Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 460, 1 April 1857, Page 8

Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Chuech. —The dismantling1 of this building has already commenced. The porch on the northern side has been removed, and the main body of the building is beginning to be operated upon; It appears that the materials obtainable from this building will be in , very good condition, and of sufficient quantity to do much towards the erection, of another structure. It is with great pleasure after all doubts and delays that we see the first steps taken towards a change. The Peisonee Sullivan .—This active rascal who,'as we mentioned on Saturday, escaped on Thursday last from Lyttelton jail, has' been followed in the direction of the Rakaia, and there we hear of his last feat in the art of escaping. Sullivan swam fche river where there was no ford, and landed safely on the south bank. Police constable Price, who was in pursuit, on horseback, plunged in after him, a sufficiently courageous undertaking in a nian who was' ignorant of the country and of rivers particularly, having only lately arrived. Price and his horse parted company in the middle of the stream; the horse, swimming upwards, landed some distance higher up than the rider, who was carried down the river. Sullivan seized his. opportunity and the spare horse, and mounting, rode back again across the river/ ; left his pursuer in a fix on the southern bank, and rode off evidently in the greatest • exultation. He is, we thinks rather more likely to attract atttention, having the horse^ and is certainly not the less certain to be captured at last. We understand that Police constable I Lorns, who followed Sullivan along the Governor's bay road, on his first escaping, jumped down a cliff 20 or 25 feet high, after him, and, though not "feeling any pain at the time, found : afterwards to have ruptured himself, and to have suffered other injuries, which render him almost unfit for active service. The Mail.—-We are at last gratified by the arrival of the English December mail, which we have received by way of Wellington, by the arrival of the Rose of Sharon. It is now 108 days old, and has been lying about four weeks in Wellington. It is our misfortune to suffer from a costive post-office. Along with the Rose of Sharon came in the Mountain Maid from Akaroa,the Camilla from Otago, and the Lucy James, from Timaru. The sight of so many vessels under sail at once is an unusual one in our harbour, and kept the port alive during Monday afternoon. The Camilla brought us no papers from Otago, putting in only from stress of weather.

WoNDEBS OF .t HE TfiLEGRAtoS.-^itfce' thfl restoration of peace the line of submarine -telegraphs has been extended to St. Petersburg/ so as to establish the means of instantaneous communication between London and that-capital, the length of the wire being 1700: miles. The communication is carried by means of'theprinting telegraph, and, simultaneously with the touch of the finger on the instrument at St. Petersburg, indicating the letters of the alphabet to be transmitted, they appear on a similar instrument at the Strand Station in London. l Miss Cathebine Hates.—On Wednesday, Nov. 19th/as Miss Catherine Hayes was leaving ■ London for Brighton, between the station and the carriage she had the misfortune to lose a ' gold brooch formed in the shape of Erin's harp, i handsomely studded with diamonds, presented i to her by the inhabitants of Melbourne, Victoria, during her recent visit to the capital. A gentleman happened fortunately to be the finder, who instantly delivered it to the cantatrice, declining to receive any reward:-^ Some News. Restitution.—The sum of £Qd has been ac knowleciged by the Secretary of StateTfor War as received from " An Old Officer," as ".obtained by him long since by means which he cannot nowcon•cientionsly approve."|