The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1865.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1865, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1865.

The Superintendent's speech contains only one item of information. Of course no one expected much news to be announced, and it is something to have even a single particle of so valuable a commodity from so high an authority. "We knew before the reasons for calling the Council together; we knew as much as his Honor has told us about the Southern Railway contract; we were aware of the gold discoveries on the West Coast; we were acquainted with the results of explorations of the back-bone range, fin search of passes ; and we had even been informed of the intended postal extensions. But we did not know the opinion of his Honor aud his advisers about Mr. Browning's pass to the West Coast up the Rakaia. This is the one item of information which his Honor's speech conveys ; and in proportion to the anxiety with which we had expected the news is our thankfulness for receiving it. " It may be found practicable" —we are told—" to open by way of the Rakaia a secoud line of communication with Hokitika, which during the greater part of the year would be available as a horse track, and for the driving of stock." This is the main part of the opinion. But it is preceded by the statement that the Otira route is " that on which it is most desirable that any considerable expenditure should take place " since in a few weeks a bridle road will be completed along it, which "may, if it be deemed expedient, be cqnverted into a dray road at a moderate cost." Judging by internal evidence, we should thiuk that the paragraph last quoted Irom, out which stands before the otner in the speech, had been written a week ago, before Mr. Browning'* report was received; that it was thought too much trouble to eraao aud re-write the passage ; aud that, for the sake of keeping up an appearance of consistency , the opinion about Mr. Browning's route had been constructed so as to taUy with that already committed to paper. On any other interpretation we are at a loss to account for the comparison drawn between the two routes. The Council, we hope, will not be so cruel as to nail the Government to the very words of his Honor's speech, when a slightly altered construction will do justice to ita real meaning. [f the " address in reply is as usual to be a sort of echo, we advise that the corresponding paragraphs should read thus: —" We fully accord with your Honor's opinion that the Otira road may be made available as a foot -road or even or horse traffic during a portion of the year, andlorm a communication with the goldhelds of the Province of Nelson. And we

receive with the greatest pleasure the expredion of your Honor's belief that the Hakaia route is the only one on which it is desirable that any considerable expenditure should take place for the future." The Council will thus avoid coming into collision with the Government on a mere question of words, which is always to be deprecated. And we advise the Government at the same time to admit the misconstruction of the speech boldly, and themselves to amend the opinions therein so carelessly announced.