Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 385, 12 July 1856, Page 6

Local Intelligence.

We have been very much pleased y&t.h a sight of an oil painting, exhibited in j?u* Town-Hall within these last few days, representing a panoramic view of Akaroa Town and Harbour. Those who are acquainted with Mr. Norman's exquisite landscape sketches in pen and ink, will be prepared for the accuracy and fidelity with which this picture is rendered, when we mention that the outline is I y his hand ; and we mast say that the detail and colouring show greater signs of an artistic genius and practised hand, than we were prepared to expect from an amateur at this end of the world. There may be a want of artistic finish in the painting, and there certainly was in the exhibition a neglect of those secondary arts and accessories, to which a practised showman would have had recourse successfully; but we ire ready to afflirn on our personal

testimony, that no representation, short of a photograph, could be'ajjinore perfect copy of the featui-ts of the landscape in question, taken in all the vividness and glory of midday summer sunshine. After testifying to the exquisite accuracy of the delineation and colouring, and .reminding our readers that the spot selected for representation by the artist is scarcely equalled in all New Zealand for beauty, we need add no assertion as to the merits of painting as a charming picture ; we can recommend it to the public, as well for its own merits, as on the plea of the encouragement which should be given to any attempt to cultivate the arts, worthily made among us. The artist. is Mr. Fair, a resident at Akaroa. We regret very much that the inclement weather of the'last few days has prevented the exhibition from being as well attended as il otherwise would have been, but we commend it heartily, to the people of Christchurch, to which town we understand it has been re-' moved ; and we hope that, after Mr. Fan- has reaped a golden harvest on the plains, he will indulge the inhabitants of Lyttelton with another exhibition. We venture to suggest jto our fellow-citizens that, if this paintins? .was purchased by subscription and displayed in the Town-Hall, it would both give great encouragement to ihe artist, and form a permanent ornament, to the Town of Lyttelton. Election of Wait - Wakden. —On Thursday last, a meeting of ratepayers, called by notice from the Returning Officer, I. T. Cookson, Esq.. under the Roads Ordinance, was held at the Mitre Hotel, for the purpose of electing a Way-Warden for the Town of Lyttelton District. The proceedings were somewhat informal as compared with other elections to which we have been accustomed, the method of election being that each ratepayer desirous of voting should enter his name in a book, together with the name of the person for whom he voted, without the 'necessity of any previous proposal of candidates. The names of Mr. Wormald, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Ballard were mentioned as desirable candidates ; but the choice of the ratepayers ultimately fell on a person of the name of Ronsley who was at three o'clock at the head of the poll with a considerable majority. We are given to understand that this election will have the intended effect of preventing the further operation of the Ordinance in this district.