Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 531, 5 December 1857, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

At a .sale which took place at the Land Office on Thursday, the 3rd instant, the price of town and rural land which ruled showed an increase in the value of real property in the settlement, which corresponds with the other symptoms of progress around uu. Bather less than an apre of Afcaroa town land, sold in seven lots, fetfihwl on an average at the rate of £110.per acre. 1 acre 10 perches of Timaru town land brought abont £7 or £8 above the upset' price of £*° per acre. The small pieces of rural land tinder 20 acres put up to auction according to the land regulations appeared to be the great temptation, to bidders, and some of them fetched extravagant price*. For instance, a plot of three perches of land, near the Haatncote Jerry, that apparently could be of no great pao to any one but a neighbouring resident, wa» put up at the upset price of la., and waa

t : — - ~^ j knocked down for £5 ss. Od.^-that is, at the ! rate of upwards of £270 per acre. An island lin the river Heathcote, containing 20 perches, or the eighth-part of an acre, put up at the npset price of 55., was knocked down at £9 10s that is, at the rate of £76 per acre. Pourteen acres three roods on the Kaiapoi Island, S,ut up at the upset price of £29 10s. Od etched £71. Several small plots of land in the bays of Akaroa Harbour fetched about \ double their upset price of £2 per acre. Thirty, two perches, or rather less than a quarter of an acre, in the Sumner Valley, was knocked down for £5. Almost all the lots submitted were competed for. On the whole the sale realised about double the amount of the upset price. We understand that on the conclusion of the sale upwards of £1000 was taken at the Board by way of ordinary land sales. An inquest was held on Thursday afternoon at the Police Office, Gyttelton, before the coroner, Dr. Donald, on the body of Robert Seaman, who died the preceding day under peculiar circumstances. It appeared from the evidence that deceased, who was a gentleman of about 27 years of age and in good circumstances, had been a short time previous to his death slightly deranged in intellect. On Monday morning after a severe attack his attendant sent for some strong ammonia and applied it to his nostrils. Deceased seized the bottle in which it was contained, and before he could be restrained, swallowed the contents. Medical attendance was immediately obtained, and every care shown, but after suffering intense agony for some time, he sank and died on Wednesday night. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the facts. We yesterday received the Provincial Government Gazette dated Wednesday, the 25th, to which we alluded as not published in our paper of this day last week. We notice that the first day of the year 1858 is to be observed in Lyttelton in the usual way, as a holiday. An advertisement in our columns to-day calls a meeting for Tuesday evening, to arrange the proceedings on the occasion. A regatta will at any rate form part of the programme. ,