LYTTELTON.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 696, 3 April 1852, Page 3

LYTTELTON.

Why has Mr. Godley resigned ? As long as it was merely whispered about that his resignation had taken place, we forbore to notice the rumour. But recent private letters received from England, both here and at Wellington, announce, not only this fact, but that Mr. Fox, the late Agent of the New Zealand Company, is coming out on the part of the Association. Much curious speculation is excited by these facts; —chiefly upon the question—whyhas Mr. Godley resigned ? Is it on a question of policy? If so, what is that policy of which Mr. Fox is to be the Agent, and which Mr. Godley will not carry out ? Can it be that the Association are determined to carry out their recent home management and non responsibility policy to which we have been objecting in late articles ? Is is possible that Mr. Fox can have consented to become their Agent for these purposes ? At all events Mr. Fox’s appointment is a most unfortunate one if intended to meet tbe opinions of the settlers at Canterbury. It is no disrespect to that gentleman to say that he is not suited to be the organ of the Canterbury Association ; however well fitted he may be for the political agent of the Wellington settlers at London. Mr. Cobden may be an excellent man and a useful politician, and yet no one would think of making him Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Upon those distinctive points which affect the character of this settlement, Mr. Fox’s opinions are known to be as widely different from those of the Canterbury Association as Mr. Cobden’s from the Propagation Society ; and either the Association have renounced their principles, or Mr. Fox is not suited to represent them. Again, we ask for some explanation of these events, —the Colonists have a right to expect it. We hope that at the meeting of Land purchasers on next Thursday, Mr. Godley's friends will be authorised to make some statement on the subject.— Lyttelton Times, March. 27. The settlement has been greatly enlivened during the past week by the visit of his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, who arrived in the Government Brig on Friday evening the 19th instant, accompanied by Colonel Wynyard the Lieutenant-Governor of New Ulster, Major Murray, Mr. Bulkeley, of H. M. sixty-fifth regiment, Mr. Cooper his Excellency’s private Secretary, and Mr. Roy, an engineer in the employment of Government. The main object of the Governor’s visit was to ascertain whether anything could be done to forward the opening of the road from Lyttelton to the plains. With this view Mr. Roy has been incessantly employed in examining the line for the purpose of reporting on the subject to bis Excellency. On Saturday and Monday the Governor went to Christchurch. On Sunday the whole party from the Brig attended divine service at the temporary church at Lyttelton. On Tuesday his Excellency inspected the Gaol and the schools at Lyttelton; the plans of the new church were also submitted to him by Mr. Mountford, the architect. In the afternoon of Tuesday an assemblage of a considerable number of the natives of the district took place on the raised ground opposite the Custom House, which his Excellency attended. Several of the maories spoke at some length ; the subject was a claim for some compensation for land purchased by Government to the northward of the Canterbury block. His Excellency received some of the natives on board the Government brig in the evening, and gave his answer, with which the natives were satisfied.

On Wednesday morning, a meeting of the Magistrates of the district took place, by Sir G. Grey’s desire, there being no time to procure a more general expression of opinion, to consider the best mode of using the surplus revenue of the settlement, which his Excellencystated that he was prepared to expend for purposes of local improvement. He further stated that if the meeting determined upon continuing the road from Lyttelton to Christchurch, he would advance a further sum out of the general revenue, sufficient to make up £5,000 in all. The meeting, however, declared its opinion that, as £5,000 would not be nearly sufficient to finish the road, and as there was no prospect of getting additional funds from other sources, it would be more advantageous to spend the surplus revenue in improving the less expensive communications on the plains. His Excellency accordingly promised to authorize a loan from the Provincial Treasury to the Canterbury Association for the above purpose. We understand that Mr. Godley intends to apply it to opening the Lincoln and Ellesmere road as far as the Heathcote, and metalling part of the road from Christchurch to the Ferry. His Excellency stated that, at the same time, he would not lose sight of the greater work—the completion of the Sumner Road.— lbid. Retirement of Mr. Jackson.—We hear on good authority that although the retirement of Mr. Jackson from the Bishoprick of Lyttelton has not been publicly announced, yet it has actually taken place. By the next ship we may expect to hear of the nomination, if not of the consecration, of his successor.