Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 554, 24 February 1858, Page 3

Colonial.

WELLINGTON. From Wellington, by the Canterbury, we have news to the 17th instant. The mail of December had not arrived, and seems to be expected there about the last day of this month. A vacancy in the representation of the Country District was exciting soriie little stir in political circles, as a contest was to come off between a Government and an opposition candidate. The ships Cresswell and Hastings had arrived from London: the former via Nelson, the latter direc^ after a pleasant passage of 90 days-- from port to port, bxingmg one day'later English news without anything important in it. The Hastings is coming on to this port. STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MELBOURNE AND NEW ZEALAND. The following is a copy of the Memorial which has been prepared for signature, protesting against the proposed arrangements, by which it appears that the steamers to be employed on the line between Melbourne and New Zealand are to take the North Cape in their route to Auckland, and from thence to Wellington; thereby lengthening the distance by upwards of six hundred miles, increasing the sea-risk, and causing considerable injury to the Southern Provinces, by delaying the receipt bf the mails for five or six days longer than would be necessary. The unfairness of the proposal will be apparent; and it behoves the inhabitants o-enerally by a united course of action to

take immediate steps, by petitioning the '$' Governor, to obtain their just share of the '# advantages which are to be derived from a % rapid communication with England via !)t" Melbourne.— Spectator, Feb. 13. ))} To his Excellency Colonel Thomas Gore Brown, Mj . &c., &c, &c. /j^ The Memorial of the undersigned Merchants, ,' g Traders and Eesidents in the Province of \ Wellington, New Zealand; sheweth, — '* I That your Memorialists have heard with deep $ regret that there is every reason to believe that J ""' arrangements have recently been made between j' the Imperial Government and that of New Zea- V{ land, and the " New Zealand and Australian Steam Navigation Company," for the convey- 3/ ance of mails between New Zealand and Aus- v' tralia, and the several provinces of New Zea- 2r land ;;from which it would appear that Auck- 1 land is intended to be the port for the delivery ' of the whole of the mails despatched to tins I colony via Melbourne. n' ! Your Memorialists submit that such an I arrangement, if carried out, will be productive of serious inconvenience and injury to Welling- ' i ton and the other southern provinces of New IJ Zealand. The circuitous route which is proposed for the steamers, namely, from Melbourne , round the North Cape to Auckland, and from < thence to Wellington, will lengthen the distance ' by upwards of six hundred miles, besides unnecessarily increasing„the sea risk; and will -, thus in a great measure neutralize the benefits X which might be secured if the mails were delivered at a central port,' from whence they 1 could rapidly be distributed to the different provinces. ( l . Your Memorialists, therefore, can but repeat then- respectful protest against any plan by which the mails for this port should be sent to '/ Auckland, and earnestly pray that a matter of such importance to the interests of the southern provinces may meet with due cousi- < deration in the arrangements which may be made by your Excellency's Government. And your Memorialists will ever pray, &c. > Wellington, New Zealand, 9th February, 1858. To his.Excellency Colonel Thomas Gore Brown, &"c, &c, Sec. The Memorial .of James Kelham and John Johnston, Esqrs., as Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the "Wellington Chamber of ' Commerce;" sheweth, ' That your Memorialists have reason to be- | lieve that arrangements have recently been i concluded between the Imperial Government and that of New Zealand and the " New Zeai land and Australian Steam Navigation Company," for the conveyance of mails between New Zealand and Australia and the several provinces of New Zealand, from which it would appear that Auckland is intended to be made the port of arrival for the whole of the mails despatched to this colony via Melbourne. That your Memorialists submit that such an arrangement would be productive of serious injury to Wellington and the Southern Provinces of New Zealand, inasmuch as the proposed route by the North Cape would not alone increase the Iry'upVanlS'or^ a'delay of from five to six days and unnecessarily adding to the sea risk, which would be avoided if a central place were chosen as the port of delivery for the mails rather than one at almost the northern extremity of the colony That your Memorialists felt it their duty on a former occasion earnestly to protest in a me- ' moriai to your Excellency dated November 1856, against Auckland being made the centre of inter-provincial steam and Postal communication, as being prejudicial to the interests of the community, and can now only repeat what they stated on the occasion alluded to, that they " are far from wishing to deprive Auckland of the advantage of having its own mails conveyed direct to that port, but at the same time they respectfully ask that the southern provinces maybe put on a similar footing, which they believe may be effected if the branch service be performed by two steamers instead of one." Further they venture to submit, that by treating the branch service as one —although , performed by two vessels—an equitable adjust- # ment of the proportion payable by the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury might be made, so as not to burden the English Government undulj, , and yet at the same time to give the southern provinces of New Zealand their fair share of the f advantages intended to be conferred by the new postal arrangements." Your Memorialists therefore, in conclusion, express a hope that, on the establishment of any system of Inter-Colonial Steam. Communication, the spirit of a recent despatch from your Excellency's Government under date October last I will be carried out, and that "in no case "will ! the" mail for" (this or) "any one province be taken to another part of the colony in opposition to, or agaiust the wishes of the people of that / province." . . - I And your Memorialist* will ever pray, &c. / James Kelham, Chairman. John Johnston, Deputy-Chairman. Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 11th February, 1858. Gold at Terawite.—During "the past week several natives came into town from Terawite with small portions of gold which they had found in that neighbour- j hood. They were desirous of ascertaining whether it really was gold, and have now i returned to prosecute their search. There ( can be little doubt that the'country "between Karon and Terawite has more or less of gold scattered about it and may, at

I pome future time, prove to possess profitable 'diggmgs.—lndependetii, Feb. 13. We understand it is Dr. Welsh's intension shortly to give a few political Lectures on subjects connected with the welfare of the province, and tliat the first will pc on one of his propositions entitled a 'Municipal Institution for the City of Wellington: it should have endowments to prevent lar£>-e taxation."— Spectator, Feb. 13. *