The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 576, 12 May 1858, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, Mlay 12. Though in the discord'of elements which the latter part of April witnessed this province was politically and socially calm even to dulness, our Wellington neighbours have to all appearance in their party excitement been rivalling the violence of the gale itself. In the absence of the mail we are in possession of only two papers of that province furnished, to --us"l)y the kindness of the master of the Emerald Isle, dated tbe 21st of "April and the sth of May, respectively. These two are, however, a pretty fair index to the state of things during a much more extended period, for while the formal Council reports are dated as far back as the 3rd of April, the comments of the sanguine journalists have reference to a seemingly protracted future. As we have copies of only one of the two papers (the ' Independent,') we "are confined to one view of affairs—and we caution our readers accordingly. Wellington current history, like a stereoscopic picture, comes out in true relief only when studied simultaneously through duplicate foci, and at two dissimilar angles of vision.

The rumour of the resignation of the Superintendency by Dr. Featherston is confirmed; and that gentleman continues to act only until his successor is elected. The Council still sits, and the old ministry continues, the Reformers being unable to form a Cabinet, owing to their inability to comply with the existing law on the sub-

ject. We gather that an amendment on this law was brought in and passed by the Council to remove the stumbling-block, but that his Honor would not assent to it. Mr. bt. Hill remains the Reform candidate tor tlie Supenntendency, and Dr. Featherston will stand again. A writer in the Independent' suggests a breach between the Squatting' Interest and the Radicals, who have hitherto composed the Reform party, and recommends the latter to set up a third candidate, Mr. St. Hill being the nominee of the former. Another suggestion is, that Dr. Featherston shall be invited to adopt certain doctrines, the ballot, economy, reservation of agricultural-graz-ing blocks, a modified form of the deferred payments system, &c. This possibly means that the invitation if given would be accepted. The resignation of the Superintendency we may expect to be the prelude to a repetition of that out-of-door excitement which marked so strongly the late general elections in the province.

What little more we can gather from the papers before us is so complicated with other matters not explained that it resolves itself only into spiteful bowlings and dismal tasteless personalities. . When the complete file arrives we shall perhaps have an opportunity of narrating the news of Wellington with greater fulness.

From Auckland no news had reached Wellington so late as that received here by the Acis. The following letter of the Colonial Secretary on the New Zealand and Australian Steam subject, in answer to a memorial of the merchants of Wellington against the Auckland route, is interesting*:— TO HIS HONOR I. E. FEATHERSTON AND OTHERS. Gentlemen, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your memorial of the 27th ultimo, protesting against any plan by which the English mails .for Wellington should be sent to Auckland. In reply I am to state that the New Zealand Government has no official information of the route to be taken by the steamers of the proposed New Zealand and Australian Steam Navigation Company, or even that a contract for the employment of steamers in the Inter-Colonial Postal Service has been entered into, the last advice being to the effect that all action in the matter was suspended until the receipt of further information from Victoria, as to the result '■ of the deliberations there on the subject of the i Australian Steam Postal Service. ; I am further to state that, so far as this Government is concerned, tbe interests of the ; whole colony will be considered in all contracts of the Kind referred to, and that the question of the particular route or routes to be taken by . the steamers will be brought before the General : Assembly. I have, &c, E. W. Stafford, Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 27th March, 1858.