The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 522, 4 November 1857, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, November 4&h. The new Superintendent will-be declared duly elected at noon to-day. Mr. Moorhouse will then be Superintendent of- Canterbury ; and whichever way electors have -voted, whatever opinions may be held as to the advisability of the elective system in the choice of a Superintendent, we hope due respect will be paid to the office which he holds ; an office in which large, powers are vested by our present laws. It is due to the Province as well as to the Superintendent to put.aside whatever prejudices! may exist, and- to be prepared to look upon ; his -government from the first in a fair and i impartial spirit. From the momeat the election is over all party spirit should be set aside. This is the only way in 'Which we should be able to work the present system with advantage to the Province. It is the habit of Englishmen to respect the law and the officers appointed j by law. And it is by thus sinking private : opinions for the public good that they are . able to work free institutions however j ;anomalous the form of those institutions ' may be. It is of course the duty of all! those who see strongly the desirability of .a change in a system to strive to obtain it; but -in the meantime they would put them- ( .selves in the wrong by attempting to ob- ! struct the working of the Government ma- j chine as at present constituted, or by fail- ! ing in due respect to the institutions under : which they live. I "We sincerely hope that all illiberality of feeling' may now be cast aside, and that men will be ashamed of any mean or unworthy attempt at revenge upon those who may have differed from them in the conscientious exercise of their franchise at the election of Superintendent. Surely Englishmen may differ, and yet respect each other for the independent expression of their opinions. There- is one. class of .electors who deserve contempt: the men who vote, not according- to their consciences, hut according to the orders of those around them. The men who vote on principle,

however mistake their opinions may appear to us, are -entitled to our respect. We have been induced to make these few remarks from a rumour that has been current of illiberal feelings, on both sides, towards opponents during1 the late struggle. The inauguration of a new Government should be marked with a forgetfulness of party feelings and party animosities.