The Lyttelton Times. Saturday, November 21.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 527, 21 November 1857, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times. Saturday, November 21.

How is Canterbury to be represented in the General Assembly? The time is drawingl near when the Legislative Houses will be summoned to Auckland. Considering the serious nature of the trust confided to them, we are always anxious as to the men we are sendingl up. But the question now asked on all sides is unfortunately still more serious:—Are we to be represented at a11,.0r only half represented 1 Certainly we shall not present the front we did duringl the first two sessions, when the voice of Canterbury carried a weight proportioned to the ability of its members rather than to their numbers.

How does the case stand 1 The seat for Lyttelton is vacant, and no one can be elected to it until after the meeting of the Hoiise of Representatives; so that during the first month of the session at any rate we shall be minus one member. Then there are doubts as to whether Mr. OHivier will attend in his place or not. He has not answered a question put to him specifically by one of his constituents in our columns; a question easy of answer, and at which no offence could possibly be taken. For the town of Christchurch Mr. Packer has been elected. Will he appear at Auckland? He is Agent of the Church Property Trustees, and from all we hear of the state that property is in we must presume that it will give him plenty to do to attend to it. Mr. Hall is Resident Magistrate; his absence is therefore objectionable; under the circumstances, however, we should be sorry to lose his services, and hope that he willbe able to make such arrangements as will enable him to take his seat. As for Mr. Cuff, he is so far removed from any centre of politics or public interest, that we don't know anything about his movements. A vote is a vote, and may be used to good purpose by a man determined to use it honestly; we hope, therefore, that Akaroa may not go unrepresented. Altogether our prospects are not brilliant. We may congratulate purselves that the success of Mr. Sewell's mission has set the question of the distribution of financial burthens at rest. Nothing but a gross breach of faith could disturb them now. Nevertheless, there is much to be debated of serious interest to the South, and the South is in danger of not being properly represented.