CANTERBURY.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 364, 19 April 1861, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

[From the Lyttelton Times.) We understand that a private representation has been forwarded to the Colonial Secretary by a few of the members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives resident in Canterbury, intimating their preference for Auckland as a place of Session, and requesting that the next meeting of the Assembly may be held there instead of at Wellington. As this document was kept strictly private, we are not aware of the precise terms in which it was couched ; but we believe that no reason of a political character, or having reference to the public interests, was given for the desire which was expressed, and that for this cause some members declined to attach their names to it. It would be a perfectly fair and proper expression of opinion to allege that, if the Governor were, on account of the troubled state of affairs in the north, unable to leave Auckland, and the choice were to lie between holding the session there or postponing it for an indefinate period, the former alternative ought to be accepted. Though this condition was not expressed in the document above referred to, it must be held, iv justice to those who subscribed it, to have formed the real ground of their representation. Were the case otherwise —that the preference expressed for Auckland was the result simply of personal feeling on privaie grounds—our representatives would be open to grave censure. The public interests of the province, the maintenance of good faith towards the sister provincos in the south, and the establishment of an effective General Government throughout the whole of the Southern Island, require that the representatives of Canterbury should urge the centralization of the General Executive aud Legislature as soon as possible, and not even an appearance of indifference in this respect should be manifested by those who are charged with the promotion of our public interests. —March 27.

A fire was discovered on Saturday morning a little after midnight, breaking out ou the back premises of Messrs. P. Fox and Co., butchers in London Street. It appears that the inmates had been boiling down tallow during the preceding afternoon; the fire must have been imperfectly extinguished and caught the weatherboarding through some apertures in the flue. Fortunately the side of the premises where the fire occurred is visible from London Street; constables Routledge and Arnold who were on duty caught sight of the flames before they had attaiued any height, and with tbe assistance of Mr. Masou who lives opposite, they were speedily enabled to extinguish the fire. As the premises of Messrs. Fox and Co. are situated in th block where the principal buildings of Lyttelton are crowded, the result, had the fire had time to obtain the mastery would in all probability have beeu nothing short of the destruction of the best part of the town.— lbid.

Fatal Accident. —Another fatal aocident occurred on the 27th ultimo, at Okain's Bay, by which two men lost their lives by the upsetting of a boat upon the bar. One of these, Henry Genet, is a son of Mr. E. Genet, an old resident at Lyttelton, and was much respected by those who knew him. The other, William Miller, has been here about three years, but has no relations, and was but little known in this province. It seems that the patties alluded to left Lyttelton on the morning of Wednesday last, in company with three others for the bay, thus manning their boat with a crew of five, hands. They reached the bar about sunset, but in a dense fog, and an ebb tide, the boat was upset amid the breakers; three of the crew—J. Roberts, J. Cochrane, and Charles Rawnsley. struck out for the rocks, and managed to reach them, Genet attempted to follow them, but shortly after sank. Millar clung to the boat, which was bottom upwards and drifted out to sea. Every exertion was made that humanity or prudence could dictate, but unfortunately without success. Genet's body has beeu recovered, but nothing has been heard with respect to the fate of Miller. Any information with regard to the birth-place or lel&tiyes of this last i*amed deceased will fee

thankfully received by either of the Editors of the local journels or the Rev. H. Torlesse, Okain's Bay. Mr. Genet's funeral took place on Tuesday last* and was largely attended; thus evincing the respect entertained for the daceased, and the sympathy felt for his parents under this heavy, affliction.— Standard April 4.