Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 640, 15 January 1859, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

The Thomas and Henry arrived last evening at eight o'clock from Otago, bringing the Gloucester's cargo. She left on Thursday afternoon and brings 22 passengers. ! "in our advertisement columns to day will be found an account rendered by the Incumbent and Churchwardens of Lyttelton of all sums received by them for the uses of the parish during the. year, and of the manner in which the amount received has been disbursed. The subject of voluntary contributions for religious purposes —that is, for the erection of churches, and clergymen's residences, "and for the maintenance of ministers —has been before now alluded to in our columns, for the sake of comparing the contributions for these best of all purposes with those greater efforts occasionally made for objects, good in themselves, but with the advantage of carrying with them a certain amount of ecUt. At present the subject deserves unusual attention as an indication of the spirit in "which the grant of money made by the Council is received by the public. The figures. before us refer to the Church of England. We are glad to say that in Lyttelton not only has a very considerable sum "been contributed by the members of the church to meet the public grant, in aid, all which is specially devoted to church building; but they recognise the fact that the relief thus offered from a heavy liability gives an increased power, which should be used, of supporting the ministers of the church. The amount contributed, certainly, is nothing to boast of; it does not form a stipend sufficient to place a clergyman in an independent position, or to remunerate him for devoting his foil time to his labours. But it is more than last year ; { and from the considerable proportion which was contributed in the last quarter, it is to ha inferred that the members of the church wish to meet the public grant half way. The figures published show that the respectable amount of £270 was collected by offertories throughout the year ; the sum total embracing the collections which were made for special objects. Besides there has been collected outside the church doors the sum of £83 lls. 6d. This amount was contributed for the clergyman's stipend, and it is supplemented by the sum of the special offertories for that purpose during the year (included in the gross total), amounting to £117 16s. lid. A little over £200, then, is the amount voluntarily contributed by the parish: to. the support of its minister; the .xhurckproperjfcy^ £50, and thus his whole regular* incomo "is ascertained to be £250. The other figures in the account need no explanation; they show, however, that the weekly collection is not a matter of form,'nor one that can be dispensed with. The appropriation to ; the clergyman, to the Diocesan church building fund, to the Melanesian -mission, and to charitable purposes, leave a bare margin'for supplying the common requirements of the church;: of which the rent of the temporary building is no inconsiderable item. We are glad that the churchwardens have taken the step of publishing this document for general information; no one can wonder now why the bag is carried round so regularly, or to what purposes its contents areapplied. On Monday last a sale of land took place at the Kaiapoi Hotel, when Mr. Wylde sold 32 quarter-acre sections of Messrs. Blakiston's land. The highest price realized was £630 per acre, being the highest yet obtained -for land not actually in the.town. There was very spirited competition, the whole of the lots offered being sold at good prices.