CANTERBURY.

We have received papers from this province to the 1 7th instant, from which we now make a few extracts. The bad state of the roads in the province was the subject of universal comment ; but perhaps the supply of labour recently arrived by the Maori would allow this grievance to be somewhat remedied. TEHand sales for the last quarter amounted to £ 1 6,878 1 5s.,and the pasturage rents during the same period to £7,394 15s. 7d. Dr. Monro's speech in the General Assembly, on the subject of the apportionment of the New Zealand Company's debt, is severely criticised in the Lyttelton Times, of the 17th instant. The editor thus concludes :— Let us put aside the "right" of the question, and ask what each of the southern provinces would be best able to pay out of their land revenue. At present, Otago has the largest extent of land ; but if Nelson gave up the Amuri district to Canterbury, the two southern provinces might take £5,000, i™ 4 ""* o ! £4,000, per annum each, leaving Nelson but i,a,wo to pay. In many ways, this would be a good measure. It would bring Amuri into legal communication with the pro^Wwith which it is related in every other wayi and Ctoterbury might do for that district

what Nelson either cannot or will not do. Nelson might meet us on the Clarence river with a post-road, which is not, under present circumstances, likely to be pushed from the north as far as the Hurunui. If Otago is cut in two, each of the provinces into which it is divided might take £2,500 each per annum of the debt. Would-thjs satisfy Nelson ? We take it for granted thaj^he extension of Nelson Scrip to the southern provinces will not be listened to for a moment. • The India Relief Fund has been well supported by the Canterbury settlers, as will be seen by the following paragraph from the Standard of the 15th instant. Indian Relief Fund.— The General Committee of the Indian Relief Fund met, pursuant to advertisement, on Friday last. The venerable Archdeacon of Akaroa in the chair. The Secretary read hiß report, ' which was ordered to be published so soon as some outstanding subscriptions, being paid, would enable the exact amount; subscribed to be given. Up to the day of meetjjujiit appeared that the subscription list representertheTOm of £922 125. 6d., of which £886 19s. 6d. hid been paid, leaving only £35 14s. unpaid, all of which was certain to be received. The opening of a new bridge across the Waimakiriri had been celebrated in good style by a public dinner at Eaiapoi. Injthe course of the evening the " following remarks were made by Mr. Dampier, of Lyttelton, in responding to the toast of the visitors." " He congatulated the inhabitants of Eaiapoi on the completion of a Drawbridge 150 feet in length, of which they might well be proud. It was a specimen of bridge architecture, the fir6fc in the colony of New Zealand, which at once bore testimony to the rapid prqgnifeMn of the Canterbury settlement, and the means and power within its reach of developing its own resources. The bridge was, in fact, the first important step towards completion of the great main line of road to Nelson, and it was peculiarly a matter of congratulation to Eaiapoi, now rising into great importance as a port and a place of export, that it should thus be rendered the first acceptable stage by land to the West Coast, with, which it would ere long be doubtless connected." Mr. Dobson, the Provincial Engineer, also in proposing " Successto the trade of Kaiapoi," stated to the meeting that :— During his late absence, when supposed to be exploring new country, he had been, directed by the Government to examine and fix the position of the Nelson frontier, now becoming a matter of great importance, from the extent of available country in the direction of the Hurunui and the Grey, and that, on ouch ingoection, it appeared probable that a road would beTlJlmd to Nelson by way of the valleys of the Hurunui andtTie Grey, which would be passable at all times of the year, and would bring a very important addition to the rapidly increasing trade of the town of Eaiapoi. The fjMMfeqg are extracts from the papers : — We are glad to perceive that Captain Gay, of the Corsair, is continuing a successful capturer of whales. On Saturday last he killed one which will yield about ten tuns of oil. This makes 'his third considerably within a month. The second whale, of which we formerly gave notice, yielded seven tuns. The three were right whales, and the Captain's activity may be estimated from the fact that he has seen only four whales altogether, including those captured. — Times, July 10. The value of exports from this port during the last half year, amounts to £100,596 12s. od., while the imports for the same period were to the value of £97,462 153. 2d., viz. :— £38,352 10s. 2d. for the March quarter, and £59,110 ss. Od. for the June quarter. The Customs revenue for the March quarter was £4,141 Os. 6d., and for the June quarter £6,008 15s. 6d., making for the half year £10,149 16s. Od. The half year ending June, being that in which most of the wool is shipped, shows of course a much larger amount of export than" the latter half of the year. But with respect to import*, and consequently revenue, we may generally look for an increase towards the end of the year. — Id. July 17. We regret to have to announce this week the death of Lieutenant-Colonel James Campbell, formerly of the 45th and 50th Regiments. Colonel Campbell, who was in his 71st year, had been ailing for some time, and on Sunday last had an apoplectic shock, from which he never-'rollied, having expired at his residence in ChristchurcKV yesterday morning (Wednesday). Tho gallant veteran, who was a cadit of the family of Campbell of Skerrington, in Ayrshire, N. 8., entered the army at an early age, and distinguished himself greatly throughout the Peninsular campaign, having been present at upwards of thirty general actions, sieges, and engagements, including those of Roleia, Vimeira, Talavera, Busaco, Fuentes dOnor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse. He •was Aide-.de-camp to General Picton, and BrigadeMajor of the right Brigade of what was known as "Picton's fighting division." The ranks of Major and Lieutenant-Colonel were successively conferred on him for his services in the field, and he had also the honour of receiving a war medal different from those usually conferred, and no fewer than fourteen clasps, (being one more than any officer in the British service had been honoured with). He also served with General Whitelock at Buenos Ayres, in North America, and at Ceylon, where he lost his health from repeated attacks of juggle fever, which ultimately compelled him to sellout. Shortly after the foundation of the settlement, Colonel Campbell arrived here, and was appointed by Sir George Grey to the office of Commissioner, and afterwards of Registrar for the province. On the passing of the Constitution Act, Colonel Campbell was superseded by gentlemen recommended by the Provincial authorities, and he has since resided amongst us as a private citizen.