The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 583, 5 June 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, June st/i. Quit friends at Nelson appear to have at last discovered that the Amuri district does not rightfully belong* to their province. This comes out in the shape of blame east upon their own Government and Council for not having- taken such vigorous steps as Canterbury to open up communications with this district; "whose settlers," says the ( Nelson Examiner' truly enoug-h, "are anxious to have nothingmore to do with us (i. c. Nelson). Canterbui'y opens her arms in the shape of a vote of £4000 for a road up to their doors, whilst we leave the track between us in all its native wildness and with all its natural difficulties unattempted and untouched."

Now it is very true that the Nelson Government and Council might have taken more vigorous steps to render communication easy with a district which they persisted in considering1 a just proper and expedient annexation to their province;—but we cannot concur in the justice of holding up the efforts of Canterbury in that direction and their results as a proper standard by which to judge the efforts of the Nelson authorities. However clever and energetic and wealthy their Government might be they couid not succeed in making their own what nature has given to us. An absurd boundary line laid down by a Governor on a map will not change the features of a country; —an attempt to make an adjustment of land revenue rather th&n a regard to geographical features the basis of a division of territory must necessarily be abortive. It is true that Nelson receives, or rathei" throws away, the land fund derivable from the Amuri district, but for all other purposes that district is as much a portion of the Canterbury settlement as it was before Sir G. Grey ruled that it was not. Blame ought not to be attached to the Nelson Government simply because the

Amuri settlers don't want to have anything to do with a province and Government divided from them by an arduous and often impracticable journey through uncertain ways, while they are within a couple of days' easy ride of the capital of Canterbury. We shall find our account in opening- up this province to our boundaries even although we do not receive the land fund of Amuri. It is in the mis-management of the ■waste lands of Nelson that the grievance of the Amuri settlers lies. We may certainly say that if the district were under our Government it would be better not only for its settlers but a saving for the whole colony. It is certainly somewhat annoying to us to see land on the north side of the Hurunui frittered away in a really absurd manner, while we are making a handsome revenue from the disposal of a comparatively small extent of land on this side of the boundary. In the l Nelson Examiner,' of April 21st, we find it stated that " at the Government sale on Saturday last about 11,000 acres of land in the Amuri district were bought by Mr. W. Robinson, by whose request the land had been put up for sale. The sale realised between £2000 and £3000, and there was no competition for any of the lots." Of course there was not. It is obvious that under the Nelson regulations a capitalist can put up large blocks of good land without much fear of competition in a comparatively poor community, especially if the blocks be chosen in a district almost unknown to the general public of the province. Is it likely that we will give much to Nelson for the land fund of a district that has been recklessly and wastefully squeezed in this way ? The rumours of changes in the administration of the waste lands at Nelson are so frequent that property in sheep runs is depreciated in value from the total insecurity of tenure; while there is no protection for the bona fide occupier against the wealthier speculator.

No, this province is scarcely prepared to " take the Amuri District and our debt of £4000 a-year to the New Zealand Company with it;" nor do we think that the General Government will assent to any law which shoiild allow the Amuri settlers "to pay the £,4000 a-year and take the lma& amongst them." Friends and neighbours though we be, Canterbury can offer but small consolation to Nelson for the mismanagement of the Amuri Country. If the district had been left to us we should have nursed its land revenue and given its' settlers some sense of security. As it is, we regret that its lands should be given away with no profit to itself and but little to Nelson ; while its settlers are obliged to look to us for the assistance which it will pay us well to give them.

ENGLISH NEWS TO MARCH 16th.

The Dart, which arrived yesterday evening", brings us a few papers containing* the news-of the arrival of the Eng-lish March mail. The mail itself is on board the Cantei'bury which left Wellington for this port on Monday last, the clay before the Dart. The Australasian brought the mail to Melbourne on the 12th ult., and the Marchioness thence to Wellington, arriving- on the 28th. The White Swan steamer is laid on for the New Zealand coasting trade, to leajve Melbourne on the 22nd May. ; j We take the following 1 summary jof English and Foreign news from the 'Argus'of May 13:— \: Latest Intelligence, 15th Marcjh, 1858. —Lord Palmerston's Ministry Resigned on the Conspiracy Bill, being' defeated on the second reading-, on an amendment of Milner Gibson, seconded by Mr. Bright. The conjunction is ominous. Her Majesty sought no advice as to Palmerston's successor, but at once sent for Lord Derby, who undertook the formation of. a Cabinet, when Parliament adjourned to 26th February. After a further adjournment the Ministry was completed as follows :—

The New Ministry.—First Lord of the Treasury, Earl of Derby; Lord Chancellor, Sir F. Thesig-er; President of Council, Marquis of Salisbury; Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Disraeli; Foreign Secretary, Lord Malmesbury; Home Secrecretary, Mr. Walpole; Colonial Secretary, Lord Stanley; War Department, General Peel; President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Henley; President of Control, Earl of JEllenboroug'h; Lord Privy Seal, Earl of Havdwicke; Board of Works, Lord John Manners; First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir J. Pakington. Ireland.—-Lord-Lieutenant, Lord Eg%lintoun; Secretary, Lord Naas; Lord

Chancellor, Mr. Napier; AttorneyGeneral, Mr. Whitesidej Solicitor-Gene-ral, Mr. John Goorge. All the members of the new Government who have seats in the Commons were re-elected without the slightest opposition, on presenting themselves again to their constituencies. The defeat of the late administration on tne Chinese question (Mr. Cobden's amendment) occurred on the 3rd March, 1857. On that occasion the majority against them was 16, the noes being 263 against 247. These would form with tellers and Speaker, a House of 515 members j whereas on the Conspiracy Bill the numbers (including tellers) formed a House of 453 members. The almost perfect identity of the majority will not escape notice.

India.—Lucknow is taken, but unfortunately great numbers of the besieged escaped. British loss, 112. Great hopes are entertained that affairs will soon resume their wonted quietness. France.—The trial of the conspirators who attempted to assassinate Napoleon has terminated in a sentence of death being recorded against three of them. The proceedings excited unusual interest.

Latest City Intelligence.—The Bank of England has announced that it will no longer continue the practice of re-discounting for the bill brokers. Consols have been very depressed, and though there was a slight recovery on the Ministerial statement that a full and satisfactory explanation of the obnoxious despatch had been received from the French Government, they soon relapsed, the real cause of the depression remaining unrelieved. At present prices comparatively few investments are made by the public. Consols, which have declined to 95-^-, closed as follows:—For money, 96^; for account (April 8), 96f. Februaiy wool sales dull, but prices maintained.