The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 482, 17 June 1857, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, June 17. We must again draw' public attention to the apparently reckless manner in which our money is voted away by the Provincial Council, and the disproportionate ..attention paid to inferior objects of consideration compared with that bestowed upon important matters. Allusion tias before been made to the slight relation which salaries voted bear to services required. No on.c who knows -anything of the duties and responsibilities of' different offices would be prepared to defend the Estimates as passed on that ground. Gn Friday evening last, eleven members only being present, the Council refused a ! subsidy for establishing a postal service to Melbourne, and voted a reward of £500 for the discovery of gold. Now, there may be very good reasons for not voting the Mcl bourne postal service. Our revenue is not an extravagant one. and large demands have _been made upon it this Se-sion already. Few, however, will deny the necessity for a careful consideration of any scheme that may.be-suggested lor furthering a more rapid mail communication, and the advantages to be derived therefrom. But the Council, at the same time that they declined to vote money for, the postal service, found -means to give away £500 for the benefit of the fortunate man who may discover gold in the province. Suiely, if we have money to ■waste or to give away, it would be better to devote it to what, might even be an imperfect system of mail communication. The discoverer of gold will reap an ample reward by the discovery itself, if he is really competent to decide upon the value of his discovery; if he is not, the reward would be very im properly applied. In most cases of gold discovery, the precious metal has-been accidentally found, and very often by some one who does not know its value. Why should ~the revenue of a hard-working people be employed in making a present to a lucky fellow, who has the chance of making his fortune if his wits are about him. We .cannot afford this vote of £500, whilst we are yet unprovided with proper postal communication with the neighbouring colonies.

We lay more stress upon this item because it is one of a series of ill-considered

and reckless yores. The Council appears, to have got into dotage towards the close-.of its.life. A fear of energetic movement is apparent in late proceedings- The timid policy with respect to immigration tends towards keeping- the province a| little Pedlington. Bat we hope the. next Council will not be one worthy of a little Pedliugfoh.: The freaks of an old lady of property are perhaps amusing but ."not instruciive, when , she squanders money on pet poodle dogs while she grudges the necessary expenses of improving her- estate.'!