The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 405, 20 September 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, September 20.

The different colonies of England have responded heartily to the voice of the Mother Country whether in peace or in war. They feel that the interests of England are theirs also. And we may hope that in most cases there is a far stronger feeling than that of interest at work : a feeling of pride and affection for their own or their fathers' birthplace. May the time never come when the blows struck at England do not vibrate through every portion of .her present empire! We have seen the immense' exertions to contribute towards the Patriotic Fund made in every quarter of the world in which Englishmen reside ; we have witnessed the enthusiasm and earnestness with which they have marked the progress of the late struggle. Now that ' peace is proclaimed, the feelings of the old country- are so faithfully reproduced in the southern hemisphere, that the sulky contentment with which it was greeted in England, shows itself in the southern colonies. Men do not know what to think of the peace. They know that the objects for which the war was undertaken have'been attained, but they know that England considers herself to have been cajoled into accepting a second-rate position, a position unworthy the gigantic strength which she has just begun to exhibit to startled Europe ; and the Colonies do not believe in the permanence of the peace more than England believes in it. Already the gloomy clouds of war are gathering over the doomed plains of Italy, the traditional battle-field of Europe. England will not be able to stand aloof from any quarrel which may disturb the peace of the Continent. She has assumed, since the days of Spain and of \\ aterloo, her old prestige in the field a prestige equal to that which she has always maintained at sea. If, unhappily, war should again break out, we have no doubt but that* the colonies will show themselves as loyal as they have heretofore been, and that", if necessary, they will be prepared with more substantial tokens of sympathy than mere loyal addresses and patriotic speeches. We are far, however, from underrating such addresses. In taking up the newspapers of one x-olony after another, it is gratifyino- to see in the different legislatures, governments and oppositions putting aside their own immediate business, their combinations and their quarrels, to give a hearty expression to their flings a. Englishmen, to sympathise with Lngland's difficulties, and to exult in her success. It is good for us to pause from our immediate toils and interests for a moment to listen to the thunder rolling over our heads or to watch the drifting clouds that foretell the storm or the calm.'-Above aJI, it is good fur a colonist that while the state may be small to which his more immediate energies are confined, yet that his understanding and his sympathies are enlarged by the consciousness of belohmnoto a great Empire. • • ° In this province, the holiday proclaimed for the the celebration of the peace of Paris was kept in a peculiarly Ki.glislr fashion.

A few persons assembled to indulge in the time-honoured sports which in England would be called national, in foreign countries would be called semi-barbarous; but the greater part of the population got out of each others way as far as possible, to luxuriate in the consciousness that for one day at least, they need see no one they did not like to see. Who will not say that their mode of celebrating- the holiday was more national than if we had got up a great demonstration ; especially when we remember the cold and sullen way in which the news of the peace was received in England ?

The roads and their connection with Government have come to be considered as a subject for jokes ; not practical jokes. We shall not, however, be deterred by that consideration from treating the subject in a serious way whenever it is possible that the pointing out errors committed may produce a practical effect. Though there are no large works in progress to be commented on at present,we are still bound to watch, on behalf of the public, that the small means at the disposal of the Government are used to the best advantage. We introduce the subject at the present time in order to make some objections to the employment of prison labour upon the Sumner Road. We shall not here express any opinion as to the merits of this road, or compare its probable utility with" that of any other line. We are satisfied to agree with the general opinion that, having been undei taken with the consent of the public, and being already in a forward state, it should be carried to completion as soon as possible. But it must not be forgotten that there are other road works more immediately necessary, for which the labour at the disposal of the Government is well anted. Some time since we pointed ont how the current repairs of roads would be much more cheaply effected by permanent gangs of workmen in the employ of the Government, than by a system of contracts. Since such an organised gang is in existence we must condemn its employment exclusively upon works which could be done effectively and expeditiously by contract, while repairs, so much wanted, and which they could best perform, are left undone. Let the Sumner Road promise to be ever so useful, it is a fact that the bridle-path is a road now used, and the only one used, between Lyttelton and Christchurch. It is also a fact that the bridle-path is in great need of repahv A. living dog is better than a dead lion; and we submit that until the new road is open and ready for traffic, the old one should be kept in good repair;l unless a principle is acknowledged here which the Dublin corporation once adopted, enacting that a new gaol should be built at Kilmainham out of the materials"of the old one, and that the old gaol should be used until the new one was ready.< We do not understand, when repairs are wanted, and a small staff is in existence just fit for such work,on what other principle its employment upon large new works is to be excused. On this subject a few remarks made by our contemporary the Standard, last Thursday, are not without a hazy significance. Far, be it from us to say that the rumours' there spoken of as in existence,'were then formally usheredjnto" tlie world. We only dare to say that the Standard's not having a. decided opinion upon a subject looks suspicious. We hope it may ha true that we shall soon have the power to. begin road making. How that power is to be used is a question for further consideration. Experience, hap, no doubt, made us wiser on the subject .than we were, when we last were in such a position, and has taught us betier to compare our means with the work to be done. To have a prospect of means at all is sufficiently novel to be very gratifying.