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Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 187, 5 August 1854, Page 2

Christchuhch.—Our readers will find an advertisement in our columns this day announcing the opening of the Avon Flour Mills. We understand the machinery is not at present complete, but the necessary apparatus is expected daily from Sydney. The proprietors are now enabled to grind about 4 bushels the hour, but they expect when the works are all up to average 8 bushels.

We greatly regret having to announce the wreck of another of our coasting craft. On Tuesday afternoon the Palmer, when crossing about half flood tide, under- the command of John Kelly, had the misfortune to strike on1 the south spit of Sumner bar, which it appears from the report of those whose opinion may be taken, is evidently growing larger. A long ground roll was on at the time. The cargo of the Palmer consisted of the effects of Mr. G resson, a gentleman of the Irish 'bar, who lately arrived in this settlement by the Nelson steamer. We cannot state what his actual loss may amount to, but are sorry to hear that some boxes of deeds, and other papers of importance, went down. On the bar, the Palmers dingy washed away, and Jack the Greek plunged in and recovered it by swimming across the channel, to the north spit and sandbanks, where jit had beat over into the fair channel by the shag rock. The Palmer is a perfect wreck, having beat over the bar at high water, and is now lying in the banks above the shag rock. We understand that the Fanny, in crossing the bar the tide before, also struck heavily on the same spit, but was fortunate enough to get off directly without damage.

Otago.—We have received files of the Witness to the Bth of July, but we find no intelligence sufficiently interesting ?to extract. The papers are mostly filled with acrimonious disputings on subjects purely local.

(From the " Wellington Independ^TM ~~~~ " MR. VVAKEFIELD AND THE PR ESs To the Editor of the Southern Gross Sir, having been informed of what' tn i place in the House of Representatives hi evening, with respect to a report of proceeding in the House which appeared first in t f* Southern Cross and afterwards in the N Zealander, I beg leave to assure you that it™' my intention, as soon as ever I shall be able\ be present in the House, to take upon myself the whole responsibility and blame, if blame U due for the report in question ; though I i,, no doubt of being able to satisfy the Ho'usp that the report was perfectly fair and accurate except in so far as one or two points WC rn softened for the purpose of making the appear ance of them in -print less unpleasant to th> Government !

At the same time, I shall court further enquiry into the assertion which was made with respect to " tampering with the press." I have, &c. E. G-. wi MntlD Parnell, Thursday, 6th July, 1854.

Mr. Bell, one of fhe members of our Provincial Executive, has been appointed to a seat in the new cabinet. This looks well He has come to Wellington in the steamer Mr. St. Hill applied for leave of absence for a month, but his application was refused. Mr. Wakefield appears to be aim on deserted, except by Mr. M'Andrew and the Auckland members ; the latter of whom are just now admiring him for his exertions to relieve them of their share of the colonial debt. It would appear from a letter in another column from Mr. W. himself, that he has been accused of tampering with thepress, and that he admits himself that his reports aie fair and accurate except only in a few particulars !"

"Bodlet Asphyxiant."—According to the " Naval and Military Gazette," the Russian Emperor has availed himself of an " infernal machine," invented by a Frenchman, M.Fortiev, and registered by the above title in the French military archives. A French engineer, upon examination, conjectures that this shell was used by the Russians at the massacre of Sinope, so complete is the destruction of the Turkish ships and the portion of the town bombarded. The Turks engaged in the affair at Sinope were awe-struck at the rapidity with which their vessels were consumed, and asserted that the Russians were either in possession of the " Greek fire," or that they were assisted by witchcraft. This of course was ridiculed, but on examination tl.e engineer reported the work of destruction too complete to have been effected by ordinary shots and shells. A French captain, now with the squadron in the Baltic, who formed a part of the Conseil de Marine, when it was offered to the French Government, was shewn some of the spars of the dismantled Turkish ships, and the invention of M. Fortier immediately recurred to him. Subsequent enquiries proved that a M. Champion, who had offered this invention again with certain alterations to Louis Philippe, left France for Russia a few years back, and shortly returned from thence much improved in fortune. The Captain adds," If the Emperor of Russia is really in possession of this deadly element of destruction, the combined navies of the whole universe would be powerless against him."

An invention recently discovered, and described as most valuable, is that of the conical flour mills. It is described as making rapid progress at home and abroad. The Austrian patent has been sold for £30,000. A large mill has been erected at Vienna, and is in full work. Another has been built for Lord Portman, at Brycastons, Dorset, which grinds % bushels per hour against an ordinary mill belonging to his lordship, which grinds 2£ bushels, and the same power (water) does for both. The magistrates of the county of Hampshire are erecting a mill in the county gaol at Winchester, and in Ireland Lord Talbot de Malahide, the celebrated Mr. Dargan, and others, take a most lively interest in its adoption in that country. In fact, the restoration of the flour trade, Mr. Dargan has declared is "the wish nearest his heart." la France, Prince Murat has become the president of a committee, consisting of the Marquis de la Rochejacquelin and other eminent men, to carry it out. New foreign patents are continually being obtained, the last making 29 in the whole, being for Spain, Portugal, Tuscany ana Egypt.— Home News-