The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 560, 17 March 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, March Vlth. When asking an individual to place his name on a subscription list, it is not considered to be the highest style of argument to urge that other persons of certain means and standing have contributed, or to imply that shame will attach to a refusal.

Nevertheless, the argument is a common one, and generally efficient. The Province of Canterbury is in the position of such an individual with respect to the Indian Relief Fund. An advertisement, emanating from the highest authority in the province, calls a public meeting to be held at the Town Hall, Christchurch, to-morrow evening, to consider what steps should be taken to aid in affording relief to the sufferers from the Indian mutinies. A few weeks .ago Canterbury was in a position to follow, voluntarily, the example of our parent country, in forwarding the supplies of life to our distressed country people who have been plundered and ill-treated, and, though escaped, still destitute and friendless under the hand of the barbarous sepoy. Now, however, we can scarcely open a paper from the neighbouring colonies without reading therein appeals to the generosity of the settlers in this behalf, of meetings largely attended to consider how to forward the charitable object best, and of large mqi>§y contributions from all classes. The subject has been warmly taken up by all our neighbours; examples, if they were needed for the imitation of Canterbury, could be plentifully found. We are heartily; glad that the desire which has been for weeks in the breasts of many of us is about at last to have an issue. No representations of ours can add force to the fearful truths which every ] succeeding mail from India brings fresh to us. The subject of the mutinies of the sepoys and the distress of our Country people has been too forcibly and widely impressed on the minds of all of us to need refreshing. We are glad, therefore, to see that the only requisite, a means whereby the compassion we feel may find vent, is supplied. It is a noble exercise of the duty of a Superintentendent to summon the people to a united act of benevolence, and it will be a delightful sight to see all classes join to testify their recollection of the tie which binds them to their fellow countrymen on a distant soil.

As usual, we have later news from England by an arrival from Hobart Town, but this news is given in a manner very different from that in which we receive the regular mail. The Victoria, with the English mails of' December, arrived in Melbourne on the 20th February, sixteen days behind her contract time. No papers of the date containing the first and most important items of news .have come down to us by the Corsair; almost all that we have been able to obtain will be found in our columns to-day. The mail is, however, considerably overdue in Wellington, and may therefore be expected here with the first change of wind.

Almost the only item of importance in the colonial news come down to us is of the overthrow of the Haines ministry in Melbourne during the week ending Feb. 26. The cause was an adverse vote on a comprehensive reform of the system of representation introduced by the ministry. Mr. Chapman was to be sent for.