Correspondence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 635, 8 December 1858, Page 4

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Xyttelton Times.

•Sir.—"Notwithstanding the arrival -of the "September m;»ii, I must entreat for a small space in yonr co'ramns. Every member of our community is now aware that the Provincial Council nas voted £10,000 for erecting ana enlarging places of public worship. First, from every lip, from every heart, thanks ne to God who hath thns movertthe wills of His -servants ; secondly, may every member of the Council meet with a hearty shake of the hand and welcome from each one of his constituents, for at least one vote upon which he -may look back with satisfaction to his dyin» 'iionr.. Thanks, too, to the Government who so •coT'diftHy consented to the motion, involving it *nay be a, present sacrifice of some other favourite public work.

Anil now, sir, let me entreat every Christian man, woman, and child among us, at once to set fthout the completion of this holy, glorions work thus happily commenced. Ere" Christmas Day dawns upon us, let plans be settled for collecting .the offerinps. of the poorest -(if there be any •poor) as of the richest among us. OQbr.tory enllwfions are alreruly made in most of our churches. Perhaps the fumi.s thus miser] are, ia many instances, relied upon for other neces-

sary objects. Where they are not, or where they can be made more frequently, what more scriptural, what more satisfactory mode of collecting the widow's mite, the rich man's gold ? Might not alms-boxes, too, be fixed at the entrance-door of each church, marked, " Offerings for Church Building?" But many, as yet, have no church, or frequent it not. In every house, then, let alms boxes be placed. Let every street, every hamlet, or cluster of houses, have its collector, accredited by the minister and churchwardens of the district. Thus may the vote of the Provincial Council be added to four-fold, and the intentions of that body be carried out ; so that not only Christchurch, Lyttelton, and the towns, but every village, aye, every cluster of sheep stations, may erect a house wherein to worship the Mighty King, the Prince of Peace, the Shepherd of our Souls. Pleasures, luxuries, yes, even necessaries, sacrificed, or forborne for this object, with a willing, devout heart, how vast is the reward they will bring] In this life the pure enjoyment of every earthly blessing which God here so richly bestows upon us ; in the next, what is now known only to the angels in Heaven.

Believe me, dear sir, With much gratitude for your indulgence, Ever faithfully yours, A PILGRIM. Christchurch, December 2, 1858.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sir, —I have been greatly surprised at the opposition to the proposed alteration of the boundaries of the Town of Lyttelton for electoral purposes. . Such frequent complaints have been made of the absurdity of the present boundaries, which exclude many houses practically within the town, that anyfair proposal for remedying this absurdity ought to have been received very thankfully. Since Lyttelton was first laid out by the Canterbury Association's surveyors, it has spread in directions evidently not contemplated by them, and the consequence is that many persons who are practically townspeople have no vote for the town, but have one for a country district with which they have but little to do. This was set to rights by the General Assembly in a late re-arrangement of the districts for the election of members of the House of Representatives. For this purpose the natural basin in which the town of Lyttelton lies was constituted one electoral district, and the group of electors immediately connected with the town, and having interest in common with the rest of the Lytteltonians, elect the town member, while the country electors are left to choose their own representative. This is surely a just and fair settlement for all parties, and I must complain of the opposition which lias been raised to its application to Provincial Elections. The present arrangement is most unjust to nine-tenths of the Port Victoria "district, the elections for which - are practically decided by the suburbs of Lyttelton. The real country electors are widely scattered, and live at great distances from the polling place; the residents round Lyttelton are but five or ten minutes from the polling place and live very near to each other. These advantages enable them at the Port Victoria elections to carry all before them, and deprive the country electors of any chance of putting in a member of their own choosing. This is of course a political advantage to Lyttelton, but it'is a very. unfair one, and the endeavour to retain it deserves to be called, as it has been, selfish and greedy. It would not be a more extraordinary arrangement if a few of the streets of Christchurch were put into the Avon or Heathcote districts, for the purpose of influencing the electors there. I hope that justice may he done to us before long. If a considerable number of electors are taken from our district and added to Lyttelton, it may be fair that one of our members should be added to the Lyfctelton list; but it cannot be fair to continue an arrangement which enables Lyttelton to return not only its own members but also Ihose for the Port Victoria District.

I am, your obedient servant, A POET VICTORIA ELECTOR.