LYTTELTON.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 787, 16 February 1853, Page 3

LYTTELTON.

On Monday night the Government offices were broken into and an attempt made to rob the Treasury chest. The lock of the fire-proof safe in which it is lodged was forced, and the chest hauled oat into the middle of the Police office. The policeman on duty, returning from his rounds after the usual inspection of the offices, heard a whistle, and saw either two or three men making off from them ; on going up he found the window of the Police office open, and the chest as abovementioned, but unopened. The burglars were evidently disturbed when on the point of completeing their intention of checking the Treasurer's cash balance. The night being wet and stormy was well chosen for the attempt, and prevented the men being followed or their footsteps traced. A reward of £20 has been offered by the authorities, which we hope will have the effect of discovering the guilty parties and bringing them to punishment. ILyttelton Times, Jan. 29.

The Tasmania, 500 tons, was chartered for' the Canterbury Association, and appointed to sail for Otago and Lyttelton on the 14th October, from London. The Royal Albert, one of Messrs. Willis's ships, was to sail for Wellington direct on the 20th October. We learn also that a screw steamer was to leave England ■ for New Zealand, sent out by the New Zealand Local Steam Company, to be employed in the service between the settlements. The vessel is called the Victoria, is built of iron, with a screw propeller, wrought by engines of 80 horsepower. The Victoria is 150 feet long, 23 feet broad, and 13 feet deep, has a draft of water often feet» and a speed of seven to eight knots per hour. We gather these particulars from the Expositor, a weekly journal of inventions, designs, &c, which gives an engraving of the Victoria, a neat looking craft with three masts, and full-rigged. The New Zealand Journal, however, announces that the Local Steam Company has come to nought, and therefore the Victoria " looms" very indistinctly in the future. We notice that Mr. C. A. Aylmei, late Superintendent of Shipping and Emigration of the Canterbury Association, is about to establish, in exclusive connection with Messrs. Money, Wigram & Sons, of Blackwall, an Emigration office i and Colonists' rooms, for the six colonies of j New Zealand, for the purpose of maintaining to Canterbury, and extending to the whole colony, j shipping and emigration arrangements similar to those of the Association. Mr. Aylmer has taken the offices of the Association in the Adelphi, and was to commence business on j the 3d October. At a meeting of the committee I of management on the 15th September, Lord | Lyttelton in the chair, it was resolved that the j committee regard with great satisfaction tfee continuance of an efficient management of shipping and emigration for Canterbury, after the func- I tions of the Association shall be transferred to j the Province, and the thanks of the committee were extended to Mr. Aylmer for his past services. — Ibid, Feb. 5.

The first sale of Government Lands outside the Otago Block was held yesterday at the Court House, Dunedin. when three lots, of 50 acres each, were offered for sale. The first lot yt&s purchased by the present occupier, Mr. L. Longuet, at the upset price of £1 per acre ; the second by Mr, P. Williams, at an advance of £1 upon the lot ; and the third by Mr. C. Suisted, the present occupier, at the upset price of £1 per acre.— /£/«?, January 15. Flour, first quality, has been selling at Dunedin this week, at 255. per lOOlbs.— lbid, February 5.