Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 712, 3 September 1859, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

An -'important- debate on the best means of raising a fund for the maintenance of the clergy came off at a meeting- of the Synod on Thursday eveningl. The *"general sense of the Synod was for the -creation of a common fund as opposed to the system of each parish supporting-its own minisier. The few who

advocated the latter plan appeared generally to allow that the former was right in principle, but to fearthe effect of a .purely local view of the matter qn:: the part of parishes. We must defer for the [present any detailed account of rthe debate.

Where the fault lies in the conduct of. our Postal Service we do not know, but the numerous -complaints which reach . ns. from Christchnrch as to the delivery of newspapers are undoubtedly well founded. People do not receive their newspapers until all the news contained in >them is quite stale. It may be very, true that the present staff is not sufficient either at Lyttelton or 'Christchurch for a rapid sorting" of the newspapers per mail, but itis quite time that present delays should be put an end to. If there were authority on the spot, it would; be advisable to engage extra -assistance on the arrival of a mail, sufficient to allow of the immediate delivery of letters and newspapers. The Postal Service is far from having- reached the efficiency of that at Wellington (for instance) where the whole of a heavy mail is distributed ■withina few honrs'of arrival.

The beautiful phenomenon called the Southern Lights -or Aurora Australis has frequently been visible of late. Last evening the_ spectacle was peculiarly attractive, the vivid lights at times shooting in rays and pencils across the southern heavens, and again spreading over almost the whole sky, dyeinothe atmosphere of a bright rqseate hue, ' ° The General Government 'Gazette' of Aug. Bth, which reached us by the fkst-northern mail, contains a list of ■■polling--'places for the several Electoral Districts iii this province. "For the election of members of the House of Representatives the following are specified, the first .named in each -ease being- the principal polling place for the district -.—Town of Christohurck —The Town Hall; Lyttelton— The Court House; Christchurch Country District— -The Town Hall, Christchnrch, the Court House, Lyttelton, the Court House, Kaiapoi, the Resident Magistrate's Office, Timaru, the school houses at Riaigiora Papanui, Riecarton, and Lincoln road, respectively, Mr.. Rhedes's house, Purau, Mr. Blatchfort's house, Governor's Bay, Mr. Ross's house, River Selwyn, Mr. Chapman's house, Rakaia, and Teviotdale woolshed, at Double -Corner ; Ahm-oa— the Resident Magistrate's Court House.

For the election of Superintendent and members of Provincial Council, the followingplaces are named, the first under each head being- the principal polling-place, as before: ■Okristchicrch —the Town Hall; Lyttelton— the Court House;. Kaiapoi—\he Court House and the Rangiora School house; Avon —the School housos, Papanui and Riccarton; Heathcote —Chriitchureh Quay and Lincoln ■ road School bouse; Port ■ Victoria — the Court House, Lyttelton, Mr. Rhodes's houso, Purau, and Mr. Blatchibrt's house, Governor's Bay • Ashlfy —Mr. Torlesse;s house, Fernside Miraki Downs, and Teviotdale woolshed, Double Corner; llaliaka —Mr. Ross's house, Selwyn, and Mr. Chapman's house, Rakaia; Tim'aru —Resident Magistrate's Office, Thnaru, Mr. Studholme's house, Wai-mati-mati, Mr. A.' Cox's house, Geraldine, and Mr. J. D. .Rodger's house, River Hinds ; AJiaroa —the Resident Magistrate's Court House.

On inspection we find little to object to in the above arrangement., except in the last case, whore there is a glaring1 omission. Wo hope that before it is necessary to use this proclamation it, may be amended by adding1 other polling places for the Akaroa District, both for General and Provincial elections. In Pigeon Bay and Okain's Bay, at least, the electors should have the privilege of being able to record their votes, without having to tramp over the ranges to Akaroa. We are the more surprised at the omissions, because at the last election these two places were made use of. By a return which appears in the ( Gazette' we learn the average amount of liabilities and assets of the Banks in New Zealand for the quarter ended 30th June last, as follows :— UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA, Liabilities.— £ 8. i>. Notes in Circulation . ... 98,848 16 0 . Bills ... ... ... ... .... ... 21,824 2 0 Government Deposits 83,656 2 7 Other DepositsBearing Interest... .... ... 188,822 15 6 Not „ „ . ... 238,583 4 4 Total average Liabilities .... ...£631,735 0 5 Assets:— ' Coined Metal 155,762 5 5 Bullion, &c. ... 1,538 13 4 Notes and Bills of other Banks 9,833 6 3 Landed Property ... 15,454 0 3 Notes and Bills Discounted ... 559,459 16 5 Colonial Government Securities 285 14 3 Debts due to the Bank (exclusive of debts abandoned as bad) ... ... ... 72,393 10 6 Securities not included under the above heads ... 49,317 19 5 Total average Assets £864,045 5 10 Amount of Capital Stock paid up 31st December, 1858 ...1,000,000 0 0 Rate of last dividend to Shareholders per annum per cent. 20 0 0 Amount ditto ditto for half year to 31st December ... ... 92,000 0 0 Amount reserved profits ... ... 297,637 15 1 OKIENTAL BANK. Liabilities:— £ s. d. Notes in circulation 12,056 7 8* sills5 ills » » ."■■ 724 12 7 Government deposits 51 i io Other depositsBearing interest 36,248 13 10 Not „ „ 2,633 5 4 Total average liabilities £51,714 1 .3 Assets •— Coined metals 19,853 1 2 'Bullion, &c. 12 l 8 Notes and bills of other Banks 137 9 3 Balances due from ditto 6 3 1 Notes and bills discounted. 53,856 7 7 Col, Governmt. securities ...... 350 0 0 Debts due to the bank < (exclusive of debts abandoned as bad) 16,443 19 0 Other securities 43,270 15 2 Total average assets £163,929 16 11 Amount of capital stock paid up 31st December 1858, £1,260,000. Kate of last dividend declared to shareholders, per annum, 10 per cent, and bonus 2 per cent. Amount of ditto £88,200. Amount of reserved profits at the time of declaring such dividend £252,000.

We give to-day a meteorological table, which was intended for our last issue for the. information of readers at a distance, but was ■crowded out. The table before published gave, it will be recollected, a record of the direction of the wind and of the character of the weather during-each day in ten years. The present table refers to the latter half of this period, and gives the highest and lowest observations for each month of the barometer and thermometer, and the fall of rain in inches, from a carefully kept register. Our readers, referring to the table, will observe that the last column but one, headed 'Totals/ gives the highest and lowest range of the barometer and thermometer during the same month over the series of years; while the last column, that of means, gives the average height of each, and the average fall of rain for that month of all the years. The two lowest lines of the table, on the other hand, show respectively the range of barometer and thermometer and the fall of rain foi each whole year, and the average height -and fall. The lowest lines of the last columns give the general results obtained from observation during the five years—for instance, that the average heat is" 57 ° , and the average fall of rain, per year, 40.97 inches : per month, 3.41 inches. It may be observed, however, that the place in which the observations have been taken—the Heathcote valley —is perhaps at once warmer and wetter than most places in Canterbury. A comparison of the amount of rain in different years and months will be found interesting, to show the discrepancies existing in the seasons of New Zealand.