The Lyttelton Times. November 1, 1851.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 43, 1 November 1851, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. November 1, 1851.

We really regret to have again to recur to Col. Campbell, but the " Notice " which appeared last week, cannot be passed over in silence. Surely there is no one who has been concerned in Col. Campbell's appointment, who will not feel the blush rise to his cheek upon reading that pompous and puerile composition. What can we say when we read—" off which there is good anchorage, except duzing south-easterly gales, when ships should stand out to sea until they subside." The meaning of "subside " as given in Johnson's Dictionary, is "to sink," so that the sentence reads-*— " when ships should stand out to sea until they sink !"—ls it too severe to call this stuff, puerile ? Again, " Good sized coasting vessels are quite safe in the small harbour of Kaikora." Now suppose there should be no harbour at Kaikora, would it not be most disgraceful for Her Majesty's Commissioner to make such a public assertion ? And yet from all the enquiries we have made, we really believe there is no harbour whatsoever. There is a sort of hole in the rocks, which one vessel might enter at a time ; and that not with safety. We have, therefore, a right in the name of the public, to ask upon what authority it is

stated that " good sized coasting vessels are quite safe in the small harbour of Kaikora;" an assertion, which if untrue, might, corning from such a quarter, occasion a loss of life and of property. Again, read the following sentence, " Before, however, he gives up his attention to tha duties which will thus, for a time, devolve upon him, he begs to assure all those vho are desirous of obtaining sheep and cattle runs, even on the largest scale, and which the vast districts placed, by the Governor-in-Chief, under his charge, will amply afford, that he fully intends to deal most liberally as to the extents of excellent pasturage, which he is empowered to assign to them. But what can be more liberal than that which the New Zealand Government announces in the established rules and r regulations for the issue of pasture licences for the occupation of the waste lands of the Crown, outside hundreds, viz.," &c. What is the impression upon the perusal of such a sentence ? Is it not one of shame and sadness? For the incapacity of those in high places is a reproach to any Government, and a disgrace to any people. We hope we shall not be called upon again to notice these silly publications. Col. Campbell's appointment ought to be, and we earnestly hope soon will be, cancelled. We have never been slow to admit the merits of those gentlemen whom his Excellency has sent to administer the various departments of the Government in this settlement. When, therefore, we object to an appointment, it will not be attributed to simple hostility to the Government. There never was a more unfortunate or more offensive appointment than that of Col. Campbell. This gentleman, we are informed, was one of the first of those who joined the Canterbury scheme ; but he did so in the hope of obtaining the appointment of Resident Magistrate in the settlement: he professed himself a warm advocate of the plan of the colony, and announced his intention of purchasing land largely ; he even took cabins in the " Sir George Seymour," which were retained for him for a considerable time: he was in constant communication with the colonists for many weeks; and he was not recommended to the appointment he wished to obtain, or to any other appointment, because he was considered by all who came in contact with him to be wholly incompetent to discharge the duties of any responsible station. At the last moment he ceased to frequent the colonists' rooms in London, gave up his cabins, bought no land, and in a short time after the sailing of the first four ships, he left England, and was lost sight of until he turned up at Auckland. It may be said we have no business to complain of this appointment/because Colonel Campbell has nothing to do with the Canterbury Block at present. Yes, but we do complain, upon these grounds,—that there could hardly have been found another man, whose presence in this settlement as an official, would have been so offensive to its inhabitants. That the man whom the Colonists had tried and had discarded as inefficient, the man who had obtained admission into their councils under the pretence that he intended to purchase land, and to throw in his lot with theirs, and when the time came, bought no land, but deserted their ranks; that he should be selected and sent X among them in the enjoyment of Government patronage, seems a declaration on the part of the Colonial Government not to be mistaken, that its favour is to be gained in the exact proportion in which the interests of the settlement are deserted; that whilst all the difficulties and struggles ■of a settler's life are to be combated and .^.conquered at the self founding and self supporting settlements, all the encouragement is still to be found, and all the prizes obtained in the Government Garrison of Auckland. We will not take the line of argument — ■which is, however, in every one's mouth here—".The more incompetent the Commis-

sioner is, the better, the inextricable confusion into which he will throw matters outside the block will rather advance than retard our own interests." We will rather join the whole New Zealand community in deploring the deep injury the col"ony will receive from the trusting of vast powers and responsibilities to a miserably incompetent man ; and the contempt which a Government incurs when it thus prostitutes its patronage.

The country within the middle district, outside the Canterbury Block, includes a vast extent of land admirably adapted both for agriculture and for pasturage. We want to see it occupied and colonized as speedily as possible. We wished to see it all included in the Canterbury block, because we thought that it would be more rapidly colonized by the Association than by Government. But whether by the one or the other, we wish to see the whole country peopled, cultivated, civilized. We wish to see roads formed, towns laid out, the best districts for agriculture judiciously selected and carefully surveyed, and a moral and industrious population planted on the soil by a sound and a healthy immigration from the mother country. If Government will undertake the work, no feeling of- petty jealousy will find a place in this settlement, or an advocate in our columns, because that work may be accomplished without accepting all the details of the scheme of the Canterbury Association ; rather would we encourage a sentiment of generous rivalry and brotherhood in the common cause —the advancement of our new country. Therefore it is, we should hail with pleasure the appointment of a public officer capable of conducting so great a work, and therefore we deplore the advent of a gentleman who, whatever may be his private character or merits, has contrived in a few days to make himself an object of public ridicule in a community, in which no man can be useful who is not respected.

We omitted last week to allude to the meeting of the Ancient Order of Freemasons, which was held in the offices belonging to the Canterbury Association, on the evening of Thursday, the 23rd inst. The meeting was of course only preliminary, and with a view to ulterior proceedings, but from reports on which we can place implicit reliance, we have no doubt that a flourishing and efficient Lodge of this honourable fraternity will in due course be established in this Port.

We suppose that until the reins of government are placed in our own hands, our port must remain destitute of an established code of signals, for giving notice of vessels entering the harbour. This necessary arrangement is not certain to follow upon the appointment of a Harbour-Master and Pilot. Major Hornbrook, of Mount Pleasant, has hitherto kindly acted, as far as lay in his power, as our signal-master, and deserves the hearty thanks of the inhabitants of Lyttelton. We really think that he ought to be provided with a set of flags, and we have his own authority for stating that he is willing to work them. Half a crown a-piece from those chiefly interested in the shipping, and the thing is done. We shall not have to notice this a second time, or we are much mistaken in our fellow-townsmen.