The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 344, 16 February 1856, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, February Id. We have received by the " Star" files of the " Nelson Examiner," to the 26th ult. The Provincial Council of Nelson was opened on the 23rd ult. Flis Flonor, alluding to the satisfactory progress of the Province during the past year, within which period 1,294 persons arrived in Nelson, proceeded to give notice of three bills, which he proposed to send down for the consideration of the Council. The first is to provide for the maintenance of the Public Roads ; the second, for the improvement of the town of Nelson; and the third is an Education Bill founded upon the Report of the Education Commission of last year. His Honor states that the expenditure of the Province during the last financial period of fifteen months amounted to £32.429 Is. 2d ; of which sum £24.700 9s. 4d. was expended for public purposes.' The Superintendent has sent down a set of Regulations for the disposal of the Waste Lands of the Province, differing from those agreed to by a select committee of the Council. The "Examiner* thus sums up the chief points of difference : —

" The Superintendent, in his proposed Resxulations, wonJd introduce a remission scheme of immigration ; or the issue, to intending immigrants, of tickets, convertible imo mor.ev certificates on the arrival of the immigrants in Nelson, to be taken in payment lor land to the J amount of the passage money paid by them. This scheme was discussed at srreat length by the SeleetCommittee.and rejected, not. however, because they considered the principled!'it bad, but because they doubted whether the province' was in a position to give the scheme a fair trial, and from a f-ar that it would, if attempted, lead to great disappointment on die part of the immigrants receiving such remission orders. In a clouy favomiid with a larger acreage of available land than we possess, the remission scheme is perhaps the very best that could be adopted for bringinjr useful settlers into the country, but we cannot help mistrusting the successful working of it in this province. No harm can result, however, from discussing so important a subject over again ; and if the present Council should think proper to sanction the remission sc.ieme of immigration, it will afford us sincere pleasure to find when in operation that it is free from tne evils we anticipate as incident to it. -'The next departure we shall notice in the Superintendent's Regulations from those of the Select Committee, is j ( , the executive body by whom the Regulations are to be administered The Committee recommended the formation of a Waste Land B,,aid, to consist of the Land Commissioner, the Superintendent of the province tor the lime being, and a person «.j t .£, ed ov and from the meinbrrs of the Provincial wounc.!. The Superintendent, in his „r,.,)...,.,| Iteguhinons, would leave the administratim, of the waste lands in the hands of a Commissioner as at present. Each of these p] a!JS has some ' auv^tHges over the other. A Board, composed as pioposed, would seem to afford the h.st secuV.«IT TV md- mahM "'i.nitnstrationof ti ie -c lands, but „ would be less economical " M"", le 7 ffiMl"»«, anil might be diffi. cut to work, ;in( | cerl!mil , W()u]d , )e so , o . he CommisMoncr was an officer of the General ;1 ,n,;ut, not in any ,ay amenable ,o pro vujcul auuunuy. We do not led bound to ocpiess tlli y preference to the one plan or to the

Prill.;- B' Awi C"»'lni "ee, in their proposed ;"■""> u^l herdove nue.uled, we presume c' v± r? X" H. l\" 118 hffublin S H«"», »»w in r >, ' oiiuhijmic !in JlCl'P.'Urrt I'tv •■'"""luitaUo w1,,01, couU tepmp^d vi

when the capabilities of the runs are notoriously so dissimilar, to impose the like rent on all, whether one aero or four of the; land is required to keep a sheep, does not seem .» very equitable arrangement. We say nothing about the difficulty of computing the acreage of rims hounded by the summits of inaccessible mountains, more than tijc half of which is little better than hare rock. It would be a gross injustice to exact^a rental of a p^nny, or even a farthing an acre, for the pasturage on thi.1 peaks of the Kaikoias and other lofty mountain ranges which are now the boundaries [of runs, and yet, worthless as these lofty and barren ranges are for pasturage, they are necessary to the rimludders as boundaries. Seeing that no pasturage regulations which can now be passed can affect existing licenses, and that these have all ten or more years to run, we see no use in legislating on the subject at the present time, particularly as there is little, if any, country in the province nmv uijstocked. In some few instances it might £>iy to the interest of the runholder to avail himself of the permission given in the Superintendent's proposed Regulations, and take out a new license < n ilie new conditions, but this cmild only lie where the runs are less broken than are the majority of them.

" In mo-t other particulars the Regulations of the Sup. ri iiemleni would retembie very closely those proposed by the select Committee of the Council. In the classification of land, in aciopungsalesby auction,and in determining the upset prices, his Honour has followed the report of the Select Committee; but his Honour has added some additional clauses, which were probably necessary to render the .Regulations complete." Aa address has appeared in the " Examiner" from Mr. Domett to the electors of Nelson, thanking- them for electing him without his coming forward, and stating his intention of taking his seat in the House of Representatives.

A Public Juuiiee was held at Nelson on the same day as the opening of the Provincial Council, to celebrate the Fall of Sebastopol ; subscriptions were raised, and a committee appointed to provide the day's amusement. A royal salute was fired in tiie morning, and a large procession, with His Honor and the Provincial Council at its head, was formed at the CouucdChamber. j hey proceeded toTrafalgar Square, where tent's had been erected. Upwards of 2.000 people partook of the refreshments provided, and the day was ended by open air sports and dancing, which was kept up with great spirit till dusk, in a booth 100 feet long, provided for the occasion. A brilliant display of fireworks and three hearty cheers for the allied armies' closed the day's proceedings. The " Examiner" says :—

" We should have been much pleased had we possessed an artist who wuuJ.i have sketched the scene it) the afternoon, when about 2 yi)o persons w,-re assembled on the ground. The -'ay appearance of the several tents, the numerous happy aces brought together in so small a com pass, the modest looking church with its taper spue on one side and the imposing range of lulls winch formed the background on the other Will, hou-.es :,ml garden* scattered over th<> intervening space, would have formed a picture worthy of any artist to depict.'1 - At Richmond and at the Waimea similar rejoicings took place. We are very «h.d to hear of such a hearty outburst of" national feeling m our neighbour settlement.

Dikxebxo Mr. SpowKUS.-A.ivV.vita. ion dinner was given at the Ca,.tfa JUrv Hotel, Lyttdton, on Thursday last, fo Jas powers, K S( ,., , nwuiger of U) • '; o» Außtraha at Lyllelton, in anticipation of J"8 portly leaving this Relllei^ °', Melbourne About 50 p ersont , () , uhpn . ( round tlic di,,, ler table. M,, W 3 t tan occupied th e chail . s ; *' J ; tuends, congratulated the settlement on its

'atisfactory and healthy progress, tracing in i few words its financial career, and stated that he looked cheerfully forward to its certain and speedy future success.

liYTXKr/roN Colonists' Society and LiTKßAiiYlNSTiTtrrio.v. —Moiling, Friday. Feb. 12lh, the Piesidenl in the chair. Mr. line gave a lecture on " Burns and his Poelry." rrhe lecturer expatiated on the beauty of Burns' Poetry, and read copious Extracts from his writings in illustration.