Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 654, 12 February 1859, Page 6

Local Intelligence.

In a Provincial Government Gazette, dated 20th January, the accounts of the Provincial Treasurer for the quarter ended 31st December last are published. ; " ;

The balance in the treasury on the Ist Oct. was £25,729 3s. 7d., and the gross receipts during the quarter amounted to £18,119 Is. 3d.; making a total of £43,848 4s. lOd. The gross expenditure during the quarter amounted to £22,294 15s. 9d., leaving a balance carried to Ist January of £21,553 9s. Id. The principal items of the receipts were as follow: £13,392 ss. lid; arose from land sales, £864 Bs. 2d. from pasturage licenses, £2792 14s. lid. from customs, and £684 Gs. lOd. from; repay, ment of immigrants' passage money on bills and promissory notes. '■'■ '; In the expenditure account, the public works (other than, buildings)' absorb £12,542 s*. sd. Buildings cost £2426 9a. Od., surveys £1077 16d. Id., education £662 10s. Od., police £525 10s. Id. £500 went to meet a bill drawn on the province by the immigration agent before the debentures were negotiated; and £1000 is the quarter's contributo the Public Debt. •; r ::; :

The body of the unfortunate lad, Augustus Ford, who (as we mentioned last Saturday) was lost off Peacock's wharf on Thursday week, was found in the little sandy bay beyond Dampier's'Bay,yesterday morning, by Mr. Bennington, who happened to be fishing in that vicinity. An inquest wai| held yesterday evening, before Dr. Donald, theJcdrpner, and a respectable jury, who returned the necessary verdict of "Death by Drowning." J^fe are. requested by the; bereaved parents to rißCord -their thanks to the kind friends who have assisted them

in the search after their lost child. .'

An inquest was held on Thursday last, at the Royal Oak Inn, Christehurch, before $r. Donald, coroner, and a jury,; of whom Mr. Dartnall was foreman, on the body, of a bHildj: X 8 months old, named Mary Martin. It appeared by the evidence adduced that on the previous day the (mother had been washing, and left the child on the :soor,where her tub was standing whileshe went out to hangupthe clothes outside. When she returned she found the unfortunate child with her head dotrnwards in the tub and under waterj and with-feer clothes tossed over her shoulders. The mother's scream* brought a neighbour, who undressed the child and laid it on the bed, using some means" for restoring life, but without effect; The ctM had fen subject to fits for some months previously^ *]Dhe rerdict of the jury wai'VAcci^entaVDeath:''.i:: It seems that the Oneida reached Melbourne on the 19th ult., theßoomerang^ havingjert fpir Wel» lington on the 18th. Had the latter vessel therefor© waited another day we should haveh|d the mail down by her. When it may come now is a question of complex solution. : -■ : -:S ? f '•'

The time tor receiving competition; designs for the great bridge over the Waimakariri .having elapsed, tho»«» sent inhave ■■; bee^fopened at. the Secretary's office previously, to being; forwarded to Auckland for^he judgment of Colonel Mould, R.E. We are happy to state^that not- less-thi^ 14 sVparate designs have been ■received,. including three or four from neighbouring settleraenta.. The number* indicate the stimulus which a difficult piece of work has given to the engineering talent in the colony. . As may be suppoaed, the pecoTiar character of the viver to be crdssed has elicited |aai»y and very various ideas of bridge coristructioij Suitable to the circumstances,and,having been^permitted to inspect them, we can assert that all of.fhem display considerable, ingenuity, arid most oIT.-them a fair amount of engineering siiD.!Tht: design originally furnished, by the JProvincial Engineer goes with the rest for inspection by CJoJontT Mould, but is not competent to take ihe premittiiJEpffered, even though it should turn out to Tbie the siiccefcsfui candidate. In juHging of th« merits of thf plans. before him, Colonel Mould will find that a j^ci^ recently sprung into extstoiwe, cause* aJ d^6ci|noy in all the designs. At least," as lar as we cai^iudgo by a short inspection, though each competitor provides .carefully that hia bridge shall maintain a traffic across the river, let it flow ever so turbujentlj* beneath, he has not thought it necessary, as it turns out to be, to keep his river sothat' it "ihall always <l* crossed by Jus bridge. A man who contracts to build a Wklge.-over the Waimakariri will not have fulfilled his: engagement if it turns out that ho has only constructed a viaduct over a dry shingle-bed. ; % ~ ■ ;

We hear that .the. formation:ofri Rifle Club is in contemplation at Chmtchurch. A preliminary mooting will be hold ai Stringer's on -Wednesday next. ■ ■■ '; ' ' ■-■'-'■■ :-'- .■•;•■ •'• ■ -'■' ,:■ . ■ ■ :

A rod stone quarry .has, been found at the foot of the hills about five miles trbmChmtchurch in tliQ direction of Cashmere, and is,'wo "understand; to bo;