Correspondence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 487, 4 July 1857, Page 3

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sir, —I have always held it as an axiom in commerce as in politics, that it is the duty of every public servant to facilitate the execution of public bnsiness ; and that all who receive their pay from ,the people's pocket should give to the people in return the value of the money they receive. Such sentiments as these, however, appear quite foreign to some of the gentlemen who form our Custom House staff. The power of the law, and the force of etiquette compels me to avoid invidious distinctions, though justice admits some honourable exceptions.^ j I have associated for many years with men who have traded to all parts of the world; and I have visited a few ports my- | self: and I think I may venture to say, [ without fear of exaggeration, that nowhere jis the system of Circumlocution more effectually carried out than in Lyttelton. ! Who but a Lytteltonian could believe that every little petty Ketch or Schooner that leaves this port for Christchurch or Kaiapoi is compelled to clear outwards with all the formality and exactitute of a foreign going ship : in fact, the manifest of a vessel bound to a foreign port is much less trouble than- that of one of these little paltry "hookers." For instance, a boat (I can call it nothing else), clears out for Christchurch Quay with a miscellaneous cargo, collected from all the stores in Lyttelton and consigned to as many different people on the plains, every atom of, which has passed through the Customs long before. Yet her manifest must contain the marks' and numbers of all her packages, the average strength per cent, of all the spirits; British and Foreign goods must be duly and correctly classified, or the manifest is re-

turned to the agent to be corrected — frequently to be made out again—and tlnis causing such delay as to prevent the vessel from sailing with a fair wind. The fable of the bull and the frog is familiar to most of us, and nothing more forcibly recalls it to my mind thiui ihis bombastic officialism. What useful design, what patriotic purpose lurks beneath this mask of pompous folly ? Is it to protect the revenue and prevent smuggling? No, that can't be it; because, without a batch of officials at each landing place, the manifest is so much waste paper and the skipper may light his pipe with it. Is it for statistical purposes ? I*' so, the spirit of Red-tape-ism defeats its object, for I am certain that tons of goods go round to both rivers that are never entered on the manifests, at all. I have met with a lew persons sufficiently sceptical to doubt if the originators of this folly had as much common sense as would make a purpose., Such notions however are too vulgar for me to coincide with. For myself I am inclined to believe that it principally originates from the love of that "otium cum dignitate" so peculiar to officers of the Crown, and a very large development of the bump of self esteem, that wicked organ, which long ago has caused men " dressed in a little brief authority, Ito play such pranks before high heaven as make the angels weep." The desire to be brief prevents me from touching at present on any of the other drags occasionally put on the wheels of commerce by government officialism ; so for the present, Yours, CENSOEIUS. Lyttelton, June, 29th 1857.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sie, —If further proof be required of the fallacy of the assertion, that in the late resolutions on Immigration the Provincial Council went beyond the proper sphere of a legislature, such proof wili be found in the accompanying extracts from, a recent article in the "Sydney Herald." The article referred to the steps lately taken in the Colony of Victoria on the subject of immigration :— The plan of Mr. Childers was contained in six resolutions. The first repudiated the English. Commissioners; the second avowed that it was desirable to introduce emigrants partly or wholly at the public expense by annual vote ; the third proposed that a department should be established in the United Kingdom for the selection and transmission of suitable emigrants ; the fourth, that a bounty should be given to shipowners introducing approved emigrants ; the fifth, that it is expedient to extend the system of selecting emigrants who shall contribute to the cost of passage; and the sixth, relating to the ships in which they should be conveyed. **# The resolutions appear upon" the whole to have been well received by the Legislature, although, in the course of the debate, opinions hostile to emigration by Government interference were expressed. A bill having passed the Assembly of Victoria to embody these resolutions, the chief emigration officer started for his post, and others, it seems, .have either followed, or are preparing to follow. If this is a legitimate course of proceeding for a legislative body to which, as in Victoria, the Executive Government is responsible, it is surely called for in a province ■ where the responsibility is avowedly at an end, and where therefore the influence of the legislature on the proceedings of the Government must be comparatively small. Yours truly, TAXPAYER.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sir, —I find that in Mr. Moorhoude's address to the Electors of Canterbury he states that he will always endeavour to secure to the public the services of the ablest and best irien in all departments of the Provincial Government. This, on the 10th of June. Now, in your impression of the 20th of June, the report of the proceedings of the Provincial Council runs ''That he (Mr. Moorhouse), saw that the members of the Committee were, as it appeared to him from the first, so inclined to judge the matter in favour of Mr. Brittan, that he did not think it worth while to oppose them." Why! the more reason for attending closely and seeing fair play, particularly, if considered in the light of the test above quoted. Is this consistency of sentiment or eccentricity of action ? It is enigmatical to Your Obedient Servants, PUDOE, MOEES, & CO.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sib, I beg to draw your attention to the ' Standard's' report of a case that was tried at the Magistrate's Court, Christchuvch. In the first place, the amount is wrong; ; and secondly, I do not know where Mr. Willis gets .bis Information, . as no reporter was present" at. this case. But I saw Mr. Johnson and the reporter go. , to the White Hart tcjjether, audTesjject jf that is where tho news came" from. I:Lave '■' / "■■■ \

on doubt that Mr. Johnson told him the law was very clear, because the case was decided in his favour, allowing-him to pocket my money, out of which it appears he has handed over thirty shillings to the Rev. Mr. Jacobs, as a contribution for the erection ot the cemetery chapel. It would be very little he would give of his own, if any. And now, sir, I will state the case: I summoned Mr. Johnson for One Pound Nineteen shilling*, for three days and ■ a-half,at lOs.'a-day, and 4s. lefton a former ■account. Carpenters are always hired by the hour, and if we lose an hour the employer always takes care to stop it, and -they- discharge you as soon as they have done with you, no matter what day or what hour ; but in this case I left on Thursday, and so they made it out that I had no right to any pay, because I left before the week was ended, and because I gave no notice. I never heard of any notice being given on either side before. It is a common thing to discharge all men in /buildings without a minute's notice; and now, sir,l leave you to see the clearness of the law. I remain, sir, Your humble and obedient servant, J. TOURELL. Ohristchurch, June. 29. j

Resident Magistrate's Cotjet.—A case of some importance to employers of labor was decided in the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr. Johnston, builder, was summoned by one of his men for 305., being wages alleged to be due for three days' work. Mr. Johnston admitted that the work had been done, but denied his liability, on the ground that the man had left his employment without notice. Mi-. Johnston stated further, that his only object in allowing the case to come into court was to show that the law would not countenance a workman leaving his employer in such a manner, and that the mere sum in dispute was but a secondary consideration. The Resident Magistrate having stated the law on the subject with great clearness, decided in favour of the defendant. —Mr. Johnston has, we understand, handed the money over to the Rev. H. Jacobs, as a contribution to the erection of the Cemetery Chapel.