The Lyttelton Times. June 18, 1853.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 128, 18 June 1853, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. June 18, 1853.

It has been observed that in order to secure success it is necessary to keep prominently before the public. Acting upon this principle the Commissioner of Crown Lands, since his coming amongst us, has lost no opportunity of showing that he is a living reality, andnot aquietold gentleman vegetating in retirement at Akaroa on a comfortable sinecure of £400 a year. Having nothing to do in his department, or, which amounts to the same thing, having done nothing,

save ordering imaginary harbours to be surveyed and Eden-like cities laid out, now on the highest peaks of the Kaikouras, anon on some choice flats which may be colonized when New Zealanders shall view the ruins of St. Paul's from the arches of Waterloo Bridge: the Colonel, we say, in order to employ his time and not be forgotten, has managed to quarrel with every one with whom he has come officially in contact. His latest freak is recorded in our columns

to day, a correspondent at Akaroa supplying the particulars.

Colonel Campbell has long entertained the idea that he has peculiar qualifications for the office of Superintendant, and our columns have been honored as the medium of conveying to the electors his claims and views on public matters. The idea was at first treated as a joke, but the joke ripened into a reality, and the Colonel assured us that should he be elected, he would, with a liberality we cannot too highly commend, perform the functions of Superintendant and Commissioner for the same salary. He thereby delicately implied that he had scruples as to receiving the public money for an office which entailed on him no duties, and as a set-off he would gratuitously undertake the duties of Superintendant. Whether this bait will take with the public time will shew; but the Commissioner evidently entertains doubts on the subject, for he is emplojdng every artifice to secure his election. He first canvasses the electors of

Akaroa for their votes, thus implying their legality ; on receiving a refusal, he straightway objects to their claims and serves a notice to that effect on no less than fourteen electors. He is in fact using what influence he possesses as a Government official as a means to secure his election. That this attempt will be defeated and the circumstances reported to the*Governer, we entertain no doubt; but in the meantime the fact is recorded in order that the public may form an opinion of the gentleman who aspires to be their Superintendant, and who, instead of attending to his duties (for there are duties attached to his office)^ is employing his time in electioneering manoeuvres. If we are not misinformed Colonel Campbell was instructed to quit Akaroa in January last, the Executive at Wellington at last recognizing the absurdity of the Commissioner of Crown Lands residing in a spot the most inaccessible in his district, and which entailed great loss in time and money on those who had to transact business with him. Six months have nearly elapsed and he is yet at Akaroa. Be it also remembered that during the two years he has held the situation, he has never visited, as in duty bound, the district under his charge, and that at this moment there are enormous blocks of country unstocked, though nominally held, and, we believe, the" rents unapplied for and unpaid. We should like to know what proportion the pasturage income of the " Middle District, Middle Island," bears to the large annual expenditure, between £700 and £800, of the Commissioner's Office. The people of Canterbury are heavily taxed to meet this charge, and they have a right to demand that its recipients are employed in their public duties, and not in making them subservient to private ends.

The Correspondence we publish to-day respecting the resignation of the AttorneyGeneral, throws a little light on the way in which we are governed. We find a high official publicly declaring that His Excellency is as autocratic as the Czar of all the Russias, and that he merely states a recognised truism in affirming that no responsibility ever weighed on the officers of his Government. In other words, that the Exe-

cutive Council so far as their advice and opinions are concerned, might as well have been composed of as many Maoris ; for should they be bold enough to give any advice, they "incurred the mortification of seeing it disregarded, and the discomfort of being considered officious." How a body of gentlemen could have consented to hold office on such terms is to us a mystery. The Attorney-General has at last had the manliness to throw off such thraldom, and we are indebted to him for an exposure as discreditable to his colleagues as it is to the policy of their Superior. We no*v clearly understand why His Excellency is loath to give up a power which he has so long and so despotically wielded. It will be seen that, the Attorney-General made an attempt to-bring the new Constitution into operation by suggesting in what manner the Upper Chamber might be constituted. It is understood that Sir George Grey makes this the difficulty and the cause of delay. His Excellency has no wish that his acts should be made amenable to public controul, and ; he has recourse to any shift, to any excuse, so that he may retain absolute power in his •hands. While credit is .due to the Attor-ney-General for what he has done, what -are we to think of the legal adviser of the Crown committing himself, to such an act of folly as hastily " scrawling on two or three sheets of note paper, in a most hasty manner," an opinion respecting the .proceedings in the Supreme Court, and taking no copy of it! He was aware it was to be sent to the most unscrupulous jnan in New Zealand who would take -advantage of it and. twist it to suit his views. Accordingly it drew from Sir George one of the most polite and ..cutting rejoinders we ever remember perusing. The Attorney-General winced, as well he might, under it, and no doubt exclaimed "Ass unpolicied" that I am! What the Duke of Newcastle, to whom the Avbole correspondence has been sent by the victim, will, say, .we know not ; we are quite certain, however, that it will afford him infinite amusement. To think of the At-torney-General tendering to Sir George his resignation of an office which his Excellency informs him had ceased to exist, and which he could not consequently accept! and then thanking him for "friendly and valuable assistance-long and often received." We should like to see the despatch which will accompany the correspondence to the Secretary of the Colonies.

A Windmill is in course of erection on Mr. Mountfovt's land, near Christchurch Quay, on the Ferry Road. The works are progressing as fast as the wet weather will permit, and it is expected that every thing will be completed by the middle of July. The Mill is capable of grinding, with a moderate breeze, 5 bushels per hour; amply sufficient to meet- the requirements of the Plains. A practical miller assures us that the Mill is a first-rate one, and supplied with everything needful for dressing flour, cleansing corn of smut, &c. Mr. Mountfort is the proprietor, and the public are indebted to him for making available property which for a considerable time has been lying useless in the Colony.

Owing to the continued and unceasing wet there have been several landslips near Lyttelton. On Saturday evening several tons of earth fell and nearly imbedded a Schooner on the stocks in Mr. Grubb's building yard. Two boats were consideraably damaged. The road to Sumner is now impassable, being blocked up by an immense fall of earth near the blasted Rock. We hope the hard-labour men will at once be employed in removing the earth, else the inhabitants of Lyttelton will be debarred the only walk they have, unless climbing the bridle-path be considered a walk ; exercise it certainly is. There are many portions of the public ways in the town in a queer and shaky state which a little labour at once applied might effectually mend ; but the, authorities are apparently waiting tiil they are washed away in order to Secure that great desideratum in their eyes—the impossibility of remedying the disaster. While it can be done it is a bore to think about it ; let the whole town slip off to Quail Island, and there is an end of the business. The Committee of the Lyttelton Colonists' Society are requested to meet on Wednesday evening next, at 6 p.m., to frame rules for the ensuing year and to transact other business. A lamentable accident occurred opposite the Golden Fleece, Christchurch, on Monday, by which a married woman named Avery, nearly lost her life. From the scanty particulars that have reached us we learn that a plasterer, named Betts, who was the worse for liquor (so we understand), snatched a loaded gun from Mr. Ellis's hands, and in the act of doing so it exploded, and the contents were lodged in the side of Mrs. Avery, who was passing at the time. Mrs. Avery, we regret to hear, remains in a very dangerous condition. The body of Robert Parry, whose death by drowning in Pigeon-bay, on the 6thinst., we recorded last week, has not been found. James Shingleton, seaman, who was on board the Emerald at the time of the occurrence, has made the following deposition before the Resident Magistrate : —" There was no one but Parry, who had charge of the vessel, and myself on board ; he was in liquor; he was brought on board by four men, strangers to me, who lent a hand to get the vessel under weigh; when they left Parry was very drunk, as, after coming on board, he produced a bot'Je of rum, and drank it with the men ; finding I could not proceed with him in that state, I dropped anchor and lowered the sails ; he was below at the time ; he came on deck, and got the anchor up, contrary to my persuasion, and we got sail on her again ; I then got him below, and put the hatch on, and sat upon it to keep him down; I got up to boom the fore-sail out, and Parry then got the hatch off and came on deck; he staggered against the main boom; I rushed aft to catch hold of him, but was too late ; he was overboard before I could get aft; I hove him a line, but he was too drunk to catch hold of it; I brought the vessel round to the wind, but I could see nothing of him ; I then let go the anchor again. The accident happened halfway up the bay, just as it was getting dark. The next morning I went up into the hay, aud informed Mr. Hay of the occurrence, who lent me a hand, one of his own men, to bring the schooner round to Lyttelton."