The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 483, 20 June 1857, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, June 20. Oms'of the most difficult and delicate duties which it can fall to the lot of a Legislative Assembly to perform, the investigation of charge's . against an" ..important officer of Government, was undertaken by the Provincial Council on Thursday. Our readers have been made' acquainted with the whole case in .our columns, excepting the evidence taken before the Select Committee of the Council. Of this evidence it is sufficient to say that it was not explicit on either side, that on many points it was contradictory, and that the judgment of the committee was that it failed to establish the important counts in the indictment.

There Were, we think, three courses open to |the Council w,hen it s,at in judgment on the case. First, to accept the decision of the committee on the evidence taken before it, as far only as affected: the case laid before them bythe petitioner. Second,to investigate the evidence with a view to altering or confirming the decision of the committee. And, third- to form a decision on any case which could be drawn from the evidence, whether contained in the allegations of the petition or not. The Council nominally refused to decide at all, but in effect took the last of the three courses which we have mentioned- The report of the commit tee was -broug-ht before . the Council, but a decision5in ae;£presis\ terms was avoided. A course was taken by which no judgment should be given,, while at the same time all appearance p,f refusing to discuss the question; was avoided ; and in fact a long discussion did take place, which our readers will find concisely reported elsewhere.

The verdict of the Council was given in effect in the course of this discussion, though it was not put on record, Mr. Hall's short speech contained the sum and substance of it. It was that the conduct of Mr. Britain in the transaction between him and Captain Harvey was harsh and illiberal, but that no dishonesty nor malversation of office had been proved against him.

A caution to the Land Office to he more careful in adhering to the regulations was added, and will doubtless prove useful in the practice of this important department.