The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 598, 28 July 1858, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, July 28t7i. It is not by means of Government agency alone that the immigrant becomes a working member of a new community. According to Anglo-Saxon notions of society, private enterprise must be called upon to make almost any system work well and satisfactorily. If the Government takes care to provide the immigrant with temporary shelter on arrival, and with work at fair wages, on the occasion of any depression in the labor market, it will have done as much as it is called upon to do. Any further steps on the part of the Government would, it appears to us, be a wrongful interference in the legitimate, field of private enterprise.

When the first ship or two have taken the keen edge off the present urgent demand for labor on the part of private individuals ; when the newly arrived immigrants are not absorbed so rapidly by the farms and stations all over the country; it is obvious that they must find temporary residences before they can avail themselves of the demand for day labor, which will be for a long- time very large, both on the part of the Government and of private individuals. The immigration barracks at Lyttelton, and those which are

now being-built at 'Christehurch, are only intended to give very temporary accommodation. As soon as one set of immigrants are got rid of, the barracks 'must be prepared for the reception of a new ship load. . _Nor would it be desirable that, even if it were possible, the immigrant should be dependent on Government for shelter. The sooner lie is thoroughly independent^ the better for himself, "and the better for the community. For the same reason it is preferable that the immigrant should feel that he has paid a share of his passage money himself, than that he is indebted to the local Government for the whole cost of it, without any effort of his own. The more he is thrown on his own resources the better.

At present, however, the great difficulty of the immigrant who is both able and willing to work, and who has plenty of work offered to him, is to find a roof, however small, under which he and his family may find a temporary house. He can make wages which would enable him to pay rent, but he can't find anything to pay rent for. This want will "be found more and more pressing, as each successive ship load of immigrants come in. Cannot private enterprise step in here with advantage to all parties,—to the speculator and to the would-be tenant. A row of small cotfages in Christchurch. or Ly ttelton would pay.as well as any investment in the province. Think of it, ye gentlemen who have one or two thousand pounds which you don't know how to invest. Ten or twenty cottages built for £100 a piece, would bring you in a handsome interest for your money.

The Henry has brought us Auckland papers to the 16fch inst. The chief and all-absorbing topic of interest was a most extensive and distructive tire that destroyed a large portion of the town. The following are the particulars as given by. the ';Southern Cross,' of the 9th instant:—

"At a few minutes past two, on the night of the 6th and 7th inst., the sound of the tocsin, mingled with the strains of bugles and the calls of fire, awakened the peaceful inhabitants of our city. In a few minutes, a large body of fire was seen consuming.several houses in High street and O'Connell street. The flames, fanned by a heavy north-easterly gale, ascended in fearful streams, and seemed to doom destruction to.half of the town. The sight at half-past two was indeed terribly fearful. The flames seemed playing over a large part of Queen street, and a canopy of dense smoke, mingled with myriads of sparks and ignited embers, filled the whole of the upper .part of the town. At this time the torrents of rain prevented ignition by the falling sparks. Soon the handsome and latety finished building, the Auckland Hotel, in High street, was in flames, affording a painfully brilliant spectacle. Its height seemed *to render the flames issuing from its crater more dangerous, as ascending they were beaten down again, threatening to consume

with greater certaintj', the neighbouring buildings. Thanks, however, to the energy of some of our citizens, and to the strenuous exertions of the Fifty-eighth Regiment, whose efficiency upon such occasions has been repeatedly proved, the fire was prevented from spreading in that direction, by the levelling to the ground of the row of small houses adjoining the hotel, a stable in the rear of Low and Motion's store, and the fence between the Y/esle3 Tan Chapel and Rout's store, which being on fire threatened the neighbouring houses. There, perhaps, the scorching heat was the most intense, as, driven by the current of wind, it was concentrated upon that spot, overpowering for. a moment the energies of the workers. But the back buildings of Queen-street called for the utmost exertions, and the work of this part was the main effort of the night. Bej'ond a doubt , .it was the saving t oi' Queen-street. The near j approach to the burning houses and fences was impossible; but necessity, oi'ttimes the best ad- j viser, suggested, and large stones were sent flying against the burning timbers, and success crowning this peculiar bombardment, with the use of axes, hooks, and ropes, in a few minutes the buildings were rendered harmless and the ] flames smothered. By that time, the wind had ' fortunately changed, owing probably to the contrary current produced by the rarified atmosphered, as is commonly the case with large fires, and drove the flame tongues back to the scene of the first destruction, so that for a time hopes were entertained that the work of devastation had terminated. The row of houses in the Crescent, from the Commercial Hotel to the Beehive was doomed not to escape. The centre took fire first, and an attempt to blow up a wooden building, with a view to save Mr. George's brick house, failed —the whole block being fated to destruction. Thanks, however, to the energies of our firemen, who with extraordinary courage stood, almost encircled by flames, in the narrow lane called O'Connellstreet, well directed streams of water were perseveringly poured against Brown and Campbell's stores, while on the opposite end of the block a hero, fearfully exposed on the roof of Nathan's house, held out against the terrible clement, and the progress of tho enemy was prevented in cither direction, and so the tragedy ended. However great the misfortune and the loss, which has bean variously estimated—-by some as high as thirty thousand pounds—we may bo thankful and to some extent surprised,

that under .the circumstances, it was no worse. How the fire originated has not been, clearly ascertained, but accounts seem-to agree that it began in some building at the back of the Osprey, and was first discovered by Mr. Ogilvie. l'ta extent may be estimated, by. the fact that the whole of that block of buildings bounded by Shortland-stre'et, High-street, Chancery-lane, and O'Connel-street, as well as nearly all the west side of High-street, has been quite destroyed."

A public meeting, presided over by his Excellency the Governor, took place at the Odd fellows' Hall, on the 7th to take steps to afford aid to the sufferers by the fire. Committees were appointed, and a subscription list was opened, a_ njl headed by his Excellency's contribution of £50. The sum subscribed at the meeting was £527 16s. On the 16th the subscriptions amounted to £1,400.

At an inquest held on the subject of the fire the jury delivered the following verdict. "After the evidence which has been taken, the jury is satisfied that the fire originated on Mr. King's premises, known as the Osprey Inn, situated iv High-street, Auckland, and there being cause for suspecting that it was not accidental, the jury is of opinion that a farther investigation into the circumstances attending the fire should take place. "That this jury feel that they are called upon to express their conviction that the time has arrived when legislative measures ought to be taken for preventing the occurrence as well as for arresting the progress of fires. Such measures should be made immediately applicable to those portions of the city in which the population is most dense, and in which the must valuable property is usually deposited, and thrit the Coroner be requested to .forward this resolution to the proper authorities."

Mrs. King and John Henry. King, Jun., were then given in charge of the police, were examined at length before the Resident Magistrate on the 10th and 13th, and further remanded, under heavy bail to the 23rd instant, for the production of additional evidence.

The following "is _a list, of the sufferers, and property, destroyed:—

Shortland Street.—Messrs. A. & R; Keesing, shop and dwelling; Mr. James George, shop and dwelling; Messrs. A. & R. Keesing, shop and dwelling; Mr. Scott,'painter's shop; Mr. Brighton, shop; Mr. Henry Bleesing, Commercial Hotel.

East Side of High Street.—Mr. Godwater, shop and dwelling; Kelly's bakery; Messrs. Collins & Ripley, cabinet maker's shop; Mr. Ljqrigan, shop and dwelling; Mr. Leathern, baker, shop and dwelling; Mr. Henry King, Osprey Tavern; Mr. Macdonald, blacksmith's shop; Mr. Harden, shop and dwelling; Mr. Walter McCaul, shop and dwelling; Mr. Dunning, shop and dwelling; the Old Post Office, and Police Station.

West Side of High Street.—Messrs. Nathan & Co., stabies; Mr. Eawson, shop and dwelling; Mr. Moore, shop and dwelling; Mr. Gourley, lodging house; Mrs. Harkins, dwelling; Mr. Macguire,.dwelling; Messrs. Marston & George,offices; Mr: Overton, shop arid dwelling; Sir. J^DoinMtt. shop and dwelling; Mr. Cromwell, dwelling; Dr. Smell, HucKiiiuil Dispensary; Mr. B. Newell, Auckland Hotel; Mrs. Thompson, shop and dwelling; Police Corporal Forester, dwelling; Mr. Leech, shop and dwelling. .

Vulcan Lane.—Mrs. Welsh, dwelling; Mr. J. Robertson, dwelling: Grace, blacksmith's shop; Mackie, coachinaker's shop; Harkins, cooper-

Chancery Lane and O'Connell Street.— Mr. Robert Pollock, dwelling and stables; Mr. John Finlay, carpenter's shop; the Old Theatre; Keeping's stoves; Mr. Hodge, blacksmith's shop; Mr. Samuel Campbell, dwelling house; Mr. John. McLeod, dwelling house; Brown & Campbell, wooden store and stables.

The proceedings of the General Assembly were chiefly that of routine, with the exception, of the debate on the ballot, of wki&H we give an abridged report elsewhere. Most of our readers will be glad to perceive that the bill was thrown out.

In the Apportionment of Representation Bill, two improvements, were, made in Committee; — first in increasing the number of in embers of whom the House should consist from 42 to 50—an increase required by the altering circumstances of the colony; and the second in fixing the tentative period at ten years from the first apportionment. . Our other colonial and general news we hadto curtail considerably to make room for the more important intelligence from Auckland. The principal item of interest left out the Sydney news, was a railway accident that occurred, on the 10th instant, on the Great Western Railway, by which George Want, Esq., of Parrainatta and Mrs. Haekett, of PennantHill's Road were killed, and several other persons seriously wounded.