The Lyttelton Times. Saturday, June 28.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 381, 28 June 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. Saturday, June 28.

We re-published last week from the " Nelson Examiner, " a carefully written history of the occurrences in the General Assembly up to the end of May. We shall now endeavour to place before our readers in a succinct form, the subsequent events up to the 11th instant. It will be remembered that the Fox

Ministry had resigned on a vote of want of confidence, on the 28th May ; and that the other party, strengthened in the first in_ stance by the arrival of two new members from the' South, had formed a coalition with the Auckland progress party, so receiving to themselves a majority of" ten votes in the House. The Cabinet thereupon formed had Mr. Stafford at the head, and comprised Dr. Campbell, Mr. Sewell, Mr. Whitaker, and Mr. Richmond. On June 3rd, Mr. Stafford gave the usual Ministerial explanation of policy, dealing chiefly with the financial state of the Colony, postal arrangements, purity of elections, and the administration of the Waste Lands by the Provinces. The opposition appears to have taken a somewhat personal direction, for we find that Mr. Fox objected to the leadership of the Government being held without office, and to any office being held by a Superintendent. On June the 6th, he moved the following resolution on the subject, but withdrew it immediately by leave: —

"That although in the formation of a Ministry, and during the Session of the General Assembly, while under the immediate control of that body, it may be expedient that Superintendents of Provinces should he members of the executive Government of the Colony; yet this House is resolved that; under any circumstances an office in the Ministry1 of the General Government is incompatible with the office of Superintendent, necessarily involving any Superintendent holding such double office in suspicion of Provincial partiality, as well as affording opportunity for the exercise of such feeling should it exist. And this Hoase further resolves that any Superintendent who may, during the Session, have taken office as a Responsible Minister, ought, at some reasonable time before the 'Assembly shall be prorogued, to announce to the ..Housewhich of the two offices he will abandon at the close of the Session.'' -^ The interval of time was taken up by the discussion of Provincial question.?, and the settlement of some individual claims. With respect to this Province, we find that Mr. Hall gave notice " To move for copies of correspondence respecting the payment of the cost.of the survey instruments, maps, and other stock' in the Lund' Office atChristclmrch. To move thnt a respectful address be presented to his Excellency, praying that he will recommend this House to make provision for the cost of thesurveying instruments and other stock of the Land Office in Christchurch. To move a "respectful address to his Excellency, praying that he will recommend this House to make provision for the arrears of salary due to Mr. W. G. Brittan, formerly Registrar of Deeds for the Proviiice"of Canterbury " On Tuesday, June 10th, the Colonial Treasurer (Mr. Sewell) introduced his scheme for the settlement of the liabilities of the Colony, in a series of resolutions, accompanied by a most comprehensive speech, a detailed account of which we gave on Wednesday. The debate on the resolution was to be taken on the following Friday. We observe that Mr. Cuff had again transferred his support to the Stafford-Sewell party, and still his vote amongst the majority. Mr. Brittan and Mr. Hall, remain constant to the parties and principles respectively, to which they at the first attached themselves. In the Legislative Council, the Ministerial statement given by Mr. Whittaker, on June 3rd, was almost identical with that of Mr. Stafford in the lower house. We remark in it, however, that it was the desire of the Government to bring the session to a' close before the next trip of the " Zingari" to the South.

There can be no doubt but that there is an especial necessity for public Libraries and Literary Institutions in a community like our own. As a general rule, the mass of the people are in a much better position than the corresponding classes of society in England. They have also, we are well assured, every desire to cultivate their mind* and to enjoy innocent amusements. But with greater opportunities, on the one hand, than they had in ihe old country, they had

.n the other, greater difficulties, arising from the circumstances of a new country, and its distance from the chief centres of civilisation. We rejoice, therefore, to find, that any society, which helps to remove these difficulties, is taking fresh root amongst us, and shewing- symptoms of extended usefulness. Such is the cape with our old frienc, the JLyttelton Colonists' Society, at the present time- It will be seen by an advertisement in our paper to-day, that Ihe Society has found it necessary slightly to increase the rate of subscription, but on the whole, the prospects of the Institution are very promising. It has, we understand, settled down almost entirely into that which it is now called, in addition to its former title, a Literary Institution. It will shortly have upon the shelves of its library, nearly I.sOovolumes. Its newsroom is about to be put hi a state of repair and comfort, and well stocked with periodicals. The lectures, discussions, and social meetings will be continued as opportunities occur for holding them. We would,, however, especially call attention to the valuable collections of books which has been- lately added to the lilvaiy, and which will be put into circulation in a I>|Vf weeks. This collection has been purchased with the sum of £116, presented to the Society by His Honor the Superintendent, on his return from the first meeting of. the General Assembly, and lias been selected with great care, and with great advantage, as far as cost is concerned, by a personal friend ot his own in London. The collection contains about 450 volumes. Under the head of poetry, will be found the names of many of our older, and almost all our modern poets. In light literature, there are all the works of the most popular modern novelists, —Cooper, Dickens, Thackeray, Lever, Manyat, Morier, Miss Edgeworth, and - others. In the historical department, we find, Hallain's Works, Mahon's History of, England, Thiers' works, Napier's Peninsular AVar, Prescott's works, Mill's India, Sir J. Stephens, and Dr. Arnold's lectures, Carlyle's Histories, &c. Under the heads of Biography, Travels, Books of Reference, and Miscellaneous works, there is a varied collectionlof popular and useful books. We trust that so valuable an accession will be the means of infusing new life into the society, and so enabling it to carry on its useful labour with increased efficiency.