Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 496, 5 August 1857, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

We must beg our readers to turn, their attention to a notice, which appears as an advertisement at some length in our columns to-day, on the subject of registration. While taking part in an election, every elector is part of the Government of his country, and has a direct influence upon the management of the affairs of state. We are happy in the fact that in this country there is no need to appeal to party feelings to enforce this truth; but we are anxious that every man who has a right to vote in the election of those who make laws for him and govern him should do so, calmly and

soberly, and should not neglect the steps which are necessary to that end. # The first point to be remembered is that the electoral rolls hitherto compiled are void, as far as concerns provincial elections; that there are rolls now forming to take, the place of these; and that every man who wishes to voteand has the necessary qualification, must register himself, or get some friend to do it for him. We refer our readers to the notifications of the Provincial Government which appeared in our last issue, and to the advertisement now published, for the details. Considering that per- ! sons resident at a distance are generally slow to gather accurate information on this subject, it has now been put in so prominent a form as scarcely to be passed over, and in such clear terms as scarcely to be misunderstood. For some desirable explanations of the law on the subject of registration we are indebted to the Auckland 'Southern Cross' newspaper; and we have transferred to our columns to-day a descriptive article which we have for some little while been holding back for this occasion. We recommend its perusal to those who have any doubt as to the validity of their qualifications. The Government has earned the thanks of the public for the full information concerning names, places, and dates belonging to the ensuing registration and elections which ha,ve been published by authority in both newspapers. We presume that one or two little amendments will 'be made from time to time, of which notice will be given in due course. There is one very important matter in which an improvement has been made, which is the distribution of polling places. We observe that in all wide-spread districts at least three polling places have been named. The results of this system will be conspicuous, we feel sure, in sparing the time and trouble of electors, and in reducing the excitement and, the expense of the elections. We are prepared to see these elections very quietly gone through. The alterations which- have been for some time contemplated in the Town Hall, Lyttelton, have now been commenced. They consist in the construction in front of the present building of a suite of rooms to be used as Government Offices, thej materials being taken from the two buildings which have hitherto stood in the centre of the barrack square. That quarter of the town of Lyttelton will be considerably improved by the proposed alterations. We observe that to-morrow evening is • set apart at the theatre for the farewell benefit of Miss Tournear, who is about to depart for Sydney. Apart from this attraction, the pieces to be played are well worthy of a crowded house. From Akaroa we learn that the Maories in the whaling station at Ikolaki have been successful in capturing another whale, making the fourth this season—three right whales and a humpback. They have stored from these fish from twenty to thirty tuns of oil. The schooner Spec had been, in from Otago, to take away the flour ground in the Akaroa mills from the wheat which had been sent up in the early part of the season. She brought no news from Otago.

No further intelligence of Mr. Dicken had been received. At the date of our latest information a search conducted by Maories had just returned, unsuccessful.

The winter has made another attempt to lodge itself among us. It has now come in the shape of heavy rain, "beginning on Saturday evening and ending on Tuesday morning. Yes"terday the weather cleared, however, nothing but a seasonable amount of rain having fallen.