CANTERBURY.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 32, 20 January 1864, Page 2

CANTERBURY.

. "(FKOSt OUE OWX* CORBESPONDBXT) CHRISTCHORCK, Jan. 14, Tlid gaieties natural to the season* of Christmas and New Year, have had time to subside, and Christchurch has settled down again into its normal state, perhaps a shade the duller, on account of its previous lively > nes3. Of this dullness, business seems to paitake; in fact, judging from thejcom^ plaints one hears on all sides of the shortness of 'money, one might be- led to suppose that things were in rather a bad way ; but though cash, is undoubtedly scarce, . there does.oiiot .appear any reason to suppose that;it is an3 rthing more than is generally-experienced ut this season of the year, ,when the two great 'centres of productiveness are comparatively at a standstill; wlien the harvest ha,s not' begun and the wool clip not come down. The glowing accounts I gave in ray .last letter of . the prospects of the corning harvesthavenow, I am sorry to say, 10 be considerably lowered in tone. The farmer* have had real reason to complain of the weather, which ha; been particularly unfortunate for the hay crop, having been showeiy, with occasionally very heavy rain. A good deal of hay has been spoiled, and a great deal got in in bad condition, though' the quantity cut was unusually large. Wheat, too, is'sufferin<£ on some lands from a' singular biight, which"withers it away so as not to be worth cutting, and this has spread considerably duririg the last fortnight. Other crops,are mostly very - good. The -wool is now coming into Port very fast. Since the Dona Anita sailed,-tha White Star, a vessel of over 2000 tons, has nearly filled up, and is expected to leave " about the end of the month;- the "Annie Wilson and Derwentwater will not be long " behind. The Derwentwater arrived here on the 2nd, and was at once advertised to sail in six week*, and if ■wool continues to come in as it has done for the last month, her agents will be able to keep "to the time. Itailway extension is becoming a great cry here, and the people of the northern parts of the Province seem to be taking it , up in - earnest. Last week, a meeting was held at^ Kaiapoi of residents and persons interested in the district, to consider what steps should be taken towards getting the railway earned up north, in accordance with the- resolution * of the Council during the last Session. The meeting was altogether in favor of the railway ; but the general feeling seemed to be , that instead of leaving the matter to Government, it would be f.ir better ur trust, to private enterprise for its accomplishment,, only coming upon Gi'vernmiMufor a guarantee) of a certain rate of interest on the capital ' expended. There seemed no doubt that plenty of capital would be forthcoming when • wanted, and it was stated that, several offera - had already been received for making the line. The success of the Lyttfeton. and Christchurch Itailway, i. c. that part of ie which has been completed and opened for . traffic, is very encouraging; while over s» level a country as the greater part of Canterbury, the engineering difficulties -and' con- ' sequent expense of constructing a line of railway must be comparatively, slightBridging the great rivers' is a work which Government lias already undertaken, and . when that is accomplished, it cannot be, long" before the locomotive will-find its way to ths - extreme boundaries of the Province. We are likely soon to suffer another paroxysm of politics, for the Government have made up their minds to call 'the 'Council* together. Tne official programme of business ; is the obtaining the Council's assent to all unauthorised expenditure, and the consideration of plans for certain great works, including - the Rdhaia bridge and the exension of !;he railway north and south; besides which, theProvincial Secretary alludes to measures' pro- - posed to be introduced "for. the /future ; . Administration of public business.'' especially with reference to " opening up the : country, md affording such facilities of communication ;o purchasers of waste lands as shall secure their rights to individual purchasers,, aod . promote the general . welfare of:' the com- i. mutiity.'' So much for the intentions ,of V. Gi-overnmen t ; but there are other matters ... "• which will be sure to come on for discussion, to which the public attention jnst now; is. jhiefiy directed. Since the Council was pror - : rogued the old Government has gone out of affice and another has come in, and as the jircumstances which led to this change of Ministry have never been clearly, or, indeed, it all, understood, the House will certainly require the members both of the old and new Bxeeuti ye to explain and justify the course they tiavc taken. It will be necessary for the lato , Ministry to make it quite clear that under such circumstances it was impossible for them to retain their places, aud f,or the present Ministry to show with equal plainness that the interests of the pubiic rendered it absolutely necessary for them to take the iracant offices. It is obvious, therefore, that whatever these circumstances may have.be.en, the two Ministries have taken such very different views of them that Mr Monde and kis colleagues in retiring from the Government benches will cross the floor of the •• House into very decided opposition, a strong symptom of which is already apparent. Mr Williams, the late Provincial Solicitor, baiag Etbout to visit England, has; resigned, his seat; in the Council, and Mr Rolles'ton^the present Provincial Secretary, has taken 'advantage of the vacancy- to -find' himself a .seat, which 1 is, jf course, absolutely necessary that he should obtain somehow to carry on the public ...•_ business. Mr Murray Ay nsl y, a member x>f . the late Executive, immediately/ cornea-for-ward to oppose him, and a very close contest is expected. The Lyttleton Times, which "is aow the opposition paper, is already chuckling at the thoughts of Mr llplleston'be'jrig., beaten, but 1 am inclined to think the. result • will be the other way, though it will very likely be a close thing. The election comes off on the 22nd. . Our cricketers have been 'showing 'a great..... deal more interest in their approaching contests than they manifested s6rriawhile ago> ; They are practising much more regularly, and with evident advantage to their play. " riis Intercolonial Colonial Match between Canterbury.;, and Ota^o is fixe i to come-off j on the 27th. and following days, and bur meet = will leave on the 21st, as they will get two or three days practice on , the D unedin ground before the match. We expect: the if! All - England Eleven here about .the 7th- of : - February. '. ; v : • V". Next week our races come off, and the : sport is expected to be particularly good, as more horses have been in training than, have ever been known before. < A good many ■ horaes.hare : ;ci6rae-froni"-=N^ls6n;.^nd.,.frpm;aill-..:, that I can hear the Nelson turfites have a fair - chance of picking up some of the good things, as they: have done on former: occasions, • though kst year; I think Canterbury wbnf everything. The Jockey Cltib have built a. _ new Grand Stand which will beopen fir the first time,,and be a great addition to the^cona-; r. fort of spectators. It is built of r stone, and j, is capable oi\ accommodating several hundred persons.....' ' ,;.•": ,-.■ V „.: . .■-.". ■ ■ ; 'y-;-?.- .' The immigrant ship Cariterbury arrivedjjn. ■ ._ Sunday, after a passage of, 100 days from the Downs. . She brings 422 passengers,van.djhas^ landed them all well and i.ighly satisfied' with .■ tlie accommodation 6h : board. The JSraigration Commissioners Jiave^ju3t sent; in theiTv v report upon the.riJrothers Pride, which has been, released_f rbni ; quararitiheC Its /natures., raay/be guessed from thd sfacttthat it has heea.| pronounced publication.'' ; It i*;tibe hoped that a very stringent 'inquiry >riU be made into this case, tor if half is .true that ; many of the passengers assert, the conduct: of the captain and his officers was most;ihams-f f ul, and they richly deserve to be;' madejari, ■—. example of. This ship is) already^ in for about £looofines for breaches of tlv&Passen- =, gcrs^Act and legiilations. V; - , i J