Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 573, 1 May 1858, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

At the sitting of the Waste Lands Board on Thursday last, there was a sale of town lands and of four small blocks of rural land, which being under 20 acres in extent were required by the regulations to be put up to public competition. An acre and a half of Christchurch town land was first sold. This was the last block of Christchurch town, as first laid out, which, had remained unsold. Although in a good position the peaty nature of the soil had frightened intending purchasers, and the price fetched by the sections yesterday did not come near the present market price of Christchurch town land. The acre and a half, put up at the upset price of £72, i.e., £48 per acre, was sold for £106, i.e., at the rate of £70 13s. 4d. per acre. For the Akaroa town lands put up there was very spirited competition. Not quite 2'f acres were sold in 21 sections. The upset price at £48 per acre amounted to £129 6s. The sum realised was £383, i.e., at the rate of about £142 per acre. One eighth-of-an-acre realised £29, i.e., at the rate of £232. There was only about threequarters of an acre of Timaru town land put up. It was knocked down for £59, i c., at the rate of | about £74 or £75 per acre. The small bits of | rural land averaged about £3 per acre. The usual land sales at the land office have increased steadily during the last quarter, and | are still increasing. The receipts for land sold j amounted ! In January to £2,008 10s. 1 In February, to ... £4,414 0 I In March, to ...... £7,146 0 j In April, to ... ... £9,509 15 Total, in the four months ... £23,078 ss. Well, we shall be quite content if we can manage j £40,000 or £50,000 a-year. That purchasers are i so ready to come forward is a tolerably good i proof that we did not overvalue our waste lands i when the price was fixed at £2. • On Tuesday next the Provincial Government j will sell by auction all that is left unsold of the ' Town reserves. The particulars of the sections will be found in our advertising columns. After this sale the whole town of Christchurch, eni larged as it was by these reserves, will be in pri- . vate hands.

The weather has not yet righted itself, but continues to be far more like winter than the pleasant autumn that we are accustomed to. We have had a few fine days during the week, but the wind clings to the south and seems ready at any moment to freshen into a gale with renewed vigour and an unlimited supply of rain. This state of tilings has abad effect upon general business. The vessel which should have arrived from Auckland by this time with the writs is being delainerl, and doubtless the February mail is only waiting a ' slant' to drop in from Wellington. The absence of all 'shipping intelligence' from our columns for a single issue is sufficiently remarkable, but we are now publishing the third successive number in which there is no arrival or departure to record. This circumstance is altogether unprecedented, and is to be referred solely to the state of the weather.