LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 299, 12 September 1855, Page 5

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Colonists' Society, Sept. 11 th, 1855.—Dr. Donald, President, in the chair. After the meeting of Committee, Mr. Alport introduced the discussion on the Financial position of the Province. At the conclusion of his address Mr. Alport proposed the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Spowers and unanimously adopted by the meeting :— "That this meeting views with considerable anxiety the fact, that the estimated ordinary expenditure of the Province exceeds the estimated ordinary revenue by the sum of £920165., and that such a financial position is calculated seriously to impede the progress of this Settlement, and ought at once to he checked." The following resolutions were also adopted by tke meeting. ' Proposed by Mr. D. A. llritlin, and seconded by Mr. Rae, " That this excess of expenditure is occasioned by the multiplication of offices and tbe appointment of a large staff of paid officials, and that it is highly expedient that the attention of His Honor the Supr-rintendent and the members of the Provincial Council be drawn to the subject, with the view of carrying out a rigid system of retrenchment." Proposed by Mr. Alport, and seconded by I>r. M'Cheane. "That a copy of the above resolutions, to be signed by the chairman of this.meeting, be forwarded to His Honor the Superintendent, and the Speaker of the Provincial Council."

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sir, — You will oblige by informing " Iota" that half-a-ton of blasting powder has been ordered by the Lyttelton merchants to overcome the fix in which the Provincial Government are placed, by allowing, firstly, the gunpowder in the Magazine, that was provided for the road by Captain Thomas, to leave the Settlement; and secondly, by not taking proper steps to replace it when the works were resumed. Let it be understood, that the Lyttelton merchants have not bad any encouragement from the Government to order the gunpowder, but have done it on their own responsibility, with the view to ' facilitate the great work of the Settlement, viz., that of opening a dray road from the Port to the Plains. I remain, Yours, obediently, Merc\.tob. Lyttelton, Sept. 10th, 1855,

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sir, —His Honor Mr. Justice Stephen's judgment in the case of " Brit tan v. Simeon," if published, would be much more satisfactory than any opinion given upon it, whether by a lawyer or by an unprofessional man. I have myself only heard it very carefully read. Speaking with much diffidence upon so slight a knowledge of a legal document, emanating from high authority, I think the main points on which His Honor lays stress, as those in which the magistrate committed error, are easy to understand. His Honor's reasons in support of his opinions did not strike me as being unsound or insufficient. What I chiefly gathered from the judgment was that the documents connected with the decision of the magistrates evinced great want of care and of precision on their part. A want that more frequently than rarely pervades magisterial documents. For my own part, unless a perusal of His Honor's judgment should alter my present opinion, I shall not hesitate to act in civil cases, nor to enforce my decision by every means which the ordinance allows. I am, sir. Yours, obediently, A Magistrate of the Province.