CORRESPONDENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 316, 10 November 1855, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times.

Mr. Editor, —Are our Government appointments made judiciously ? On Wednesday you favoured your readers with a long Essay on Roads from the Provincial Engineer, and an advertisement cautioning travellers from using the new roads made under his control, in addition to a letter which, if the statements made in it be correct, proves that the engineer is either above his true work, or does not understand roadcutting. It seems we have appointed a Professor to lecture on road-making. Now this might have been left to " Old Navvy," and any scheme suggested by him might have been brought before the Provincial Council, and the honourable members might have "crammed" for a "jaw." Surely the Provincial Engineer might leave the simple division of" interest and ignorance" where he found it—or placed it in one of the new cuttings made in the northern road, and then the first traveller that way might have plunged into the river with it. One word more on the introduction to the letter. Mr. Dobs on says there are ''* statements" in the letter for which he is personally responsible—and "suggestions:"—will he tell us which is the one and which is the other—or, like the boy at the peep-show, as we pay our penny, may we take our choice. Yours, &c. One that has been Nipped.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sir, —I should be very loth to continue the controversy about the seat of Government, but. I should like to make some remarks relating to matters of fact, alluded to in your last article, and I do this with a proper sense of awe for the thinking " politicians in the South." You say, " our correspondent is grievously in error about the expense of moving the seat of Government from Auckland," for " there is no Government house at Auckland;—there is one at Wellington, which has been lying imused for three years/ I believe as far as- verbal accuracy goes, you

are perfectly correct in both these assertions. I have, at least, never heard of a Government house at Auckland since the burning of the original one, and I have the best reason to suppose that there is one at Wellington, because the last, news we had of it was that the earthquakes had knocked down the chimneys and broken in the roof. Of course if the Government House itself had not been in existence, its roof could not have been smashed in. This, no doubt, is a very satisfactory proof of the existence of a Government house at Wellington, though not so satisfactory a one of its being a pleasant residence. On the other hand you do not say that, although at Auckland there is now no Go vernment house, still that, before long, there will be one built at the sole expense of the Province of Auckland. You say that it is not likely that Auckland would help Canterbury in return for Canterbury helping Auckland, because " gratitude and revenge are verj* seldom the characteristics of political parties." I do not wish you to trust to gratitude or revenge, but to make a bargain. When I sell fifty tons of potatoes to a merchant, Ido not trust to his feelings of gratitude for payment, but I appeal to a much more vulgar feeling, and either take his note of hand, or a mortgage on his property, or some other " material guarantee" of this sort, and this is the manner in which I would deal with Auckland. Yours truly, QUIETA NON MoVEHE.

WOOL PRICES CURRENT.—LIVERPOOL, July 5. Nei.Zeala.nd.—Per lb.: Fair parcels, Is. 7d. to Is. 9d.; mixed and inferior, ls.4d. to Is. 5d.; grease, Bd. to 9% d. New South Wales.—Per lb.: Scoured fine, 2s. to 2s. 6d.; middling, Is. 7d. to Is. 9d.; inferior. Is. 4d. to Is. 6d. ; lambs', Is. lOd. to 2s. 4d. ; skin, Is. 4d. to Is. B|d • nieces and locks, Is. to Is. 6d.; grease, 9£d. to Is. Port Phillip.—Scoured fine, 2s. to 2s. 4d. ; middling, Is. 9d. to Is. lOd. ; inferior, Is. 6d. to Is. 7%d. ; lambs', Is. Wd. t025.7d.; skin, ls.4d. to Is. Bj£d.; pieces aud locks, Is. to Is. 6d.; grease, 9d. to 1 Id. Van Diemen's Laxo.—Scoured fine, Is. I Id. to 2s. _d. ; middling, Is. 7d. to Is. 9d.; inferior, Is. 4d. to is. od.; lambs', Is. lOd. to 2s. 4d.: skin, Is. 2d. to Is. 6d.; pieces and locks. Is. to Is. 4d.; grease, 9d. to lid. Swak Riveb.—Fair, Is. 7d. to Is. 9d. ; inferior, Is. 3d. to Is. 3d.; lambs', Is. 7<l. to Is. lid.; skin, Is to Is. 3d.; pieces and locks, Is. to Is. 4d.; grease, 9d. to 10|d. South Australian.-— Good io fine, Is. Bd. to Is. 10d.; middling, Is. 6d. to Is. 7d.; inferior, Is. 4d. to 15.5 d.; lambs', Is. 9d. to 2s-; skin, Is. Id. to Is. 5d.; pieces aud locks, Is. to Is. 3d. ; grease. 8&d. to lO.d.