The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, April 16.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 360, 16 April 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, April 16.

The Provincial Council has been adjourned for a week in order to give time for the framing and suggesting of new additional Regulations having especial reference to the mare's nest which has just been discovered to the Commissioners of the Waste Lands Board. A. very serious and unheard of legal difficulty, has obtruded its head and horns in the very path of the Land Board, who in common with other departments of state, are compelled to pause in their march, and consider the following abstruse, nay " unheard of" proposition. iVJay a man safely and reasonably expect to derive all benefits in a contract, which were in the spirit of that contract intended ? Although the foregoing may be a very difficult and trying question ; we venture to say that an affirmative reply must follow. Upon such a conclusion, there crowd upon the considerations of senatorial wisdom, a host of kindred and consequent interrogatories, such as—Can a man be considered benefited by such a straining of technical constructions and limitations, as will have the effect of shutting him out of that privilege, and that preference lie has bargained and paid for r Again is it fair to the holders of preemptive rights to compel those gentlemen to purchase at £3 per acre, when all the world beside may step into the land office, and buy at £2 ? In these days of uncertainly, we cannot venture to offer too strong an opinion, as to thfi end of such mootings. Perhaps wo may hear it urged, " That our reading of the law is, that no holder of preemptive rights can be allowed to exercise those rights, at a less price than that originally stipulated for, viz., £3 per acre. And although the present policy of the state, is to ratify bargains, and fulfil engagements to the veryletter, and when the very ietter is lost up to the very spirit; yet we think in the case before us, the pre-emptive right holder ought to be satisfied with the dog-in-the-manger like ir/jpoitance with which he is clothed by the pie eruptive right, and rust contented with the assurance that if he

cannot buy his lands at £2 an acre, at all events no one else cuu."

Such would certainly be a pretty consolation to the dupe, who after the exercise of no little trouble, and after incurring the cost of purchase, awakes some fine morning to discover that his bargain bus secured for him a right to pay one third more than his neighbour. However as a set off, should he choose to relinquish the advantage last spoken of, he has at least the gratification of knowing that he, the spirited Pre-eniptioner, has been the sole means of pulling out of his neighbours' pocket, and casting into the Treasury bags, that one pound per acre more, than the price of other lands not covered with pre-emption. And he has the further gratification of reflecting, that he is thus.] ministering to and feeding a system of apportionment of Laud Revenue which may be highly advantageous to any, except the particular Province in which he lives.

The "Roads Bill," has been read three times ; and it only remains i'or ns to see whether his Excellency will confirm and assent to a measure which is in itself uncalled for, and which only owes existence in its present stage to the accident of a thin house.

Our Representatives by this bill, have admitted the justice of a principle—have adopted and encouraged a system against the growth and extension of which we are now without any guarantee whatsoever. If in the face of so very shadowy and questionable a necessity, we so easily permit to be engrafted on our political system, a feature so obnoxious as direct taxation, ■what safeguard have we against the growth of those necessities, which experience has shewn us to exist most abundantly, where the means of production are so blindly and recklessly created and provided, and without which, tlie very existence of those necessities would be questioned or utv-een. Flow much longer the public will suffer its eyes to be bandaged against the perception of fact and reality, remains to be seen. To what further extent will be countenanced the inflation of our little greatness we are yet to learn. Past experience is sufficiently encouraging to the sanguine spirits by whom the Provincial bubble has been blown out to its present portentous dimensions. But it is high time to question our capability of continuing to raise the wind, in such a quantity, as will correspond with the alarming rapidity of distension which the men at the bellows seem to promise. The present state of things, however, threatens a sad falling off in chat beautifully interesting faith and confidence in the genius of design, hitherto evinced by the people. And facts of a weighty and tangible character are daily tumbling across our path, all having a tendency to teach contentment with things as they are, or only so gradually a-nended as is safely consistent with the means legitimately at disposal. A little more stupor; " a little mose folding of the hands to sleep ;" and this Province will he suddenly awakened to a sense of its utter prostration and insolvency. /The wnv to avoid such misfortunes is jet ' open, and may be pursued to a successful issuo. But it must be borne in mind, that neither taxation, nor legislation, can remedy low prices. That a great portion of us are agriculturists, that prices may and probably will fall. As we reminded our readers last week, the public and private engagements of this Province are heavy. Increased industry and economy in agriculture, are necessary to continue to us the income indispensable to the meeting of our liabilities, ami although a general indifference to politics is a thing by no means wise, yet we would strongly advise our readers to beware of making laws in advance of actual necessity. More especially when their effect will be to

compel taxation to the extent of one shilling, in order that sixpence may be usefully and properly expended. And this is called " a permissive power of taxation."