The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 423, 22 November 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

C J Saturday, Isovemhcr 22. An'advertisement in another column gives notice of a New. Zealand Quarterly Review, the first number of which is to appear in January. It has been proposed, several times ere now, to establish some species of local literary periodical : but the idea has been dropped, owing to a fear that the colony was not far enough advanced to support such an undertaking. The time, however, appears to have arrived when the people of the different settlements can turn their attention to something besides mere money making. The establishment of three booksellers' shops in this province shows that there is a demand for literature far greater than could have been expected iri so young a settlement. The advertisement states that Messrs. McCardel! and Mountfort are agents for the Review in the towns of Lyttelfon and Christchurch, respectively. We hope that our fellow-colonists will not be behind hand in leaving their names with the agents as subscribers. The expense of publishing fucli a periodical, is very great, and it is to be feared that if not well supported at first it may fail, not for lack of ability, but for lack of means to carry out the undertaking. | For this reason we are almost sorry to see so low a price proposed. Half a "crown a number or ten shillings a year will certainly be no great burden on any subscriber ; even if the contents of the periodical should not. turn out to his satisfaction. We are not acquainted wi'h the spirited projectors, but we sincerely hope that their work may receive a fair trial, and may, as the first New ! Zealand Review, "take up at once a respectable position in the world of letters. Who are likely to write for it? We know ninny j men iv New Zealand who could, if they chose, contribute articles as good as the best periodicals in England can boast. As for materials, there are surely plenty. If the undertaking succeeds, as we sincerely hope it may, a record will be established, less perishable than the newspaper pross, of the history of the early colonists of .New Zealand, and of the receding aboriginal race, —of the various wants and way's of thinking of the different provinces..—and of these aims and aspirations which are common lo the whole colony. While one

writer draws the attention of his readers to the most prominent works of literature and art, or even to the most, striking phases of tho political world, which may appear in (he northern hemisphere, another may pursue a comparatively untrodden path, ;>nd delight English readers with fresh pictures, civilized and uncivilized, of the far south. There is certainly a great field open for the new periodical, but there will be great difficulties to contend with at lite outset. We await, however, the appearance of the fust number with more hope than anxiety.

A pamphlet'by Mr. Fitz Gerald on the present Government, of New Zealand, in the shape of a letter adddressed to the electors of Lyttelton, has just, been published. It has appeared most opportunely ; at a lime when men are casting about on all sides, without success, to work more cheaply and efficaciously the complicated Government of New Zealand. Mr. Fitz Gerald's letter states very clearly what appears to be the result of a careful and stateinanlike view of the position of the colony. By ibis time it is doubtless in the hands of most,, of the electors. We propose in our next issue to notice this remarkable letter at >ome length.