NEW SOUTH WALES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 535, 19 December 1857, Page 5

NEW SOUTH WALES.

We have Sydney papers to the 21st tilt. They do not complete, our file, the journals of the early part of the month not having come to hand. - The question of most importance in the political world is the Land Bill, now passing through the Legislature. One.of the principle! of this measure is the reduction of the price of country land to ss. per acre. Various public meetings 'have been held whereat resolutions condemnatory of the measure were passed. The . debate/on;the second reading took [place"on..the ■18th November, whe^e'ministers had a majority of 38 to 8 in favour of the Jbill. - The ' popular' .party, in, the- house,does.not seem to command the confidence on,this measureof. their former supporters out of doors. ; A fresh debate arose ;on movingthe committal of the bill, -when; two eyenipgs; were completely occupied, and the de-: . pate:adjourned to a third evening, to which our news does not sextend. • The. -following para--graph,is interesting to shippers:— . , Haebotjs Improvements;— The awful, wreck of the Dunbar and the more recent..but less terrible catastrophe of the Catherine^Adamson, have turned the attention not of the Government only,, but :of the people at .large,.to the necessity of more ..perfectly marking, by lights, the approaches to our harbour.-, The lossof the last named ship, indeed, was not attributable io any want of this kind, but it has nevertheless ■had the effect of keeping the popular feeling alive. This feeling has strengthened the hand's ■of the Government, and instead of any mere ;'temporary or imperfect system of lighting, the unquestionably splendid; harbour of' Port Jackson will be rendered easy, to approach and easy to traverse, either by night or by day, by the adoption of one of-the most complete designs as to lights and landmarks, ever devised. The subject has been discussed in all quarters.. There have':been suggestions innumerable; some of them by thoroughly practical men • and therefore <worthy-of- the most-serious consideration. :.But something .far more effective than mere discussion, how.ev.er, competent * the persons engaged, in' i 6, has in the uiean time - been- gone on with. The captain, officers, and' crew of H. M. S. Herald have quietly set themselves to work to make a complete aud most elaborate survey of the harbour and its' approaches.— S.-M. Herald. ' ' : - '