The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 618, 9 October 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, October 9. Our usually amiable and good-tempered contemporary got into a sadly wicked pet this week about our remarks on the appointment of an Inspector of Sheep. We are sorry that the decorum of the ' Canterbury Standard' should have been so far overset by so little. The writer of this week's article in that journal deprecates newspaper controversy,/not knowing where it may end,' but his ' feelings are too many for him,' and the probable ' end' has been forgotten. A French quotation'is hurled at tis to begin with, and then we are accused of ' floundering with the subject,' ' falling back upon a tv quoque? making a wanton attack and untrue assertions,' of 1 unworthy quibbling,' s making a silly mistake,' l culpable ignorance,' ' shabbiness,' &c, &c. Well done! our contemporary will soon get to the l end' he deprecates, unless he speedily recovers his ! good humour. We don't intend to follow Binl., so he may go on without fear of the 'end' turning out badly. If it pleases him it does not hurt us ; —but he might have let us off the old French quotation. So far from feeling * incensed' by our contemporary, a solemn sort of pleasure is produced in our mind hy the manner in which he handles ' a case.' Pure honest admiration, unsullied by any thought of rivalry, comes over us. The style is far above our reach. The judicious mingling of morality and romance—of amusement and instruction—of warning and rebuke— reminds us in turn of Mrs. Hannah More, Lytton Bulwer, and a Greek chorus—of the latter unpleasantly, as it is connected with associations of jjcastigation. No, when we hinted most mildly at' a case' against the present Government, it was not in anger but in admiration at the way in which a "most improper act" had been brought home. Let us, however, humbly suggest to our contemporary that he may be in error in making some of his accusations. We did not—indeed we did not—intend to quibble unworthily when we ' attempted to set up' a distinction between ' recom-m-endation' and 'appointment.' We found it set up for us, and cannot be held answerable for the errors or ignorance of Br. Johnson. In the next place, we did not intend a tv quoque in alluding to the action

taken by a former 'Government/ nor, with all submission, have we made l a silly mistake.' The only former Government in this province that we know of was that of Mr. FitzGerald, as the present Government is that of Mr. Moorhouse. We are not in the habit of talking1 of as many Governments as there have been changes in the Provincial Executive. For instance, when we alluded to the time when Mr. Packer was in office, we did not speak of Mr. Packer's 'Government,'but spoke of the time when that gentleman was Provincial Secretary, which is quite a different thing. By the bye, we must congratulate Mr. Packer on his new friend : one so jealous of his reputation that he won't have him mentioned for fear old jokes should be raked up. We must not even mark a period in our political history by alluding to Mr. Packer's tenure of office. "Breathe not his name, let it sleep, (fee." Our contemporary is really quite poetical. Let us meet half way, then, and put, it that no returns from the Inspector of Sheep have been forwarded to the Secretary's department since the date at which the late Provincial Secretary (who shall be nameless) took office. We do hope that our honest admiration and our evident anxiety to meet him on common ground will induce our contemporary to tolerate our expressing an opinion differing from his own. It is true that the care with which he nurses the one opinion now and then matured excuses any hastiness or irritability in defending it. One chicken is a precious charge—more zealously guarded than a whole coop full. But we are quite as anxious as he is to see some stringent measures taken for the suppression of 'Scab' in the Canterbury flocks, and are prepared fully to appreciate his zeal in the same pursuit. Might we suggest that the tobacco administered for the cure of that diesase, if taken in moderation in another form, might sooth his irritated feelings, and give to the press of Canterbury as healthy a tone as we wish to exist amongst its sheep.

We proceed to dispose of four or five Acts which precede the { Electoral' series. The latter we shall deal with by themselves.

No. 49. The Naturalisation Act naturalises certain persons of foreign birth now residing in New Zealand, and makes the usual provision for enabling the Governor to give the privileges of naturalisation by proclamation till the termination of the next session of the Assembly.

No. 43. The Auckland Reserves Act enables the Governor to sell certain reserves in and near the city of Auckland, and to apply the proceeds to the improvement of the Government Domain, minus the purchase money of certain specified allotments, which is to be applied in or towards the erection of a Court of Justice. The Governor is also empowered to hand over certain other reserves to the Provincial authorities of Auckland, on condition that the Superintendent gives up all claims on account of the expense incurred by the province in building Government House.

No. 50. The Nelson Trust Funds Amendment Act supplies an omission in the Trust Funds Act of 1854. Under that Act seven qualified electors were appointed trustees, in January, 1855; no provision, however, was made for subsequent elections. It is now enacted that the present Trustees should hold office till the Ist January, 1859, on which day, and on the Ist January in every third year thenceforward, an election of trustees shall be held. At any time when the trustees are not duly appointed, the retiring trustees shall continue in office.

No. 51. The Nelson College Trust Act appoints the Governors of Nelson College Trustees of the Nelson Trust Funds, and enables them to sell or exchange certain lands conveyed in trust for the purposes of the College, to cover the expense of purchasing a site better adapted for the purposes of the College. No 52. The Savings Bank Act enters into details of management in sixty clauses. The Governor of New Zealand is to be President of every Savings Bank, appointing the trustees (not less than five nor more than thirty-six), who shall be removable by him. The trustees to elect the Vice-President. The trustees to make all appointments, and to frame rules, which shall be recorded in the Supreme Court. Trustees shall only be liable for their own neglect or default. They must not themselves deposit, nor receive any salary or benefit from the bank, under pain of a penalty, of £100. The trustees to certify to a yearly balance sheet. Deposits

from 20s. to £100 to bear interest at r per cent. Surplus funds may go toward! purchase of asite and erection of offi The Governor may guarantee a loan n^t exceeding £1000 for temporary em gencies. Persons under the age of twenty" one years may be depositors, and tli" receipts, as well as those of married wom P who have deposited, shall be sufficient /* withdraw their deposits. Deposits must l>° invested on mortgage or in Government securities, or in Banks on interest- bill can only be discounted by permission of the Governor, granted on petition of not less than two thirds of the trustees, n this part of the Act we commented in oif last issue, when publishing the required ?etition signed by all the trustees of th ,yttelton Savings Bank. The New Zealand Savings Bank Ordinance, Session VIII No. 4, and the Savings Bank Ordinance Amendment Act of 1856 are repealed The acts and deeds, however, of existing savings banks are ratified as though they had been constituted and regulated under the present Act. This Act came into operation at Auckland from the passing 0 f it, and in the rest of the colony from^thA Ist October, 1858.