LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 183, 8 July 1854, Page 7

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

We have been much gratified this week by a visit to the Town Hall, Lyttelton ; the principal room of which is completed, and does great credit to the judgment of those gentlemen who superintended the alterations. A room 60 feet by 22 feet is now available for all public purposes, meetings, concerts, public dinners, or any other of those gatherings of the people of which the Anglo-Saxon race is so fond. It is also well adapted for the Sessions of the Supreme Court, and, as the Lytteltonians say, for the Provincial Council. To complete the building as contemplated with additional rooms, for library, &c, the trustees have not at present sufficient funds at command, but we are sure" our fellow-townsmen will not be slow in providing them with the necessary means.j

We have this wtek to record an instance of awfully sudden death. Mrs. Mary Ann Philpot, of St. Alban's, near Christchurch, had just left her husband to go up stairs to bed, she had scarcely reached the upper room, when he heard a fall and ruoning up found her quite dead. At an inquisition held by the Coroner at her house, Dr. Gundry deposed that he had examined the body of deceased, and found that death had been caused by the rupture of an aneuris mal sac into the pericardium, Death must have been instantaneous. Verdict, died by the Visitation of God. This Town has been astonished by the arrival of Mr. Felix Wakefield. It is strange that such an advent has not been properly appreciated .by our fellowcolonists. On goinsr into an auction store on Thursday last, Mr. Wakefield was received with loud hootings, upon which he. thought it prudent to retire. Several gentlemen, it is said, have declined the honour of his acquaintance. It is rumoured that he intends to seek a more congenial atmosphere. Another rumour has reached us of gold having been found in the Province: with the addition, this time, of both copper ore and coal. The locality of the discovery is at present a secret. A Provincial Government Gazette, published on the Ist inst., contains the Census, compiled by H. 3. Porter, Esq. of Lyttelton. The following summary will be read with interest. The gross, population of Canterbury is given as 3895 souls ; thus divided—males 2196, females 1699. Of this number 565 have been born in New Zealand. The respective ages of the inhabitants we find classified as follows : under 5. years, 707 ; between 5 and 10,542; between 10 and 15, 469 ; between 15 and 25, 782; between 25 and 40, 995; between 40 and 60, 373; over 60, 27. The proportions of the different races composing the population is returned as, English, 3290; Scotch, 314; Irish, 162; French, 67; Germans, 24; other nations, 3.8. 21 are returned as " sick or infirm." Of the "gross number, it appears that 2254 can read and write, 442 can read only, and 1078 can neither read nor write: the number of children at the various schools throughout the Province, including both public and private, is returned as 294. Under the head " Rank or occupation " 389 are returned as Gentlemen, Stockowners, or Farmers; 130 as engaged in mercantile matters or as mariners ; 227 as mechanics ; and 564 as labourers and servants. The religious profession of the inhabitants is thus specified : —Members of the Church of England, 3225 ; Presbyterians, 291: Wesleyans, 190; Roman Catholics, 111; Independents, 37; Baptists, 16: other sects, 25. The returns give a total of 7,221 acres fenced in, and the number under crop at 2920, in the following proportions; viz., Wheat, 807 ; Barley, 287 ; Oats, 802; Maize,l; Potatoes, 364j artificial grass,2B9; in gardens and orchards, 227 ; other crops, 143. The stock in the Province consists of 596 horses, 20 ;mules or asses, 6,363 head of cattle, 99,245 sheep, 396 goats, and 4,391 pigs. Registration of Voters.—Special meetings of Magistrates, pursuant to advertisement, was held last week to frame the electoral roll for this province. The only objection was to Mr. Hichens's vote for Christchurch, which was disallowed. The revised list gives for the town of Lyttelton, 156 votes; for Christchurch town and suburbs, 194 ; Christchurch Country District, 392: making a total of 742.