CANTERBURY.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 392, 26 July 1861, Page 4

CANTERBURY.

(From the Lyttelton Times.)

We understand that the damage done by the crowd at.the turning of the first sod of the railway, is estimated at about J2200; the loss being equally divided between the contractors and Mr. Birdsey. We never recollect having witnessed a more disgraceful scene or one which reflected greater discredit upon the persons concerned in it.

It is not expected that the Inter-colonial Royal Mail Company will take any steps to replace the Victory on the Melbourne and Southern Provinces line, or to continue that service by arrangement with any company or steamship proprietor. It seems that iv accordance with peremptory instructions received from the directors of the company in England it is designed to reduce the whole operations in the colony to tho limits of the original contract, viz., a single line from Kelson to Sydney, with the inter-provincial service. Had the Victory not been lost, it wag intended to send the

Prince Alfred home in October next; but by the terms of the contract the company is bound to keep four vessels fit for service, and the Alfred, Worsley, Ashley and Airedale will therefore be retained, the first named getting a thorough refit in Sydney. This action on the part" of the company is due to the restrictive movement by the General Assembly last session, which the directors must have looked upon as placing a vote upon an extension of steam services in the colony. Add to this that the value of shipping has gone up some twenty per cent, in England during the past year, and there will be sufficient reason given why the company desired to withdraw one boat, instead of adding one as they had intended.

On Thursday July 11, an inquest was held at Mann's Hotel, upon the body of a child, tbe daughter of Mrs. Boobyer of Colombo-street, found drowned in the Avon, just below Inwood's Mill, on Wednesday last. The prinoipal wife» ness was a little boy who bad been playing with deceased at the time, but who was too young to give the alarm, and was unable to give any intelligible account of the accident to the jury. The jury returned a verdict of Accidentally Drowned.— Press.