The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 563, 27 March 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, March 27th. Those who have left our Mother Country to settle in her Australian colonies have at the present moment much to congratulate themselves upon. When we read of difficulties among commercial men, and distress among- the artizans of England, or of the Indian outbreaks which have sacrificed the lives and fortunes of so many of our fellow subjects in that dependency, we must feel conscious that it is a remarkably happy fate to live out of the reach of these misfortunes. When we remember further that England has now to bear not only her own pecuniary difficulties but losses thrown upon her from America and the charges of the Indian war, we must have the advantages of the isolated position which we enjoy strongly forced upon us. Our own absolute prosperity and advancement from year to year is scarcely necessary to complete our satisfaction. Let us then take good care that ingratitude is not alleged against us. If we are relieved from the taxes of England and from her commercial distress, let us not think it a subject of boast that the voluntary contributions of our pauperless people exceed her's, man for man. Let us consider it a mere duty to take from our abundance for the, succour of those others of England's children who have fallen into distress. The Imperial aid is extended to our necessities when, needed as well as to theirs, arid we ought to be, as it is our boast that we have hitherto been, one of the foremost as a people to contribute to the necessities of the Empire. If we are proud, as some speakers at the late meeting for the relief of the Indian sufferers indicated, of our contributions to the Patriotic Fund, let us look move closely at home. A man's sympathies are worked upon, his generosity stimulated by the agitation for the Imperial undertaking, and it is well that it should be so; perhaps, his vanity is gratified by advertised subscriptions. But are we proud of the ma* 1'

ner in which we maintain our own religious institutions 1 The great bulk of the population are Church of England, and the inline of Canterbury voluntarily subscribed during the past year about the sum of £700 in support of their clergy 1 There are seven parishes specified as having contributed this sum; we recollect that the promises made eighteen months ago for these parishes amounted to about £250 each. How is this ? How is it that begcrino-' letters are continually being despatched to England for contributions for religious purposes? How is it that sums 'collected in England/ even from ' Cheshire labourers,' stand in high relief to our own efforts ? Let our readers peruse the church accounts published by the Bishop of Christchurclf in our advertising columns to-day. There is; cause to blush rather than to boast.