CANTEUBUKY.

•,;•■' ■B.yrthe Airedale w s have Canterbury papers 'ioahe 14th instant —

The election for Christchurch is .fixed for tomorrow. Mr. Sewell met the electors on Fri» day last, but no report of the meeting had reached the Times office previous to its Saturday's morning issue,. Speaking of the " thick impenetrable hasse which has hitherto enveloped Mr. Sewell's relations with the public,' that journal remarks, that If there be anything; short of a distinct understanding between 'Mr. Sewell and the people he desires to represent; if there be any hesitation, or reservation where the elec-

t>rs ask a plain question ; if every important' djubt is no^t unequivocally set at rest, it will b& the duty of Christchurch, both to itself and the Province to reject him. " Let us have Mr. Sewell pledged, or not at all.*' The cutting of the trial drift bad commenced, the Times of the 1 1 th says ; — '"

'• No little interest lus been directed during these few days past lo the spot ou the beach, by the Custom Housß Reserve, whefa w»rks not the tunnel exactly, but something' practical in | that direction— have been alre id v commenced •vith a view to the railway enterprise. These •vorks are entered into on behalf of the cohtrac:ors, and are designed to afford them information as lo the practical character of the job which they have contingently undertaken." Of course the attention of the representatives of the contractors has been- directed to many points in ; connection with the subject which are not as patent to the public eye as that to which we. refer, which consists mainly of a trial drift run along the line of the proposed tunnel into the lull fdr the purpose of determining how far the superincumbent clay may have to be penetrated, and where the solid rock commences This drift Wflf ; bo"run,i,n from .bota ends, but that 'at Lyttelton end on)y has yet been commenced. It will be about six feet squ.irejn. .the opening, and wi.!}. qlosely fojlowXijeJ,ineof the tanner it-'' seh, though a^4lie I |op^9F : t ; »eperfnai'..ent:wqrfe. '." nietorminatihg.Hiip^o'f.lhe.tiinnerhave been./' markdd im' the .siirjf.a^g, _ an.il' jt.he gen.era'l direction by the consjtr/ictioij at. .the sum- > mitoftha hill p,!i^ie iipox'of the, tunnel, at '£'"' poiiit distingufsjw^frq n eas£*U;emeof the' v'u ' opening; ; Bes]d^|^e..d/jft^ti:e.,».ay cainnieiicM j! .^r^ork'isfbeaiirg^io'.in ; }he jYiii'oFl&eflSng ' ; ,a ; .ftleit]f / .<jpac 1 c) between", the. Maori '.buWattdf'^fie '-': beach, £>v the erection of wnrkshops,-itoul/hrfhses, i r and other necefeskrysca-nsL^ctions^.in.all seme- it • where. v about thirty; meti a i;e/ I employed. -.• 'Ekß*ti> bijsk QominepceiHe'a.t^f.',Rß.(CtiCiil . work hastb«».:- . natural elfe.clj o^e'iwtmraftijig all .who. look- faww .ouranly,pn,.lh c undertaking. ■; "„•),,, .Tli.e..<ipposition!4o- ike.; Railway, and- Tunnel^ ..scheme has aot'-be^n fcery^furmiUable. A peti-,7---tioa.to.'his .Excellency <the. Governor againsHt; •* was prepared before hi« departure, butNve-are-V---"lnit.ijjforin.ecT whether it was actually presented;- 7 ;-:- It is .suited 'that three names Were affixed io 1 • Lyttelton,, and' another promised. :•. - „. ...-.-•...,.. The election'foi'iC.hevi t has taken place, noV'-;' [less than three persons being present !■■• --Our •',- readers, (says ■ the ■>--7 7 «»«5,) may^ like ourselves' • ■ have. Jc:»ow.n that some time in December, anJ/>---election .was : to take place at Mount Grey,--of feinfit ami proper- person' to serve as a member- off ■ the, House of Representatives in -the Pai'Hamshfof New Zealand for the County of. GheviWl'.Sxne : persons >'oiayHike ourselves}, have -been. sf -> aware, that Mr.Edward Jollie proposed to'ufferJ -: hiu^ejif as. a. <jattdt-.iafreforithe vacant seat; and •' Xhtq Aiiaj Jiavfe joined us in- the opinion that as :.• no .apposition was likely to bo offered to Mr.- • Jollie, that "gentlvumn was entering iip6n*'a # - course. where -saed-iss was not doubtful. Stillwith nil the moral. certxinty of the result,* the w public has yet had no direct .evidence ' that Mr.' .< Jojlie was on- ascertain day, with all due form" and.in iiianuftr by .law appointed, elected to fill ,tlie responsible postof M.G.A. for Cheviot.- It :• gives 'lisy the"reforo, great satisfaction to -an- ■.. .liotiiice, oil the indubitable authority of a great i- ; . majority .of the p'e'rs-jns present at the homiiia- ■'-' tioi], we mean th:ji R-3turniug Oaiuer and the' prnposefj that Mr. Edward Jollie was,. on a.certan\duy,_. W 6 forgot which— duly. r electe<l to serv^"' as 're'|>re^enf!»livß- of, ihc district o/JpfeeViot. "' "'''' ' .''Gor.Dl'!^ Rumoobs.— The rumours' preVafent ' injiown'^r-th-e-iast-ttflVo months, Qf gold havTn*^-. I been discoveredan Mason's run s appear now to W>-ssuininga i TnoM.tangible aiul malter-of-fact aspect, for We are informed, 9:1 reliable authori- , ty^, itliat several -parties who. .fc aye proceeded . qfnetly :to the scene of operations^uave'b^Bnr-' miy;^* excellent wages in average earnings,,,. '" T^h'is fact having'become more generally known," < dflring the- last fortnight, a nir.nber of partieg ' have/gonebothfrom Christchurch and Kai^pol> -"" provided "\vith dra^ aria ail the ■necessaries of ' ' fotfcl.'impliments.t&c, tor try their' ludk a\ the. ',' v ? f K^ Dl>r ado. Prom what we "have hitßerto " .ajWertduipd on the subject this gives the faired ' •prospect ever mooied 1 in Canterbury of a paying '''*' gold field within the Province. We may pro* ]jabiy be able to give move detailed particulars ui^a few days.— St tndard, Jan. 5. ' ■' ; ooh s ?boimbm3.— We have seen some beautiful specimen-! of wool, from the celebrated flocks imported by B. Dowling, Esq:, frotn Tas'rha^ia, made up roady for transmission to Jhe London Exhibition. They numbered 162j'ar« : ' x ' : Vanged neatly on t.vo large sheets of pasteboard;' " ! autl the fineness, unifotirtity and strength of fij|re tbaf characterised ail of them clearly shoiy - ntft "iMf the superiority of the breed, bat' atsii' 5 ' the suitableness bftiie Canterbury climate'to■Stfsure a regularity of thickness and streiigtViat ' the" fibre, which are seldom attained in "theLjbest"' ,*' A.ustralian flocks, owing to the occasional*' " droughts and consequent scarcity of food prevalent during smnme'r in most parts of the. "' country. We understand that several' spe'ei--' " lijens have been forwarded by other parties, and'^'V are glad of it, for nothing could tend more to bring, before the British public the intrinsic . Value of pur staple product of commdrce^ ibid.; „; 'iMpp'ttTEO Bull -^-A splendid young bu!(, 'ffi. old, has hieh brought over per Royal "'' Bride, from Melbmroe by C. Hurst, Esq.,f of '" Ashburton. He w is bred by C. G. Ware.Esq. ' H of Victoria, aud got by thd celebrated '« IVlaster ,' Btttter'fly " (sold in "England for 1200' gu^iiieas) ' out df an imported cow. He is said to be a"per. : "feet beajity, and far supeKor to any thino- of the kind in the provinoer We understand thaf£2o '' per head hasbee:i already offered for all 'his '"■- --tjull calves, for the nexffwo ye&is.—lbid"' '*■" ' ' , ;^ inquest '■•W : ftleldx on. FfidaV^'' last at RiccarttfhV6n the body o v f ißdh'' v r tn6nd, who had bien drownibd on the ry " fruesdayaTiatteniJtin^.toicr.oss the Rakaiaotf -^ horseback; -It appeared iv evidence lira} "3el "* leased rashly rentured into the stream, to re-" dVoss the river Without waiting for Mr.' D-uiii"----ford's punti which was on .his wiy for him, and ■ in which he had crossed a short lime previously; Verdict :—'« Accidental death by drownihe- "-- Ibid. . ... *'„ ••.■•!

■■- Sudden Deat;t.— Mr. James Vaux, a ttiedf* .<iat geutleinan, lately clerk in the Custom House Ut Lyttelton, was found dead in his house orF" Wednesday week- No oue occupied the housd ' ' deceased ; and when the body Was discovered'it was in a kneeling position with' the jitead resting on the bed, cold tuid- riged as if 'dead for some time. At an inquest helt' on the' bllowing day, the medical evidence elicited nocenain cause of d ;aih. Verdict :—" Died by ' the visitation of God."— lbid ' '

• The wool clip is beginning to come down*' * freely, and the wool ships in harbour to flll'up' 4 ? : The Mermaid- on Thursday had 783 bales of [yroolou board and 41 casks of tallow. The f'ttegiiia; aud Cashmere had each between 200 and 300 bales. The Mermaid expects to deal by the first week in February. — Times.