any of the existing journals in New Zealand, it commenced a career which has reflected credit on the settlement to which it belongs by the tone and tomper which it has displayed in times of great political excitement. We are glad to find that it has been so successful. The following extract interests us as much as the inhabitants of Nelson. New Couxtky.—A highly important communication has been made to His Honor the Superintendent, within the last few days, by two natives. The statement which they give is, that a very large tract of rich country, hitherto unknown to Europeans, exists in the centre of this island, and may be reached either from Nelson or Canterbury on horseback. Improbable as this story at first appeared, there are several circumstances which give it an air of probability. The natives appear to be acting in perfect good faith, and for a very moderate consideration have undertaken to point the country out. and an awangement has been made by which'they are to start on their journey early nextVeet, accompanied by Mr. Travers, who goes on the part of tbe Government to report upon the district.— Nelson Examiner.

AUCKLAND. The majority for Mr, Brown in the oleetioa fov the Superintendency was 149. The numbers being for Mr. Brown" 913, for Mr. Whitaker 764. Groat party feeling marked the election, and has not yet subsided, s" 1(lt His Honor will have no bed of roses. The iVieH' Zealander makes some very uncomplimentary remarks upon t!ie new Superintendent, while it declares its intention not to raise a factious opposition. The motto at the head of tie article does not look friendly. The descriptioi of GaU»a by Taoitus is applied to Mr. Brown: '" Major pri-

vato visits, dum privaius fuit, et omnium conicmu capax itnperiu «*•« impcrasset." Mr. Whittaker, the defeated candidate, has been appointed acting Attorney-General during die absence of Mr. Swainsou who has gone to Enffland on sick leave. On the 26th ult. the Provincial Council met in pursuance of a .proclamation issued by the new Superintendent. His Honor's speech on that occasion is tool on <r for us to insert here.

The Supevintendenthas notified his disallowance of recent elections for the City Council on the score of illegality in the returns.

NEW PLYMOUTH. ~ The Native question in this Province is still in a most unsatisfactory state, and the settlers are very apprehensive for their own safety. They have applied to the General Government for ti'oups: the Government hesitates to send them lest their arrival should eau?e an immediate outbreak amongst the natives. The New Plymouth people have refused to adopt the recommendation of Government that they should defend themselves, by means of a militia and armed Police Force of 30 or 4q men. The Taranati Herald treats the proposal with derision.

Col. YVynyard went down to Taranaki in the " PiindnraV and had not returned when the steamer sailed. The hopes that his presence may allay the Native storm oje very faint. There is certainly very serious danger of a Maori war, as the Natives of that district are the most intractable in New Zealand.

Notwithstanding their troubles the Taranaki people have got up an amateur Dramatic Society, which has been performing1 with great eclat. NEW SOUTH WALES. The press, type and printing materials of the Freeman's Journal, had been seized by the New Soutb Wales Government, on account of nonregistry. It appears that they were registered, and that the proprietor hud removed to another building:,Jbut he had neglected to register a second time. The Herald, in writing against the seizure, compares the effect of seizing a newspaper press (and keeping it a short time) to holding Ji'inan under water a quarter of an hour, viz.: not absolute and sudden extinction in every case, but extreme peril to life.

A Mackerel boat of 25 tons, had 'arrived at Melbourne, from Penzance, Cornwall, an unparelled instance of navigation. ;

Subscriptions in aid of the Patriotic [Fund continued to pour in from all quarters, whole pages of newspapers being filled -with,lists<uf subscribers.

Meetings had been held both at Sydney and Melbourne to consider the best iteans for providing Steam Communication, with England and the Southern Colonies. One proposition was that Sydney and Victoria should give £15,000 each, South Australia, £ 10,000, Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand, £5,000 each; the route to be round Cape Lewen, or through Torres Straits, according to the season, so that Melbourne and Sydney would become alternately the ports of anhal and departure. The steamers, it is anticipated, would reach-GaHe in the island of Ceyl<>n, in}nbuut 30 days, and would bring the overland mail from thence.

The second of the state trials had taken place at Melbourne, and had resulted in the acquittal of the prisoner.

The labour market in Sydney and Victoria appeared to be abundantly supplied ; if the letter of a correspondent of the Empire hp. correct, many of those idle in Sydney would benefit both themselves and the Province by coming heie, where labour is already scarce, and the public works about to be commenced will cause the scarcity to be more severely felt.

The New South Wales Government bad entered the money market for the purpose of borrowing various sums ; it appears from the following paragraph from tlie "Sydney Morning Herald," that money is not too plentiful in Sydney, "The large number of debentures which the Government are issuing for railway and other purposes is attracting- much attention. Several tenders have been invited for comparatively sinail sinus lately; but us it w.is pretty generally known that between now and Christmas the Government must rake half a million at the .least, the bank and capitalists have been * biding their time.' On the 12th inst., tenders for £50,000 for immigration were invited, and about that sum were applied for at rates varying from 95 to par; the Government only accepted those at par, about £] 1,000. During the week a private arrangement was made with the Oriental Bank, who gave bills on England at one pei

cent, premium for £30,000, at £98 175., and cash for £20.000, at £98 10s. Ou Monday, £30,000 were invited for public works : the tenders were about the same as the previous week, and £6,000-only at par was taken.' The Government has now come into the field for money to pay off the Sydney Railway Company and to cany on the line to Liverpool, and have called for proposals for £350,000. • The rates given by the Oriental Bank it is expected will be about the prices which the Government will be prepared to accept. As the debentures are beginning to be understood in London, their value will he in some degree affected by the exchanges. In connection with this subject it may be mentioned that the City Commissioners require £25,000, for which they issue debentures at 6 per cent. They have only obtained about £7,000 as they will not sell below par.—Smtthern Cross. VICTORIA. Jn the Victoria (Port Phillip) Legislative Council, on the lOtli Feb., during a discussion on the estimates, the Surveyor General made the following remarks ou the Lund System of New Zealand:— "He was aware of the favourable opinions held by many persons as to the land system of New Zealand. Now he had been there ; he knew the New Zealand system well; and he had not the slightest hesitation in saving, and he hoped his statement would go forth through the length and breadth of Victoria, that tl*e land regulations in New Zealand as regarded the advantages they offered to emigrants were a sham and a delusion. (Oh, oh.) He knew it. Emigrants were exposed to the annoyance of difficult '.itles, after "having, with great trouble, got hold of the land. (N T<>.) He could state that as a fact. And what did the house thinkof a party of six or seven hundred Mamies coining down upon the agriculturalist ?—(a laugh)— who was, besides, liable to a demand for rent year after year. He declared that sooner than see the New Zealand system in force inVictoria, he would prefer giving the land away for nothing, although that was not exactly the system that lie most approved of. (A laugh.) He believed the New Zealand system to be one fraught with evils."

We can hardly imagine in what part of New Zealand the honorable member could have gained his experience; the idea of 600 or 700 ■ M.aovies .coming down on t an agriculturalist, would only cause a laugh in New Zeahind as it did in the CouneiJ; everyone at all acquainted with this Colony is awiire that the Maories are the settlers'best assistants, where he is located near enough to the native settlements to avail himself of their services. From a leiter published in the Melbourne " Morning Herald " »f the 20th Feb., (which will be found in our osb#r columns)it appears the statement was not allowed to go forth unchallenged to the public of Victoria. ■ * New Zealand Potatoes arc quoted at from £8 to £10 per ton.— Southern Cross. SOUTH AFUICA. The new Governor (Sir George Grey) it .appears, owing to the rumours of war in the eastern Province, had set off on the Bth of January for the frontier. .Referrinir to this visitation, the Monitor expresses its belief that his prompt and seasonable appearance ammi" the bolder inhabitants, will continue to allay lhat apprehension and uneasiness which recent events have occasioned, and enable the coloni-ts to look with more confidence to the continuance of peaceful re'atioiii) with the border U'ibes. Frontier Affairs.—We rejoice to find that it is the intention of Mis Excellency the Governor, at tlje earliest convenient period, to make himself personally acquainted with the border country and its inhabitants, us a preliminary step to qualify himself for future legislation. Difficult as it is for any Governor, without any experience of the Kafir character and habits, thoroughly to penetrate the wishes, the hopes, and fears, and supposed interests of the Kafir frontier tribes, no superficial acquaintance with them or their policy will ever accomplish the beneficent design of the British Government, to make good subjects of the Kafirs by doing them strict justice, by aiding the introduction of civilised and religious habits among them, and at the same time providing such a demonstration of force as shall convince the Kafir that he cannot break the peace with impunity, that his interest is bound up with its maintenance. This can only be done with such an amount of available foice us will overawe the refractory, and

give confidence to the peaceable on both mHm of'the border. •:" • ' •■■ Suth is tl uncertain and relaxed hold we have over th* native Uibes on1 the border, that no Aiudent man would venture to predict with any confidence a continuance of our present peaceable condition ; nothing but an exact'knowledge o f the present condition of these tribes, mni,j n(l . vigilance, and a prompt application of means always available for attack or defence, will bo found adequate to meet this prime exigency of the government of this colony. We very much incline to an opinion expressed by a writer in the List Graham's Town Journal, the " (en years of peace must be enforced by " the stro» K arraannual invasions, and what is nearly as bad, J?V nual threats and talks of invasion, must he «ut a stop to, let it cost viliul it may."— Cape Monitor, Deo. 16.

King William's Town. December 16 . The government is still throwing supplies to tlie several outposts ; and those charged jvvith this duty are very anxious to have it completed hefore the end of the year.

King William's Town. . December 23.-— We have been in a state of alarm for the past lew days, arising from sundry *rnmours, which have proved to be unfounded, and every thin** again wears a peaceable aspect. The Commissariat and Ordinance departments have been very active, and too much praise cannot he «nven to those who have the chnige of those departments —I mean in the chief direction. There is no doubt that these timely precautions have had the effect ofdefi-atinirthe Kafirs' intention of an outbreak, if such did exist. We look forward to the measures that will be adopted by Sir George Grey, with the earnest hope lliat'tLey may l>e the foundation of a lasting pence, anil the civilization of the natives—and the go*prnmeni to whom it may be entrusted, be "worthy of its important mission.

The Royal Artillery in garrison have chiving the last few days been engaged in exercising with the guns at die several batteries under tlie command of Captain floberisoii, iiring ball from Chavoniiee, and canister iroin the Imliuff at targets placed at a distance in the bay. In consequence of the unsealed state of the frontier, three companies of the 83rd regiment,' stationed in Cape Town, have received orders to hold themselves jin readiness to embark at a moment's notice. The Hydra will remain in Simon's Buy, im case of being required.