LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 223, 20 December 1854, Page 5

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wehave been requested to invite attention to an advertisement in our columns this day calling a special meeting of the members of the Lytteltoii Colonists' Society to decide upon the following reports of Committees, viz.:—l. On municipal institutions for the town of Lyttelton. -2: Oil tl )e appropriation of the gift of Mr. Fitz Gerakr to the Society's Library.

Christciiuhcu.—The anniversary on Saturday last was observed here as a general holiday. The Races, which had hitherto been held on this occasion, were postponed until March in consequence-of the general unsuitableness of the season. The attractions to the town were this year confined to a cricket match between the elevens married and single, and,the Horticultural Show, the latter on the Cricket ground. It is a matter for regret that so few persons should manifest interest in these annual exhibitions. The show was exceedingly meagre in quantity. The vegetables, particularly the rhubarb root (exhibited by Mr. Sutcliffe), and the cauliflower (by Mr. Austen), as well as a sample of new potatoes also exhibited by Mr. Sutcliffe, were remarkable for their excellence. So, bin in a lesser degree, it might be said of samples of onions and carrots, and vegetable marrows. The flowers, with the exception of a few very fine geraniums, and a beautiful stand of bulbs shewn'by Mr. Webb, were as indifferent both in quality and quantity as could well h,e conceived. An afternoon's walk round the town would introduce to our notice in the gardens of some of our " working settlers," a far richer and more beautiful collection of flowers of every kind. The Sweet -Williams are this year particularly beautiful and abundant. Roses and Stocks, and all kinds of choice flowers, may be seen in far. greater luxuriance tlian any of those that were shown. Nor should we be far in the wrong if we were also to say as much of the vegetables and fruit, excepting in the latter department the strawberries sent in by Mr. Wilson, "and the strawberries, currants, and gooseberries exhibited by Mr. Wormald. Over and over again we are asked how is this to be accounted for? Where so much abounds in all these departments of the exhibition, and out of which so interesting and mutually profitable a gathering could be made, it does appear most extraordinary that there should be so much apathy and indifference amongst a people whose interests are all so completely bound up in each other, and who, in so small a community, should have but a common object in the promotion of the welfare of the settlement. The opinion has been very generally expressed, and therefore deserves notice, that the chief cause leading to this result is to be found in the exclusiveness of the Society. Appended to its advertisements was this clause —" One-half the amount of prizes will be awarded to ?iora-subscribers." Now the amount of the prize could not be in this case an object of great moment to any class of persons in this colony at least, and such an announcement was beneath the dignity of the Committee, and a display of class-ism, if we may coin a word, which was to he bought only by the wealthy and the select at a cost of One Guinea per annum. Then came the more objectionable ending to the advertisement—Subscribers and their jFamilies admitted free. Had the Committee been open to receive samples of produce for exhibition from the public generally on equal terms, awarding prizes to the best, and fixed their charge of admission at the low price of 6A., payable by all alike, there ■would, we conceive, be no occasion for complaint of either a deficient quantity or a questionable quality. Let the Committee devise for the Subscribers some other equivalent, if they are determined not to part with their money in furtherance of useful objects and valuable institutions, without obtaining a quid pro quo. It is doubtful whether the sum raised from the admission fee is worth retaining ; probably not realising £5, an amount neither important to the funds of the Society, nor contributing very largely to their prize-giving abilities. The gross amount offered in prizes was under £25, but there was a total absence of articles exhibited in several of the classes, which would reduce the claims upon this fund to about £12. Let the experiment be tried of an unlimited competition and a common standard of admission, and'then let the appeal be made, and there liised be no apprehension as to the response which the people would make by their contrituitions to the fund from whence the prizes should flow. Let a generous system of conii-

(lence be pursued, freed from all tliat contemptible clinging to an old pride' of station and exclusiveness which ought long since to have been left behind us, and there need be but little care or anxiety'for its issue. That sort of sociability and the kindly spirit it would engender, would tend more to eradicate a levelling democracy,, than years of political agitation. The cricket match was well attended and was indeed the chief attraction of the day. The play generally was exceedingly good on either side. There were players who would not have occupied an inconsiderable position among "any eleven in England." In the first innings, the married eleven scored 90, in their second, 40, making a total of 130. The bachelors scored 56 and 40, making a total of 96, thus losing the game by 34. The match excited a great deal of interest throughout the day. A booth was erected for the purpose of refreshment by Mr. Hart, of the White Hart Inn, Christchurch.

On Monday (here were several rustic sports consisting of jingling matches, jumping in sacks, pig racing, foot-ball, &c, &c, the whole of which were satisfactorily conducted.