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Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 115, 19 March 1853, Page 8

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times.

A Squire he had whose name was Ralph, That in th' adventure went hi* half.

Sir, —I regret very much to find that there are one or two passages in the letter Avhich you did me the honour to publish in your paper of the sth March, Avhich appear to " Z. Y. X." to be open to misapprehension. Agreeing Avith him most fully " that Aye should cautiously avoid anything tending to promote jealousy or disagreement among ourselves," I trust he will excuse me from entering into any discussion with him respecting those passages as he has interpreted them.

Your correspondent " Anti-Benedict" states " that my letter Avould have obtained a larger amount of commendation had it not aimed an indirect blow at the Clergy. A ' Land-purr chaser' may disclaim this imputation, but Avhen he asserts that Mr. Godley's arrangements are to he upset, because some half-dozen clergymen have complained that they had been informed there Avas not money enough to pay them, he obviously infers that had they not in a spirit of self-interest so complained, Aye should have heard nothing of the present commotion." I do, indeed, most earnestly disclaim the imputation and the inference. lam not in the habit of dealing in inuendoes, or of aiming indirect bloAvs at any one. If I had wished it to be understood that the Clergy in this Settlement Avere influenced by the principle—

" That where there is no store of wealth,

Souls are not worth the charge of health " I should had said so ; and I trust that if any of those gentlemen have felt with Anti Benedict, that such an inference could be draAvn, they Avill excuse my clumsiness of expression and believe that I did not intend it. I cannot say, Siv, that I Avrite in an absolute spirit of disinterestedness. I do not revel |in the misery of bachelordom, and so many olive branches clamber round my knees that I cannot help Avatching the proceedings of the " respectable Arcadians" with the utmost anxiety. I say Avith the late Bishop designate "that I have children of my own, and I wish to see them brought up from their very infancy in those principles and institutions, which I hold myself to be most dear, believing as I do those principles have contributed so eminently to the greatness and stability of the Empire. I Avaht my children to be faithful and true-hearted sons of the Beformed Church of .England, to enjoy that old Grammar School education, followed by that Venerable Collegiate discipline and training Avhich has raised generation after generation of English Gentlemen--—men endued Avith calm grave minds, accustomed to SelfGovernment, and therefore able to controul others." With these feelings I am liot likely to aim an indirect blow at the Clergy, but I Avish to knoAV what has become of the sum of £30,000 contributed by the Land-Purchasers of this Settlement, for the Stipends of their Clergy, the old Grammar school education, and the venerable Collegiate discipline of the next generation of NeAV Zealand gentlemen. I will now, Sir, With, your permission, call the attention of your readers to a fe\v passages in the letter of the " rare constitutional lawyer." He says "I have been only a short time in the Colony, and am necessarily very imperfectly acquainted with local circumstances." What can local circumstances have to do Avith the business he was sent here to transact ? What are local circumstances ? Lyttelton is situated in Port Victoria, and Christchurch is on the Plains.*' The Heathcote and Avon empty themselves into the sea at Sumner, and the Water Pipes sent out by the Association are not likely to be used at present for the purpose of conveying the water of either of those rivers to Lyttelton: or, if he Avent out " prospecting" to see Avhether we used, "Cabinets" or not, surely they are conspicuous enough to sheAV him that Aye are not a dirty people, and consequently that Aye are not likely to put up with dirty tricks. If you will substitute for the words "local circumstances" local politics, I think you will have his true meaning. He wished to find out whe-. ther Aye were divided or united, Avhether there Avas a party for the Association or against, Avhich Avas the strongest, and so shape his course. To his astonishment, although apparently bordering on the apathetic, Aye were Availing patiently, and making no noise : Mr. Godley trained us to that. When he Avas here, the pack Avas a mute one, and if one or two/did give out a note noAv, and then, the others /immediately threAV up their heads and Avondered

what all the noise Avas about. Many of us did not like it, butAve have reason to be grateful to him, as it must, have completely non-plused the "great constitutional," and I believe the first groAvl did rayther astonish him. If I mistake not, there will be noise enough now, only let us run in a way that any master of hounds Avould be proud of— so packed together that a sheet would cover us. 'Again, " the difficulties of my position (as entrusted with the winding up of the Association's affairs) have been increased by Mr. Godley's departure for England, for though I have received all possible assistance from Captain Simeon, Mr. Godley's successor, yet he is himself new in office." Poor felloAV, so there are difficulties in his position! but does he wish us to understand that he and his brother Arcadian Avere sorry that Mr. Godley had left, or that they Avished to find him here ? ask any of the passengers on board the " Minerva," and you Avould be told that their great fear Avas, that he was still in Lyttelton ; that their first and anxious question was, Avas Godley gone; and Avhen they found he Avas, the Avink passed, and " Bichard was himself again." These gentlemen can also best inform you, why it Avas that they ordered all the Officers of the Association to be dismissed, in order that Mr. Godley's successor might be new in office. "On these accounts I was anxious not to be drawn prematurely into discussions for Avhich I could not be prepared." This is Avorse and Avorse, but I leave your readers to judge, Avhether the three reasons assigned, Ist, Ignorance of local circumstances ; 2nd, Mr. Godley's departure, when it Avas evident to every one that they Avere afraid to meet him ; 3rd, his successor being new in office, when it was their oavh special intention that he should be so ; —are sufficient to justify Mr. SeAvell (after three week's residence in this place) in the course he had pursued. Not prepared indeed, for premature discussion ! why all the preparation must have been on his side, for as yet, Aye do not know what there is to discuss. We have our suspicions that we have been duped; we find that the money set apart for the income of a Bishop has disappeared, that our public property has been mortgaged to hush that matter up, and therefore Aye may Avell Avant to know, Avhat has become of the sum of £1 per acre contributed by us for Ecclesiastical and Educational purposes. Local circumstances indeed ! what can they have to do Avith funds misapplied in.England. When this question has been answered, satisfactorily,.the Colonists will be able to say, Avhether they entertain " either respect or gratitude towards those noble and disinterested men Avho have been the founders and patrons of this Settlement." I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, A Land-purchaser.