Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 487, 4 July 1857, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

The Lord Bishop of New Zealand has paid us a flying visit of two days, for the purpose of bringing back in his yacht the Bishop of Christchurch and the Rev. J. Wilson, who attended the late Church conference in Auckland. The result of the conference we have already published in the resolutions passed. The first step taken in consequence will, we believe, be an application to the general legislature for an act to authorise the transfer of church property now held by the Bishops to the General Synod, which will then be constituted. Ihe proceedings in the conference are not reported in the Auckland papers which we have seen, but we believe that the greatest unanimity prevailed. All questionsmusthavebeon'fullydiscussed, how- j ever, for we are informed that the members gave constant attendance from ten till four every day, except Sundays, during a period of about six weeks. The Southern Cross arrived from Auckland direct on Wednesday morning early, and sailed again with the Bishop of New Zealand, on Thursday evening, for a cruise among the Islands* by way of Auckland. The Customs receipts for the past six months show a rapid but steady increase over former similar periods. The returns will be shortly published; but we may say now that the receipts for the September quarter of 1856 were about £2,400, for the December quarter about £2,800, while the quarter ended March last shows a return of £4,367 and for that just ended an amount of £5,400, being for the halfyear past nearly £9,800, about £1,000 more than the whole revenue of the year 1855. There is every reason to believe that the increase will steadily continue. If so, the receipts for the current year will not fall far short of £20,000. Of this gross amount five-eighths are contributed to the General Revenues of the colony. It will be pleasant to producers to know that the freight of potatoes from the Quay to Lyttelton has been reduced to fourpence per bushel. This step on the part of the boatmen to meet the present requirements will be, we are sure, very acceptable to those dealing in this bulky article. Y/hen we add that the freight to Wellington, by the Taranaki for instance, is only one shilling a bushel, it will be seen that freights generally have accommodated themselves pretty nearly to the reduction in prices during the last two years. We must draw the attention of our readers in Lyttelton to the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the foundation of the Colonists Society in this tewn, which takes place on Tuesday evening next, the 7th instant. From the time of its commencement, when a large proportion of the whole population of the plains was resident in Lyttelton, this society has been warmly supported by all classes of the community, and is now able to benefit in many obvious wavs those who *are willing to share in its advantages. We have little doubt that the meeting on Tuesday evening will be well attended. There is no specified programme chalked out for the entertainment of the evening, but exhibitions of all the objects of interest which members or their friends can find to send, with music, to which the Choral Society will lend their aid, and readings, addresses, and so forth, will form a miscellaneous entertainment, and, we suppose, will be concluded by a ball for the younger members. We have also to draw notice to two advertisements from the Government which appear in our columns, and 'which are of interest to the public. The first is an announcement that a reward will be given for the best essay or plan for the destruction of watercresses and other weeds in rivers, as applicable to the river Avon. For particulars we refer our readers to the advertisement. The second announcement is that, the Government, acting immediately on the resolutions of the Council, is ready to offer a bonus, according to a certain graduated scale, for the transmission of mails between this port and Melbourne. It is to be observed that Sydney is left out of the question as the port from which mails may be;, brought, and also that it seems not to be in-* tended to enter into a contract with any particular vessel or firm to undertake the postal „ service for a certain period, but that to any vessel bringing down a mail under certain conditions a reward will be given. While on this subject we may notice an observation in a late number of the 'Wellington Independent,' to the effect that the Canterbury Council had been unknowingly wise in refusing to establish communication with Melbourne, because, as says that paper, no mails would he transmitted to this port direct, all Northern mails being made up for Auckland, and all the Southern for Wellington. We have never heard of any such arrangement, nor of any authority under which any arrangement could be made which the post-office authorities in Melbourne could not overthrow in compliance with an application from any province concerned. We are certain that such'an arrangement has not been -~~;1'> einc-i Ot^sjo does not share in it. We are g ' "Jr subsidizing, vessels i ■/ Us so far, bat we-

must object to being bound to have thpm + mitted always in that way. m tranaWe have to correct an erratum in announcement last Wednesday o f clum °Ur the Executive. The gap filled by the S? ? ments in question, it should have been J,E\ in the Executive Government, not in If Legislative, between which there is a b i line of distinction. ,We may also notice inexactitude in the probable sales to tal™ «ian of lands at the Bluff through mSJ^ agency. The whole amount set apart W « Otago Government for sale at the low nfj • only 600,000acres so that theaggregateofsaU will not exceed this amount; and of this doubt, some portion will be purchased by to" 0 sent rundolders ;~at least, it is to be honed that the merchants of Dunedin are foresight H enough to give assistance in purchasing to tho= upon whom their business in a great measure depends. «io

The weather has lately been agreeable rathe warm for the time of year. The cold rainy south-wester that set in yesterday is more sea sonableifless agreeable. It will help O n their way a good many vessels that are leavine or have just left our harbour. s