OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS IN THE CANTERBURY SETTLEMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 21, 31 May 1851, Page 6

OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS IN THE CANTERBURY SETTLEMENT.

We have been requested to publish the following correspondence which has taken place between the Council of the Colonists and the Government, upon the subject of the appointment to office in this settlement. Christchurch, Canterbury, May 6,1851. Sir, —I have the honour, on the part of the Council of the Society of Land-purchasers in the Canterbury Settlement, to request that you will be so good as to lay before his Excellency the following substance of a minute which they have adopted in reference to the appointment of a Post-Master to this place. During the time that the Society carried on its sittings in London—being engaged in making all the preparations reqnisite before sailing in a body for the colony—they were in daily communication with the committee of the Canterbury Association, and, through them, with her Majesty's Government. The general question of Colonial Government being at that time strongly agitated in the houses of Parliament and throughout the country, it was impossible but that it should occupy the attention of so large a body, who were about to remove their homes to a distant colony: and upon no subject was greater anxiety expressed than upon that of the civil appointments to be made in the new settlement. The colonists thought—and, the Council respectively submit to his Excellency, not unreasonably—that, as they were about to undertake the arduous task of commencing an entirely new settlement, it was but fair that those who were to be entrusted with the management of their affairs should be selected from amongst themselves ; that strangers should not be permitted to reap the advantage of their industry and their adventure, but that those, with whom they had during many months been engaged in concerting measures *for the success of their undertaking—those with whom they had been in constant intercourse upon subjects relating to the prosperity of their settlement—above all, those whom they had themselves tried, as men of integrity, and men of business, ought to be selected to fill the few offices necessary to carry on the business of the colony in. its- earliest stage. ' :

Moreover, the foundation of the settlement being an experiment of a distinctive character, and the high sanction of her Majesty's Government, and of the Imperial Parliament, having been signified, both by granting a Boyal Charter to the Canterbury Association, and by allotting a tract of country in which the experiment might be tried, it seemed only right and natural to expect that full effect would be given to the intention of her Majesty's Government, and of the Imperial Parliament, by entrusting the working ef the new settlement, not to strangers from other colonies, or from England, who could have no interest or sympathy in common with its founders, but to those "who had staked their fortunes upon its success, in faith that the distinctive principles under which it was established would be preserved—who are most deeply interested in the experiment being fairly tried, and who possess the confidence and respect of their fellow colonists. The feelings of the colonists on this point were frequently communicated to the Association, and to her Majesty's Government, not indeed m any formal or official manner (for the colonists were well aware that the patronage of the colony could not be officially exercised otherwise than by his Excellency's discretion) but privately they laid before Earl Grey their anxiety on this subject, and verbal assurances were, through members of the committee of the Association, communicated to the colonists by Earl Grey, to the effect that the feelings of the colonists should be consulted on the subject; and that Earl Grey would express to his Excellency a wish that all appointments to local offices in the Canterbury settlement should be made from amongst tbe colonists themselves. The council has therefore learned with great anxiety that an appointment has been made to the office of Post-master at Lyttelton, of a gentleman who is in no way connected with the . settlement, and with whom the colonists are ■wholly unacquainted. They cannot but be surprised that so many of their body should have been passed over, who are in every way fully - competent to—perform- the-duties of-the-office," especially the gentleman who was selected by the Resident Magistrate to perform those duties

provisionally, and who was recommended to his Excellency for the appointment. And above all they are filled with alarm at the idea of the promise of her Majesty's Government not being fulfilled. The council are very anxious that nothing in this communication should seem to question the undoubted prerogative of his Excellency to dispose of all the Government patronage in the settlement, still less, to express any doubt as to the wisdom with which his Excellency has hitherto exercised this power. Their wish is that his Excellency-should be informed of the general feeling of the settlers on this important subject, arising from the representations which were made to them in England, under the sanction of her Majesty's Government. And they desire, very respectfully but very earnestly, to suggest, whether the public interests will not be best consulted, and the advancement of their settlement promoted, by the appointment of resident colonists at Canterbury to all the situations in the various departments of Government in this settlement. "'' With these views the council respectively1 request that his Excellency will be pleased to reconsider -the appointment which' has been made to the office of Post-master at Lyttelton. I have the honour to be, Sir, with the greatest respect, your most obedient humble servant, W. G. Bkittan, President. To the Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 14th May, 1851. Sir.—l have the honour, by direction of his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th inst., requesting that his Excellency would be pleased to reconsider the appointment of Mr. Howard to the office of Deputy Postmaster at Lyttelton. In reply, his Excellency desires me to assure you that it was not without having previously given his best consideration to the subject, that the promotion of the officer was made. That promotion, I am requested to remind you, was one of an old and deserving servant of the Local Government in the same colony, and the same department in which he had served for several years. I am however to state that you may confidently rely that a just and fitting share of any patronage that may be placed athis" Excellency's disposal shall always be conferred upon the Canterbury settlers. I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant, Alfred Domett, Colonial Secretary. To W. G. Bhutan, Esqr., J. P. Christchurch.