Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 518, 21 October 1857, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

We omitted to chronicle some of the minor occurrences of last week, as they occurred. The events which must be spread over our history are so few that for the sake of our future historian we must not let any of them slip. The first load of wool for the season 1857-8 came down to Kaiapoi, on Wednesday last, from the station of Messrs. Marchant and Polhill, of Double Corner. It has by this time reached Lyttelton. This is an unusually early commencement of the clip, neighbouring flockmasters generally preparing to commence about the first of next month. Some few, however, we hear are forward; afraid perhaps that at a later season the attractions of the Nelson Gold Fields may cause a rise in the price of labour. With things as they are, however, there is not likely to be any unusual deficiency in the supply of hands. Kaiapoi will receive upwards of a thousand bales for shipment this season. Messrs. Cookson and Bowler are erecting a powerful hydraulic press at their wharf on the Cam, which will increase the rapidity of transmission to Lyttelton. A new jetty is, we understand, being constructed on the Courtenay, a little below the junction of the streams, by another firm, with a view to increased convenience of shipment

Kaiapoi has at last, by a pi'oclamation just published in the Government Gazette, become officially a township. We cannot pass over this event without calling attention to the rapid manner in which Kaiapoi has risen, and the important place which it now occupies as the commercial centre of the northern district of this province. In less than four years it has been changed from a wilderness to a thriving town; containing its church, school, courthouse, land "office, merchant's offices, stores, &c, and numbering a larger constituency than Lyttelton, and within 53 of Christchurch.

Bapid, however, as has been its progress hitherto, we must look for still greater progress in future; for it is but just beginning to experience the full value of that which pei'haps more than anything else conduces to the im - portance of a town. We allude to its fine river, which makes it the natural shipping port for all the produce from the surrounding district. There is no doubt that the importance of the Waimakariri has been much over-looked, but it is now thoroughly established as, next to Lyttelton, the safest and best shipping place on the whole coast of the province. Although vessels are almost daily arriving and departing no casualty worth noting has ever occurred. This is the more remarkable as neither the bar nor the river have yet beensurveyed,and no landmarks erected to assist vessels in entering it. Amongst other signs of progress at Kaiapoi, we note that a weekly market dinner was inaugurated last Thursday at „ the Kaiapoi Hotel. There was a very respectable attendance, and after the cloth was removed, Mr. Blakiston having been called to the chair, some useful rules were passed for its future regulation. On the same day a sale of town laud was held by Mr. Wylde, when several valuable sections were offered, at upset prices averaging £180 per acre. Owing to but short notice having been given of the sale, few purchasers were present, and most of the lots were bought in; but those sold realised high rates, and we understand that most of the remainder have been sold privately at an advance on the upset

prices,

The Bishop of Christchurch returned on Tuesday evening last, the 13th instant, from his southern tour. His Lordship had been as far as Jacob's River, and had visited the various settlements and stations on the way. The weather had not been very favourable, but the journey was, we are informed, accomplished without encountering any extraordinary difficulties. There was no general news of interest stirring in the Otago province. During last week the reflection of large fires on the west side of the main ranges has been visible on the Plains. These fires appear to be burning in the direction which explorers would take going up the "VVaiamakariri, or in the country between that river and the Hurunui. This tends to keep up the excitement occasioned throughout the province by the recent discoveries of new country. We may add that several parties have left Christchurch for the purpose of further exploration. No doubt the greatest portion of our unknown lands will be inspected during the ensuing summer. The Lyttelton Building Society was inau^urated at a public meeting last Thursday evening at the Town Hall, Mr. B. A. Hargreaves in the chair. The report of the provisional committee, containing the proposed rules 'of the Society was brought up and read by the Secretary Mr. C.W. Turner. The rules were adopted and a share-list was opened. Shares were taken in the room to the number of more than a hundred .We have not space here to explain the design of the Society or the system pursued; but all information on the subject may be oh' tamed, and the rules perused on application to the secretary or the other officers of the Society, ihe system has worked well in England and also we are told, in the neighbouring provinces and it «, no doubt, a very desirable" one for the employment of small savings c 101 me

On Saturday two well-known convicts Rn« nage and Smith, attached to the road« ?" now working on the Sumner Eoad, were fff l enough to attempt to.escape. TheyJ^t work near Sticking Point, and managed,^ the rest were at dinner, to escape aloniT«r road towards Gollan's Bay. On their 8 called at the smithy, stuck up the blaSnt? and took from his chest some articles of H «?' ing and provisions, besides a double barrel wi gun, powder and shot; one rummaging It cottage, while the other stood sentry at H, door. Proceeding towards Sumner, they ml two men near Gollan's Bay; and, covered by Konnage with the gun, Smith went up and d 7 manded their money. This piece of highway robbery produced only ninepence in cash and consequently can scarcely be considered prof? table, at an outlay of five years of penal servi" tude. This accomplished, they followed th road towards Sumner, and in the'valley met MiDa^ wh o< was riding to port. The fugitive/ stopped him, and took from him a few shilling and then proceeded toNewton's house a little wav down the valley, where only Mrs. Newton and two little boys were at home. Here Ronnaee possessed himself of another gun. Meanwhile as soon as the escape was known, Constable Mann started in pursuit, and G. Clarke, employ ed thencartingupon the road, followed; they were within 150 yards of Newton's house when the fugitives left it. The latter were called upon to surrender, but preferred showing fight. The constable's party fired and Smith fell, receiving a ball in his left thigh. Eonnage turned and ran, closely followed, but somewhat gaining on his pursuers who had been searching for som& time for the wounded man. Eonnage entered Mr. Dobson's house on his way, and got the loan of a gun from Mrs. Dobson, saying that one of the prisoners had escaped and he was in pursuit. The gun was however taken from him soon after by Mr. Lough, who was close by Eonnage followed the road to the Shag Eock when he made for the river and attempted to swim across, but returned quickly to the shore* and continued the road. The pursuers had lost sight of the chase in the turns of the'road, and spent some time in searching for him in the Moabone cave; they followed the road towards the Ferry, but, not finding their man, tried back, and pitched upon him lying nearly hid in a hollow by the Moabone point, a little beyond Nankeville's house, and in a woful state of cold and fatigue, almost quite exhausted. This occurred about five o'clock in the afternoon. He gave himself up without resistance, and was taken back to Lyttelton, where his mate had already arrived, under convoy of another constable. The two men will, of course, be committed for trial, and will stand a fair chance of conviction and sentence on five or more separate counts in an indictment for the afternoon's proceedings; highway robbery being among the number. We are informed that the term of Eonnage's sentence had not more than six months to run, and that of Smith not a year. We do not think these men will recommend any more attempts to escape upon these terms. We do not quite understand how it came about that these men escaped so easily from the charge of two constables, and along an open road where many men were employed at work; having time, too, to take their turn as they did, in rifling the blacksmith's cottage by the road side. Either some negligence was manifested in the charge of these men, one of whom was_ only the other day in the heaviest irons; or, if all possible vigilance was used, it is wrong that Eonnage and Smith should be allowed to leave the jail yard, and thus have the opportunity to store up years of imprisonment to themselves, and of peril and expense to the community. With all the certainty of re-capturewe must not play with our convicts as cats do with mice; and we cannot afford half-a-day's leave to an experienced, ruffian. We hope the circumstances of this escapewill be thoroughly sifted; and that if there is any improvement shown to be necessary in our road gang system, the public may have the benefit of the information. The cas& against Eonnage was gone into yesterday in the Police Court, Smith's wound preventing his appearance. The enquiry was adjourned for a few days, but the result will be of course committal for trial. The Court highly commended Clarke's activity and readiness in aiding the pursuit.

THE HAWKES' BAT HERALD,

We welcome an addition to the newspaper press of New Zealand, in the first number of the abovenamed journal, appearing at Napier, Ahuriri. The contents -of this first number are very creditable, and show abundant promise of material success in the large share of advertisements, many of which belong directly to the trade of Napier itself, and indicate an extent of business fov which we, at this distance, were unprepared. The rest of the advertisements are, we observe, from Auckland houses, and indicate the efforts made in that town to withdraw from Wellington the trade of one of its most important districts. The opinions of the paper, also, as far as they can be gathered from the first number, exhibit a partiality for Auckland ; at which, indeed, we cannot wonder, seeing that the material and intellectual elements of the journal are both impoi'tations from that province. We observe that the editorship is involved in no mystery,the'we of its leader being openly adopted by Mr. J. Wood, late of the • Southern Cross.' We rather like the simplicity with which this is done, and it must be an endearing form to the readers ot the ' Herald,' so long as peace lasts; but we must be allowed to remind him of what, from his connection with the press, he is no doubt already aware, that in argument or quarrel he thus loses the only armour which makes » 'newspaper stronger than an individual. A°

carry out the system fairly, no anonymous correspondence should be permitted. We wish our new contemporary every success. The weather has been very changeable of late. During the last week we have enjoyed a remarkable number of climates; a damp and chilly one oa Wednesday last, one of tropical heat on the Thursday, drizzling and frigid on the Friday, bright aud fresh on Saturday, a howling storm of wind, rain, and hail on Sunday and Monday, and yesterday, balmy, bright and calm as the English May of the poets. If variety be charming we live indeed in a splendid climate.