Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 707, 17 August 1859, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

It appears that a second (we are not quite' sure that it is not; a third) time,, the ; New Zealand homeward mails have failed to reacn Sydney by the Company's boats in time to be forwarded to Suez by the ocean steamer from Australia. This misfortune has happened to the finest steamer of the fleet,, the Prince Alfred; and though she was somewhat i delayed by the accident in French Pass, the time there lost will ,not account for the whole interval between the departure of the Northanr from and her arrival in Sydney, a period equal to three days. It is clear that we have not yet arrived at a perfect arrangement of the service for which we "pay so heavily, so long as the return mails are liable to ;be late in; Sydney. - .The confusion in all.correspondence,: the additional risk arising from originals and; duplicates both going by the same vessel/the sad loss of time in'ith'e Sydney postoffice,' and many more annoyances, are too much 'to5 bear patiently when we are taxed so heavily; for the maintenance of the service. It -would be well to see if some improvement could not; be made in the arrangement.: For instance, the substitution of Melbourne for Sydney would allow more time for the inter-colonial route. In the case before us, the Northam left Sydney, early on the 14th July, but'did not leave Melbourne till tlie 18th of the same month! The Prince Alfred, having got out of :Nelson by the 7th, could surely have .saved ;the mail by a ten day's passageto Melbourne. The return trip, also, with; the advantage of the two or three day's! start which1 is gamed5 by leaving Melbourne, could certainly be performed so as to deliver the mails at' this end as early as at present. -The fact is, if the postal service is to be endangered by makingSydney the port of arrival in and departure from Australia this Province as well as otherswill mot be satisfied.: The Provincial Council - of Canterbury, declared its opinion on this, point unequivocally in its session of last year.. We find that amongst our items of infor- : mation from jAk^roa last week; the account of the Cumberland saw mills was .incorrect. . It was stated, oh the authority of. the nominal: managei*, that the mill had commenced ;operations:; but so far from this being the case it appears that it cannot be made to „go at all. '".■•' ,

The bakers of Christchurch - during 'last week raised the price of bread to 7d the -21b loaf. Flour is quoted at £24 per: ton, and wheat at Bs. per.bushel.