Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 694, 2 July 1859, Page 6

Local Intelligence.

The local steam question is one of the most aggravating character to a simple minded person. The difficulty of separating one set of advantages from another becomes more and more arduous every day. The complication of advantages and disadvantages in this that and the other line of steamers upsets the balance of our minds about twice in every month. If we were fortunate in having friends who always did us good, and enemies from whom we could expect nothing but injury, then we should be firm in our sympathies and antipathies. Or, if our adopted friends were always neglecting us, and our adversaries were bent upon ofiering us good services, then we should have good reason to make haste about changing our minds. But now, we are unable to maintain consistency either in thanking or complaining. One while we have our mails carefully brought to Wellington by the opposition boat and forwarded by the opposition boat; next time we have still to thank Wellington for its kindness, but on that occasion the ' steamer we subsidise claims our thanks for the inter-provincial delivery. Lastly, on the occasion to which we now refer, the Wellington steamer has greviously disappointed us and deprived us of the first opportunity of receiving our mails, when, had they come by the Government, boat, we should have had them-with all despatch. But, after all, we are indebted to assistance which ordinarily we discountenance for the safe delivery of our letters and newspapers. It is only because steamboat proprietors persist in running upon our coasts in .spite of all that we have done to warn them off, that on the present occasion "our community has been able to return by the outward mail their answers to- letters by the inward mail. Had the Company's line been carrying our mail throughout their route we should have got it with extreme rapidity; but, once left behind by the Prince Alfred, it might have waited long enou»h in Wellington had not the Queen been moving about between that port and this. The Queen left this port on Friday evening and reached Wellington on the next afternoon, where she found that the mail .was in a day or two previously. Cfipt. Wilson used every exertion to get his vessel dispatched, and allowed so little delay that on Tuesday at midday he had cargo out, and her outward cargo completed, and was ready for sea. Arriving here on Wednesday afternoon, the mail was landed at four. o'clock, and the next morning, only five days after its arrival in Wellington, in spite of the break down in the communication, the Christchurch mail was despatched and the Lyttelton mail delivered. We cannot but feel much obliged to Capt..Wilson for the expedition which he used to confer a favour upon us. It is our lot to have coals of fire heaped on our heads by him,

We have private news from England of the important fact that the wire and all apparatus, &c, necessary for laying down a double line of electric telegraph between this town and Christchurch has been shipped on board the Mary Anne, to sail, for this port direct on the 16th of April. The Mary Anne is the Provincial emigrant ship to succeed the Cameo. In the next vessel, the Cashmere, (to sail on the Ist of June) iron poles to carry the wire were to be sent out. It is found that wooden poles do not last more than five years in England; and probably their average duration would be even less in the colony; while the comparative expense would be only double for the ivon uprights. They are of wrought iron, hollow, and very light in proportion to their size and strength. A responsible person is sent out in charge of the apparatus, who has been employed in Russia by the contractor for the telegraphs of that country. We understand that the whole expense of this undertaking will be only one-half that estimated, so that the sum appropriated by the Council last session will allow a margin, for further extension. Perhaps the best way of employing the surplus ■will be to obtain additional apparatus fora line, say on manuka poles, to Kaiapoi. We should not wonder if our anticipation should turn out correct that the telegraph will be in operation during the sitting of the Council next succeeding that session at which the money was voted for the purpose.

Our readers will please to observe that the report given in this Journal of the Farmers' Club dinner on the 22nd ult. was altogether incorrect and fictitious. At least, so an intimation which we have received "from the .[Farmers' Club would almost make us believe. We had taken some credit to this journal, published in Lyltelton, for having devoted a considerable share of attentions to the Club which takes care of the farmers, and to, the dinner which celebrated that Club's anniversary; especially as our report is the only medium by which the sayings and doings of that Club have a chance to be immovtalized. The report, we should state, was drawn up without notes, which of course the dinner table offered no opportunity for taking. The intimation to which we allude opens with a declaration that our report was utterly incorrect ; and goes on to particularize the incorrectness. It appears that Mr. Ollivier proposed the:toast of the Agricultural Interest, to which Mr. Wilkinson respondod; next that Mr. Ffitch proposed the Mercantile Interest, to which Mr. A. J. Alporfe replied; and that subsequently the ladies were really duly honoured; instead of the order in which our mendacious reporter placed the toastgiving. Seriously, we do feel a little hurt that .the officers of the club should deem it their duty to accompany such hyper-criticism as this with severe language; their duties must be liijht to allow time for it. With all the attention he gave the subject the censor has overlooked what would really be a valuable criticism; and while \ve do not deny the errors

alleged, we are anxious to amend one which happen to be of some consequence. In the address of fci Superintendent, instead of words which make 1 Honor say that but one crop of wheat can II taken from.the soil of Australia, the asserts should have been, that the lands of Australia One exhausted by the growth of grain crops, are tlienpo° forth entirely valueless, being unfit for the prodn!' sion even of natural grasses. The Prince Alfred, absent a whole week lial just arrived at the time of our going to press ' TV, best reason given for the delay is that she 'wiu have to get 200 tons of coal from the mX lying there, and that the operation might £ extremely tedious. ° m

In steam enterprise we begin at the other cml from our neighbours of Otago. A boat of no am bition has just been added to our fleet in th Mullogh, a little craft capable of carrying'6o ton** of measurement goods, at some smaHrate under steam, but with the precision which 13 the eh racteristic of all steamers. The Mullogh cams down from Sydney in 20 days, a fair passage for such a nut-shell ot a craft. She is a screw boat having her machinery packed in most diminutive compass, and stowed in the extreme stern, so that ample room is left for merchandise. Besides her steam power she is full rigged for sailing, as a ketch ; and will no doubt eke out her slow'screw propulsion by means of her canvass. Her owners are Messrs. Dalgety, Buckley, & Co., of this town by whom she was purchased in Sydney. ' The schooners Augusta and Mary Louisa arrived yesterday afternoon from Cook Straits, bringing with them the passengers and some of the cargo of the.Marchioness. This vessel lies in a little bay in the Souiid in such a position that the tide rises well up to her deck. She is reported as having a large hole under her port bow large enough for a man to get through. Captain Kreeft is using every exertion to get the cargo out, and fortunately he hai been able'to obtain some assistance from the two schooners named above, as well as from the native;! All the perishable cargo is severely damaged, but it will probably be sent on to this port as it is. There will be more difficulty with the vessel herself, whether she has to be moved to a more convenient port, or repaired where she is. Fortunately there is little danger of her breaking up on the •beach. All who know Captain Kreeft will sym» patliibe with him in his misfortune.