Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 691, 22 June 1859, Page 3

Colonial.

C-TAGO.

[From a Correspondent.] „'-",' V .'....June 16th.. The White.Swan arrived on the 14th, and as she leaves again to day I begin to sum up the few items of news that may be interesting to yon, premising that during the past month we have been rather dull. *«^«.arrangements with the mail steam company of the S6t|th7jS* rtn"e'T'resßi>i & being behind time, in Melbourne makes it very? dou^jful/whether ; .^e;.steam!er\wj^igiye the time to' the last port of call allotted in the table; whereas' a call at each port on her way down, and again in : returning, giyes each\ Province North of us the opportunity;of replying.by the, same mail. However, I believe all1 are willing; to. give the scheme a fair trial, with-perhaps a little grumbling at the extra expense incurredI.''; ' - ■ Education'is engrossing much of the public attention of this, province, and meetings of the several districts are and have taken place to discuss the merits •of the proposed new bill, which does not give satisfaction." The principal point in the bill is, the compelling each district to pay half the expenses of taxing the districts; the opponents to this insisting that it is the duty of the Government to bear all' the expenses, which in the end will be saved by the prevention of crime, &c. The next sitting of the Provincial Council, will decide the merits of the proposed ordinance. The'! South, i.e., invercargill, have taken offence at the Geelong being bar bound in the Bluff Harbour; and some person, appears to have prevailed upon the Pilot there to make a declaration that lie offered to take the vessel in,,the master refusing; this must recoil on themselyes,,as being tantamount to charging Captain Thomson of the Geelong with losing time, which no. person acquainted with that gentleman will believe -and it is, as appears by the ' Colonist,' a complete mis-statement. After the handling received in the two papers, I should think the Invercargill people will be more careful in future than to try and cry up the New Kiver at the expense of truth. .. '.•''; At the inquest held on the-body of the fireman who fell down the engine room of the Pirate, as mentioned in my last, a verdict, of "accidental death" was brought in. The Pride of the Yarra, after running very successfully for some days, met with an accident to the boiler, I believe through" mismanagement or carelessness, arid is under repair, but will soon be finished. The Victoria, however, has been running very well, and is a great boon to travellers arriving, and persons haying business with the shipping, enabling them in short and certain time to reach their, destination, which was not the case with boats. The Queen's birthday was kept as a general holiday • a pleasure party to the port in the Victoria, a royal salute at noon, vessels dressed in colors, a meeting and show, of the Horticultural Society, and-a concert and ball in the, evening, to conclude. , •; The District Court was held on the 7th, when the cases for trial were finally disposed of; viz., two for assault, with intent, &c, and one case of assault on a constable. In one of the former cases a verdict of not guilty was returned; in the other guilty, with a sentence to nine months hard labor. -In the assault case a fine of £5 was inflicted, the principal count being withdrawn. This concluded the sitting. The public jetty is now much widened, and affords much greater facilities for business; it wilL soon be very materially lenethened, when the Geelong, Queen, &c,, will be able to come alongside. I find our shipping movements have been rather dull lately, but the records comprise the following arrivals. Ac. :—

The Reinauw Engelh&us, a galliot, with the Victoria steamex. before mentioned on board, from Melbourne, on the 12th May. The Sebim, from Newcastle, with coals, on the 16th. The Queen, from the Northern- Ports, on the 27th. Our old friend the Lord" Worsley, with the mails, on the 29th. The Huon, a schooner intended for lighter-

'h^ on tlie river and-short :tvip S ;on tlie coast,: from, . arrived from Nelson, being4th tnp_to 'tins poit .June 14th, ■••a', laree1 cargo 'of <!oals ; .also, the Queen ancl t c WMsmßt ■ woolto Sndon; directfand. ffie (Jmet to; Sydney . On the StK, the'Melbourrie;.for Sydney;; on. the l3th Se Sim for Melbourne ■ this, *itt our . ordmary coaS :trade r ha^been^ur, shipping.;business durin" the past month.;'.;?, ; : .- : . . „ , ' immigrationfrom thV.mother country as likely soon to re-commence, adviceshaving been.received labor, both mechamcarandiagricultural. ..-..-„ •■ThUevival (tliewreW atttie Heads) i^nmt dismantled, and'will not :much; longer offend the ,eyes! of theinkstersof vessels. arriving. .

:! The' papers received by ft' '~CMs? of thelOfcli s .ana the;'fitness of the. 6th S iltt inst. The latter paper; .lias doubled, the"^ of ita,to* preying now^ajpe^ auce of a "double-demy" sheet, m which,form it "a handsome journal. We hope our contemporary will co on and prosper, 'In presenting itself under then*raspect/the• Witness^esoccasibn to say: We claim nomerittoourse yes fov-thestyle and matter of our journal rwe located that which; we . considered : ;^-*? matter' to whom we might giye.,offence- r and,,a S was natural.to be -supposed we^ade,enemies^ well as Mends. New Zealand had received a^onstitution -i the-election of.Povinc^ouncils, .and the-establishment of .political-institutions brought with'thein theirnatural s conseqTi«.ces:.-a=hecOT^ mimity took different -views: of the samej .matter, 32 it was impossible that we could advocate Sffi^ides-;bf a question, those who considered themselves \mrepresented; by,the. press^determined -S Sarfc anothe^ournal.. Great wer«. the threa^ of ouradversaries of the.:damage which was to be ■ donetous by ova; rival, serious was the alarm of-our-Mends.'Our..rival, appeared—we had^a , C ontemporaiy-and,to the/mamfest surpnse of all we prospered:.the-more. If we .were required- to state the ' turning-- point, of ; our fortune we should point to the advent .of omt cmtemporary, and yet we have good reason to -believe - that the-' Colonist' is weU supported. Indeed, newspapers appear to follow the rule said apply to attorneys-^ will make a fortune where one will starve. ' lir enlarging our journal to suit the crowing wants of the community, we shali^enaeavour/asfar as.ppssible to adapt it to the advanced state of the Province, and;to arrange its information more .methodically than-, from the irregular arrival of the mails, it has been possible hitherto to do will not, however, make specific promises, but shall endeavour to render our journal as usetul - and attractive as possible, fully trusting; to that ■-■■■■ liberality to which we have been so much indebted, and to the kindly consideration^ and forbearance for . our defects which has: ever ; -marked our intercourse , ; ,with the Otago public ; 'and, when we have again to comment upon ourselves and our progress, may .'■ we have to announce tHat we have -been under the , necessity of providing steam to: supply the growing >. demands for pur journal.