The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 356, 2 April 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, April 2. We have received papers from Auckland up to March 19. By the reported proceedings of the Provincial ■. ouueil, we find that party feeling is uncommonly developed in the treatment of the various measures under, discussion. We have before us Minutes of Evidence taken before the Select Committee appointed February 19, "to consider and report upon the Land Regulations proposed by the Superintendent, and to take evidence upon the operation of the Regulations now in force." Th° great length of these preclude our carefully examining the merits of the proposed alterations as contrasted with the existing state of the Auckland Land Regulations. However, we may state that thus far great labour has evidently been exerted to remedy the present utterly unsatisfactory state of things. There appears to be a decided leaning on the part of the " Select Committee" towards the retention of that sj^stpm of cre<lit and instalment, in the working of which so many difficulties must occur, and in the rejection of which our own Council exhibited the correctness of their judgment. By the reports of the land sales, we perceive that despite the prevailing scarcity of money, ready purchasers are still found for township lots, at prices very far in advance of the Government valuation. Considering the fact that Auckland depends to so great an extent upon the value of her agricultural products, and also taking into account the present and probable future depression of prices in the Australian market, we are not a little surprised to find the attainment of land in the Province of Auckland a matter of such violent competition.

From Wellington we have 110 news possessing much interest to this Province, The Provincial Council have finished their labours of the session. From the reports of the proceedings of that body, we find evidence of its accustomed activity and energy, but our space precludes any lengthened notice. There appears to have been considerable mercantile stagnation at Wellington lately. By our papers from Nelson we find that ' the Province has lately been a good deal interested in the races, which came off.-with grea' satisfaction to the public ; and appears to have fairly shared the attention of all classes with the more grave, yet still exciting business of Provincial politics. Our contemporary the ' Examiner ' has devoted a long article to the ' Turf,' in which it proudly reviews the origin and progress of horse racing in the Nelson settlement,

From our own knowledge, we can justify the position which the ' Examiner ' claims for Nelson as the leading racing and horse breeding district of New Zealand. But while we frankly accord the due mode of praise to the spirited gentlemen at whose cost and care this excellence has been purchased, yet we are by no means disposed lo doubt the ultimate excellence at which Canterbury promises shortly to arrive. For considering the short lime we have had, our breeding has been of a more than average quality, and our importation of valuable ut.>ck is, iti proportion to our population, unprecedented in any other Australian settlements.

Our English news by the " ZingrirP is to the sth of December. The Crimean heroes rest upon their arms, awaiting the coming spring in comfortable winter quarters. The health and spirits of the troops appear all that an Englishman would wish. Many of the officers are still leaving the camp upon " urgent, private business." A correspondent, of the " Times" has sent to that paper the following letter of the late Dakeof Wellington's,written while wintering in the Peninsula during the war with France, to show in what manner "' The Duke met similar requests from the officers of that day :- " S.uita Msirinha, Match 23, 1811.—.My dear Lord—l assure yon that tine departure of the geiM'rai officers from the army was as much against my inclination aslheir anival in L''i)gland was injniimis it) the public ii; tcrest.s. lihd everything in my power to prevail upon them not to go, but in vain ; and I acknowledge dial it lias given me satisfaction to find (licit they ha*"© been roughly handled in the newspapers. The consequence of tin* absence ofsomeof liiem has been, that \« the late operations I have been obliged to he general of cavalry and of the advanced guard, and the leader oI" two or three columns sometimes on the same day. I have requested Colonel Torrens not to allow any general oflicer to come out in future who is not willing to declare thai he has no pmate lui.-i----ness io recall him to England, and that he will remain with the army as long as it shall stay in the Peninsula.—Wki.lingxoK."

Meanwhile, the Queen, the Court, and the English nation, are welcoming1 wilh much public rejoicing the King of Sardinia. A report is current that. Parliament will he dissolved in order to lest the feeling of the country upon the war question : while other reports state that it will be summoned to meet in January, and that the Premier will take the first opportunity to dissolve should indications of succes^ul resistance to the policy of the Ministry show themselves. The li Spectator" infers that the weight of the talking-talent of the House is against Ministers, most of the more celebrated debntors being in favour of peace ; but augurs that a large majority of the member.s will support the Ministry, and not be influenced by the eloquence of the opposition. The appoint men! s of Mr. Baines and Mr. Labouchere to seats in the Cabinet has given great satisfaction to the nation generally. Strikes among the workmen in the factory districts, in the iron and coal mines, and in other trades carried on m the northern part oi England, were beginning to take place— the cause, an attempted reduction of the wages of the workmen. Considerable uneasiness prevailed in consequence. The Australian Direct Steam Navigation Company, via Panama, have determined at a ku'ge meeting of (he proprietors to " wind "IV' but I hey will endeavour to dispose of Iheir charier to some other company. The celebrated attorney, William Barber, transpoited /or fraud, has been readmitted to J'l'iietice as an attorney : the presiding Judge (Lord Campbell) stating that the evidence had failed to establish Barber's connivance in the frauds of Fletcher. The Mue ior his readmission was made absolute.

The obituary for the month includes the names of Major General Frederick Markham, C.8., and Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Graham, of the Ist Regiment of Foot, two officers engaged in the attack on the Redan ; Lieut.General Frederick W. Buller, formerly of the Coldstrearas; "Lord Truro (Serjeant Wilde), Sir Josias IL Stracey, Bart, Sir Richard Sutton, Count Mole, formerly Minister and favourite!, of the lale Louis Philippe; Sir W. Pilkington, Mr. Copeland, the eminent surgeon; Mr. Alderman W. Lawrence, and Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley.