The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 176, 20 May 1854, Page 7

The Lyttelton Times.

May 20, 1854. We have not before had an. opportunity, owin^ to the press of matter in our last week's paper, of noticing the very instructive advertisement which appeared in our number of the 6th, containing an exposition of Colonel Campbell's views on the land question generally, and of his feelings with regard to his own run in particular. Whether the Colonel's views are correct, or whether he was justified in giving publicity to a letter of Mr. Domett's, which was evidently intended to be of a most private and confidential nature, are questions into which we are not called upon to enter. The document is now public property, and, as such, fairly open to remark and criticism. The object which the Colonel proposed to himself in publishing his communication to Mr. Brittan, is, as sometimes happens with his writings, somewhat obscure. Upon a review of the whole we are inclined to think that he wishes to inform us. first, that he. has been ill-used by his patron, Sir George Grey; and secondly, to prove that he ought to be allowed to retain the run which he had allotted to himself, in contravention, as Mr. Brittan seems very properly to have informed him, of the existing pasturage regulations. As a contrast to the Colonel's somewhat confused communication, Mr. Domett's letter is delightfully explicit. After a considerable quantity of good advice as to how the Colonel was to gain popularity for himself and the Government —advice all the more valuable from the writer's experience in the secret springs of colonial politics,—our late Colonial Secretary delicately alludes to the circumstances of his own run, and to the probability of there not being room for him in case the Colonel should be too strict in carrying out his instructions. There appears a latent feeling of insecurity in consequence of some noncompliance with the Government regulations. This, however, is got over by reminding the Colonel of the large discretionary powers placed in his hands, and he is accordingly instructed to get the present regulations "made the most of," and the way in which they may be " made the most of'is- also pointed out: "if you exercise your power of cutting down rigorously, as I hope you will, there will be room enough for' everybody" (of course not only for Mr. Domett, but for everybody)—" go and slash away right and left at these cormorants. 1 will back you to the best of my power." Now, owing to the imperfect and fragmentary nature of the documents before us, it is impossible to say with certainty what the expressions we have quoted really mean ; that is to say, what was the writer's real object. Two constructions can be put upon them : they may, on the Jone hand, have been written with a view to Mr. Domett's private interest, or they may have been dictated by a keen wish for the public welfare. We are inclined to adopt the latter supposition, particularly as Mr. Domett says :—" Treat me the same as all the rest, '*nd I shall not complain." So considerate an assurance must have set the Colonel's mind

completely at rest, and must have strengthened him in any virtuous resolves he may have formed. This, however, is a mere question of personal honesty, and depends upon the private character of the individuals concerned. But there is another question which suggests itself on reading this correspondence, a question which without entering' into the motives of individuals very materially interests the public. The information which the Colonel has furnished is valuable inasmuch as it gives us some insight into the secret working of the present system. It shews us that influences may be brought to bear on the management of the Land-department, other than rig-id and impartial justice would permit, or else why should it be necessary for the colonial secretary to assure the commissioner that he would " back him to the best of his power." "Where matters are carried on in an open and straight-forward manner, there is no necessity for any " backing" of this kind. We shall, in all probability, ere long have the management of our waste lands administered by the Provincial authorities, but great as this boon undoubtedly will be, it will lose half its value unless the land department is placed above suspicion, and unless all those opportunities and temptations to use official influence, for the purpose of gaining private ends, are taken away once and for ever.

We are requested to state that Mr. Frederick Thompson, late H.fM.'s ViceConsul at Leghorn, has been appointed to the Assistant-Mastership of the Grammar School at Christchurch, for the Commercial Department, under the grant lately made by the Provincial Council. We are informed that Mr. Thompson was formerly engaged successfully in tuition, first at Malta and afterwards at Corfu, and that he bears very high testimonials from the Bishop of Gibraltar arid others, both as to his efficiency as a teacher, and as to. the general estimation in which he was held by those who knew him. Accidents near Christchuroh.—We regret that we have to record the "deaths of two persons in this neighbourhood from the severity of the storm on the night of V onday last. One of the unfortunate sufferers was the son of Mr. Green of Papanui, who was on his return home from Port. The body was found on Tuesday morning in a ditch by the road-side at the corner of Mr. Compton's land, and was conveyed into Christcliurch by that gentleman. As there are houses on each side of the road at the spot where his body was found, it would appear that he must have been insensibly overcome by fatigue and cold, otherwise he would have sought shelter when it was so near at hand. The other case was that of a workman named Angood, who with two other men was out with Mr. Croft in a boat on the estuary collecting shells to burn into iime. In making for shore the boat was blown upon a sand-bank, and before it could be got afloat again, the darkness and rain prevented the crew from knowing whereabouts to land. Upon gaining the shore Angood gave up. and could make no further exertion, but was carried by his companions for some five hours, when failing to find their way and overcome with fatigue, they laid him down, covering him the best way they could with spare cloths, fern, &c. On returning to search for him next morning, they missed the spot where they had laid him, and he was not found till towards midday, when life was just extinct. He does not leave either wife or child to suffer by his death. * Mr. Croft and the other men suffered great hardship, but we are glad to learn soon recovered from the effects of the night's exposure. Inquests have been held on both the bodies, at which verdicts of accidental death were returned.