The Lyttelton Times

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 297, 5 September 1855, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times

Wednesday, Sept. 5. Evebt day the question of communication between the Port and the Plains is becoming more important. Next year it will be totally impossible to export our surplus agricultural produce by the means which have sufficed up to this time for transport to Lyttelton from Christchurch. Not only is the boat communication insufficient ; there are not even stores at the water's side in which the exporter can put his corn under shelter while he is waiting for the bar to be propitious. For a long time back the store at Christchurch Quay has been crammed, and the storekeeper has been obliged to refuse to take any more produce. Ships which have come into Lyttelton for freight are detained an unconscionable time if northerly "weather sets in ; and the coasters which are bringing round to Lyttelton corn for Melbourne and Sydney are lying off the shag-rock, watching in vain for perhaps a fortnight or three weeks for the subsiding of the angry surf which rolls in upon the bar at the mouth of the river. We have always expressed the opinion, that however mucb the communication might be improved by putting steamboats on the river of sufficiently small draught of water to cross the bar, yet that a road is absolutely necessary, and that until we have the means of land-carriage to Lyttelton. we shall never be able to establish a regular export trade equal to the wants of a rapidly increasing community. Setting aside the high price of coal, and the many other difficulties which a steamer may have to contend with; how'often will the bar be as impassable for a steamer as for a sailing vessel ? At such times we will be as badly off as ever. It is probable that steam will drive the coasting craft off tbe river. It must, if successful. This will be all very well until the screw breaks or some accident happens to the machinery. Where are we then ? This perhaps may happen in the most busy shipping season of the year, and we shall have nothing to fall back upon without great delay. We are far from wishing to discourage the introduction of steam into our coasting fleet; 1 one steamboat may bring more ; and we sincerely hope that the enterprise may be successful. But what we wish to insist on-is that it does not go far to solve our difficulty—that we must have a road immediately, not when we have money for it, but before we have the money. Land communication has become of such vital importance to the prosperity ofthe Province that it is an object for which we may fairly incur a debt. Whether the road be hereafter converted into a tramway or not, tbe road should be prosecuted at any cost. The best plan would be to cut the road in such a way that it might with the least possible expense be converted into a tramway. Don't let us wait until we can s>ee our way to compass the tramway before we make up our minds to raise a loan. The question of the manner in which a loan could be raised has been already agitated. Our contemporary the " Standard," while urging the tramway scheme, suggested a forced loan. We do not think however that this would be necessary. Surely there would be no difficulty in raising sufficient money in the Province for so a work in £5 shares, bearing a very snail interest, say 5 per cent. Every body, directly or indirectly, would benefit so largely from the result that nobody would grudge the money so bestowed. Agriculturalists, wool growers, dairy farmers, labourers, merchants, all are alike interested. The capital would not be

wanted all at once, and need only be called in as the work required it. Provincial security would be enough for the inhabitants ofthe Province who saw the money laid out before their eyes. We do not wish to go into any vague calculations of the amount the road or tramway might cost; that we leave to professional men : but we are sure that whatever it may be, the Province would be both able and willing to produce it if called upon to do so. Urgently as Sam Slick insisted upon the necessity of a railroad between Halifax and St John, there could not have been more need for it there than there is for a railroad, a tram road, or a dray roe.d, between Lyttelton and Christchurch.

The town of Lyttelton was thrown into some excitement on Saturday last, by the report that M'Kenzie had again attempted to escape from custody. Many rumours as to the mode of the attempt were, of course, in circulation. Upon enquiry it appeared that by some means M'Kenzie bad obtained possession of a file, and had partially succeeded in filing: through some portion of his irons. In consequence of this at. tempt, we understand that in future M'Kenzie will be more heavily ironed. We understand that the Sea Serpent, in coming out of tbe river on Sunday last, grazed the rocks on tbe Sumner reef, owing to the wind suddenly lulling while she was crossing the bar. Fortunately she caught a breeze almost immediately after, which enabled her to clear the rocks and to cross the bar. From the reports which have reached us, it is to be feared that this vessel leaks considerably. The following notice of the efforts of tbe Lyttelton Choral Society we extract from the Musical Times, of April Ist:— " New Zealand. —It is delightful to have news from our antipodes of the advance of sterling music there; and to learn that tbe people of Lyttelton can find time from the rough demands of an infant colony, to cultivate a refining art, and encourage its softening influence among them. Handel's Messiah, and several familiar English favourites, performed there, show the strong sympathy still maintained for home feelings and associations.''