The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, February 20.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 345, 20 February 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, February 20.

frequently attach undue important to the rumours of the u\v foreshadow^ events that may hav< ; an influence upon ,/s either as judividuals or a* members of so ci«ty : and by noticing- the reports that arP ewistuutiy rtpfcaicd iv referee to the anti-

cipated proceedings of the coining session ol the Provincial Council, we may be accused of participation in this common failing. We, however; consider that, the public interest is best consulted by discussing the questions suggested by these rumours, rumours which"may hereafter become facts, as it is only by such discussion that a right direction can be given to public opinion. A current rumour of the day. one in fact we hear on all sides, is, that the next Session will be more characterised by the formation of parties than either of its predecessors. If this be so, we cannot say we look hopefully to the result. For, however beneficial or indispensable party may be in carrying on government, these advantages are oftentimes too dearly purchased ; and we do not think the best interests of the province will be consulted by our councillors occupying the public time in the formation of petty cliques, the chief result of which to us will be the introduction into our politics of greater personal rancour than has happily hitherto prevailed.

The Legislation of Canterbury has up to this time been principally elementary, the laying down of first principles: the framing, as it were, of a social and political structure, which 'time will gradually fill in, and in which we may profitably and safely work. We have had laws enough at present ; and we had hoped that the time had come for devoting our exclusive attention to measures that would assist in giving life and expansion to the various branches of the industry of the Province, and in improving our social condition. Much real work remains to be done. The great roadways of the Province, already marked out, are all of them incomplete. The state of the communication between the Port and the Plains, and the Port and the various districts of the Province, still furnishes the same subject of complaint, is still an impediment to our progress, and is still the same bugbear as of old to foreigners. Our towns for want of some simple method of local management, or for want of more attention from the Government, are in a worse condition than they were previous to the inauguration of ;< Responsible Government/ The Public Works which were completed or commenced on the first formation of the Settlement are even becoming dangerous, and the money expended on them almost thrown away. We ask. then, are these and other kindred matters not far more worthy of commanding the attention of our representatives than the formation of cliques and parties ? The making of a road would be of more value to the Province than to form the most powerful of cliques, arid at this time and place especially we would say, " all honour to himgwho over the impassable builds a bridge."

Graix Maukexs.—We understand tr at a small quantity of wheat was bought at Christchurch, last week, for one of our mills, at 10s. per bushel. Some potato^ changed hands at £? per ton. A R f ar n< could be ascertained, the prevalent feelinoapj.eared to be that potatoes were worth -it present something about £7 10 or for fair samples. The wheat was houdn for immediate use.

■SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Proposed Tramway im-twe™ Adf laioe, Olkxklo. am, fiuroaxo.N.-Cap-*U" La^t lm, laid !,,(ore the Provincial Commmee of the f}j e . 1C! , R;ii] entbomte and in.orestin:, pap.r on th</con. stucli:)-, oi t,ain W!l ys, from which wcrnak« the following extracts :-- The mode of c 0.,1 JtructiMg U, ese raihvays may b R very simple J • most .^tonces, and particularly on thr C'lcnelg l, ne . there no,d not be much cnuu.o, levemngi or form . <• m«c surlace of the .soil presenting,! i n a \mot t

every part; of it,, the firmest and best, bed upon which to lay the sleepers. For these, the ffuni and peppermint trees of the country will furnish a suitable material; logs of 7 feet long and 8 inches in diameter will each make two sleepers by being sawn through the middle. Of these about ISOO will be required for about a mile of way. They will be placed across the way with the Hat side on the ground. Au adze readily forms on the upper side a level bed for the iron rail to rest upon. The most convenient, form of a rail is that known as bridge rail, and is that used as the Port Railway. Those weighing 28 or 30 lbs. per yard would be strong enough, but they certainly need not exceed-10 lbs. per yard. This will be a heavier rail than was laid on the Liverpool and Manchester line, when it was iirst formed for locomotive traction. The sleepers being laid and the rails spiked on to them, the way is ready for use, with the exception of some filling between the sleepers, which may be obtained from small drains dug on either side for taking away surface water. It has been usual on animal power railways to place the horsepath between the rails, making the animal travel on the sleepers. This is exceptionable on two grounds—iirst, the constant attention required to keep the path in order, the effect of the animal's feet being to knock away the metailiny from between the sleepers ; and secondly, that which is of more importance, the danger to the horse and his rider, as well as to the carriage he is drawing at high speed, in the case of his 'ailing. This is not an unfrequent occurrence at the Edinburgh and Daikeith Animal Power Railway. 1 propose placing the path outside the drains, where little or no metalling will be required. The draught will be by means of a short rope, so placed that the end attached to the carriage can be released at any moment by the pressure of the foot of tiie conductor, seated on the front of the carriage. A horse falling in that position cannot be injured" by the carriage ; it will run on until stopped by the conductor by the screw-drag. For the Glenelg line, a single liue^ of way will, fur the" present, suffice, having sideings at stated distances to allow carriages going in opposite directions or at different rates of speed to pass each other. A form of carriage, suitable for the passenger traffic, may in its outward diruereioiiß be about 10 feet 6 inches lory, by 5 feet (j inches wide, divided internally into three compartments—the centre to carry six, and eilher end three passengers lhese with 18 to be provided for the outside, will make the full load 30. Th»s«» carriages need not exceed 30 cwt. in weight when empty, or with a full load of pa-^en-gers about three tons. 1,, railway calculations bi-Ibs. traction is considered to move one ton on a level rail; consequently 2:3 i lbs. will be that required for the proposed coach with its load; but the difference of level between Adelaide and the Bay being about 00 ieet, and that pretty equally divided over t!,e entire distance, a greater power wiilb.requ.redfortheup coach than for the down. Without going into minute calcuralKm of that diiler.uce, I will assume the Jojv,, uraught to be 20 lbs., and that up <^s- ledgold calculates the power of racuo,, »i a horse at 83i pounds/and that ;;•. W .»":«* p.M- hour he i. s capahie ol draw,,,. ,Nt n t , luu |; ; [it r . imw l"f °" *, ™lwuy Hum he can do t1; a - , Wul1-'"-«l« macadamized road. t. i ,evH!e :! tUK.n,,hat the proposed coach '/I be a nght !o;k1 for one horse, and that i> iimkmg- ii.c stages only half, he distance '"l;ve«M. the city and Hay, or about three j » « I'a'f mdes, it may be done at a very "fell speed. A«lue primary object of this ""way will I>e to afford thegreatestamouut of A«ITT :iCr; omni' Klrilioil lo a* citizens and a S this object will be best

gained by departing from and passing through the most central parts of the city, I would propose to start from the north cud of King William Street, passing through its entire length, ciws the Park Lauds, and then continue along the left-hand side of the Bay road to its end. The railway to be placed close to the railway already formed, by which means a sufficient breadth of passage will be l^it next the fence for eommunica(.,ion along the adjoining lands. I estimate the probable cost, of constructing th'i proposed line at. £13,636; the rolling -■stock requisite for the passenger traffic I have named will be £2000. Although there will be, to a certainty, a vast amount of other traffic on the line when its value is understood, I do not at present touch upon it. my object being to show the practicability of providing for a large passenger traffic, to be carried at very reduced rates, and still to be amply remunerative for the capital employed. I have already described the kind of carnage I propose using. If the journey is made 12 times each way in the day with always a full load, 720 passengers may be carried, but for the sake of short calculations I will take 600 as the daily number. If these are cairied at the average charge of 9d. per head, the receipts for six days will be £135, or for 52 weeks £7,000. I now come to the cost of working and of maintaining the line:—Twenty four horses may be kept, including all manner of shoeing, &c, at £50 each, £1200 ; three conductors, at £100 per annum each, £300; four boys as riders, £-50 each, £200 ; two clerks, "at £100 each, £200 ;■ incidental expenses, £100; yearly cost for 12 carriages each way, from either end of the line, £2000; to this add maintenance of the way, say .£IOO per mile, £700 ; wear and tear of horses and rolling stock, 25 per cent, on cost, £500 ; management and incidental expense-, £500 ; total amount of expenditure, £3700. This taken from the receipts shown above, of £7000, will leave n balance as profit on the capital o; £3300, enough to pay £20 per cent, upo i it, and leave £500 to form a reserve fund. I trust I have shown the ease and economy with which animal power railways may be constructed on the reserved lines o!" road of the provinc>.:,'jind the extraordinary benefit the general adoption of them will be, and more particularly its peculiar suitableness for the Adelaide and Glenelg line : and I also trust that it will receive the support and co-ope-ration of the Government, the corporation of Adelaide, and the Central Road Board, as well as of the Legislature in any amendments in existing laws that may be required."— Sydney Morning Herald, Dec. 25.