The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 469, 2 May 1857, Page 8

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, Jlfai/ 2nd.

By a "return which has been ioruarded from 1 the JPost Office authorities to the Uovern- ' merit, we find that the expenses of the local > Postage for ihe quarter ended 31st March amounted to £106, and that the .receipts . during' ihe same, period were £52. Con- ; sideling that this is the first quarter since , the system of Postal delivery has been initiated, we may look upon this as a very satis- '■ factory result. The expenses have been very small in proportion to the benefits ' derived by the public. A 'deficit of' about £54 is no great price to pay for the advan-' tage of having a regular daily delivery in the two chief tow! s. It may be expected that a-* the advantages offered are better understood and the system becomes more extended the receipts will become proportionately larger. Such an extension is due to the inhabitants of the outlying , districts. They have not complained of the increased.r:ite at which, under the new system, they pay for their letters and newspapers delivpied at the Post Office, .Cliristchuich, because they looked upon the new system as an experiment which must be gradually initiated. But they would have! a just cause of complaint' if they found themselves mulcted for the convenience of the towns without any step being taken to give them a'share in the advantages of an improved postal system. The time, has come when some kind of regular mail carriage should be extended to the Northern and Southern boundaries of the Province "We are pretty confident that such a mail service might be made self-paying in a very short time; and whatever sm;>ll amount it might ost the province at first would be amply repaid by t c service done. There is nothing that the people of this province would moie readily pa\ for than the regular transmission of their letters and newspapers. The inhabitants of the town and suburban districts are enjoying this luxury; but they ought not to enjoy if at the expense of otheis different!)' situated, who are equally taxed with themselves. We cannot but .think it would pay individuals to take up contracts for conveying' the mails from Christchurch to the Hurunui and to the Waitangi very cheap. A light cart, capable of carrying two or three; passengers, and carrying parcels and small uomin b ion*> through the country, would be a' most acceptable periodical visitor on the' line of luute north and south, and would be very well supported. 'J he cart would 'be alwiiys full botli of passengers and parcels. Many a long ride would be saved to the southern stockowuer if he had a certain means of getting- .some smail commissions executed which would otherwise necessitate a journey to ChrUtchurch. There is no reason why at this date he should be for months without letters, newspapers, and books. Shepherds and sheare'is who have not got horses would often pay willingly for a lift in the mail cart. If some trustworthy • person vvas guaranteed a fixed annual pay-, | meiit for carrying the mails, we have no doubt but that the business, lie would pick ,up on the route would amply compensate > him for his trouble. We would recommend, ' the business to some young fellow with a he;id on his shoulders, who has no objection Ito travelling, and who cannot, find any suitI" iible occupation elsewhere. "We 'think it"

would l>e rather a pleasant occupation- than > otherwise. ' ' . The Province of Otasjo has- established a fortnightly mail from the Waitangi to the Bluff. It will ceitainly be a reproof to this province if it does not provide for coptinuiug the transmission of southern maijg - through its own boundaries. We have , taken a lead in postal "arrangements as far as « deliverylis concerned. Let us not be behindhand in what is far more important. We cannot pay for anything which will conduce more to public comfoit than a rearular system for \\w conveyaucj of mails throughout the province.

The rejection of the Calhedral.Square Bill ■ almost without debate —at any rate without i anything being said m its defence—has' stiuek the public out of doors with some ' .astonishment. It is said, not without rea- ' .son', that while questions of form and per. sonal explanations involve whole nights of talking, those less pretending questions which deal merely with public fntere.-ts and ; public convenience are too often summarily disposed of. ' A mistake which has been long''patent to all except some of our Pro- ' vincial Councillors vvas made in the original laying out of the town of Christchurch. No -thoroughfare had been left, affording direct communication between the north-1 and south roads. In fact, a coach or"- cart , passing through Chiistchmch from Lytt'eltoh : would have to " back and fili" round Cathedral Square in an absurd manner, or else would have to choose some other roundabout means of communication with the Papanui 'Bridge, if the present temporary road across the square were stopped up.. We had not, .till ,the evening the bill vvas thrown out, heard a second opinion as to. the public advantage consequent upon such" a measure as the one proposed. We havegood reason for stating that such a bargain ' as the bill in question contemplated would' be equally advantageous to the Church. But this is not the question. Some hon.j members appear to have forgotten that they were in the Council as representatives of the ' public and' not as Church Trustees. The. example is contagious. Their duty, one' would have supposed, was carefully to consider the consequences good or bad which might arise from the passing of sueha bill. At any rate, when the only complaint made* against a measure which was generally' acknowledged to be necessary for public, convenience, vvas want of information, the natural course would have been to commit the bill and call for such information.Bßurtr 'no; it was easier to throw it out altogether.1 So the bill vvas thrown out accordingly. 1 Why it was not enquired into further — why' it was not argued ajaiust oi defended upon its merits, we are at a loss to conjecture, Do the public know ?