The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, April 8th.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 462, 8 April 1857, Page 7

The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, April Bth.

The address of His Honor the Superintendent on opening this session of the Provincial. Council has taken up so much of our space, that we must omit all comments. The ability and clearness with which his views are laid down leave no doubt as to his opinions on' the present state of public affairs in this colony.' ' The gross misGroyernmeht of the present General Executive has created more sympathy for Provinciali&t views among the public in this province; than.would otherwise have been entertained.' General Government is of more importance than any form of Government, ' and contrasts are drawn between Provincial and General Administration, unfavourable to the latter. It must be remembered, however, that in so small a community as. that of New Zealand the success or failure of a Government depends more on men than on any theory. Thus, while the Provincial Governments of Wellington and Canterbury have in most material points succeeded, those of Auckland, New Plymouth, and Otago, have not been satisfactory. The late changes at Nelson leave us in a state of doubt as to its position. The last we heard of its financial affairs was anything but satisfactory, and the first notable policy of its present Government is ominous—that of stopping Immigration. We do not, however, despair of seeing a system established in New Zealand which will not leave the provinces so much to the mercy of any man or set of men who may be in power at the time. We cannot feel safe in one province whilst others are in danger. The opinion is growing in strength every day, that our present Constitution is apiece of patch-work Ijhat cannot long hold together. We have given it a fair trial and it has failed us. Whatever changes, however, are made, must be made in the General Assembly, for the whole colony, before we attempt in one province to put ourselves on a different footing fiom the rest of New Zealand. To advocate such a course under the name of anti-Provincial-ism is to initiate the worst form of ultraProvincialism. We must recur to this subject on another occasion.

Two contradictions of Mr. Arrowsmith's story about the duels on the Georgian railwayhave appeared in the ' Times.' One is from Mr. John P. King, president of the Georgian Railroad Company. He denies the whole story; and adds, that not only is duelling strictly prohibited in Georgia, but that hitherto the Georgian railways have been entirely exempt from accidents fatal to life. The' second letter is from Mr. Robt. Howe Gould, who has a brother in the state, and reports that he has received " from two of the most respectable residents in Augusta the distinct and unequivocal assurance that the" whole story is utterly false —a sheer fabrication, without even the shadow of truth to support it." The story is treated in the state as a proof of •' the superlative gullibility of our old friend John Bull in everything that regards our Southern States. Mr. Gould affirms, as regards duelling, that _" it has become a thing almost unknown within the limits of the state." .The fossil remains of' an ichthyosaurus have been discovered at Whitby, the largest specimen yet found. Unfortunately it is imperfect.

_ Down as a Hammee.-t-A Vermont editor gives this-adyice to the' ladies.-—"When you have got a- man to the'; sticking "point, that is •when he proposes—don't' turn away your head or affect a blush, of refer him to pa, or ask for more time; alljthese tricks ar.e understood now, but just look him right in the face, give him a hearty smack, and tell him to go and order the furniture."