THE EAILWAY AND ITS OPPONENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 749, 11 January 1860, Page 4

THE EAILWAY AND ITS OPPONENTS.

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times.

Sic, —It is currently stated that a petition against the Tunnel and Bail way is receiving the signatures of a few of the inhabitants of Canterbury, and that Mr. E. Latter's is amongst them. The following extract from the speech made by that gentleman, as Eeturning Officer at the Lyttelton election, October 1858, will show that his opinions have undergone a very great change during the last few months. .

No advocacy of the measure in question of such a fervent nature issued from the lips of its warmest supporters during, the recent debate in the Provincial Council, and I sincerely hope that if Mr. Latter has really signed any such document, that it is from entire forgetfulness that he uttered the memorable words contained in the accompanying extract. I remain, yours obediently, ALPHA.

[Vide "Lyttelton Times," October 9,1858.]

" This led him to another subject which had been mentioned by Mr. Ward. He alluded' to the projected tunnel through the Port Hills to Christchurch. The, last three months had taught them a great lesson. With all their wealth they might be said to have been laid on their backs by the weather. What had they seen during the three months past? A complete stagnation of trade, resulting from the want of communication between Lyttelton and the interior of the country. They had indulged in a good deal of exultation about the advantages of possessing a local steamer, for which they had paid £2000, in the hope of carrying on an uninterrupted river trade, but the late bad weather had proved how futile that hope had been. The merchants' stores in, Lyttelton had been crowded with indispensables, such as sugar, tea, &c, ordered for Kaiapoi and other parts of the plains, whilst tho steamer had been detained for four days together by the Wairaakariri bar; aud of our Mosquito fleet a dozen or more had been lying idle in the bay or blocked up in the river from the' same cause. The river craftmen had not been able to earn their bread; and thousands of pounds had been lost to the community by this check of trade. Surely then, the experience of the past three months had taught us a lesson; if not, then the experience of twenty years' could not be expected to teach us wisdom. Wo should not rely on the river communication alone for our already large and greatly, increasing trade. The only safe course for us was a tunnel through the hills and a railway to Christchurch. Let us all be satisfied of the truth of this; and being satisfied, help forward the good work. It vras n6t fair in them to expect too much fronV the Government. He would say to every manVih the community, you should bo ready to lay out onifourthiof your means on this tunnel. If you :^to* hundred pounds devote £25 to this work-r-jfyouxjiiave $ thousand pounds, £250. They might not reap all the advantages that would accrue from auch an outlay, but their children would; their meana of progress would

be largely increased; the merchant and pro( ].. would bo brought into closer proximity • and I parties would be benefitted. With every confiden he expressed bis belief that this scheme was a ktt investment fo^jthdr money than any other, whetl? they regarded i«|My tlieir own immediate remiir, ments, or looked forward to the future prosperity ,'f the province. They had been told a lesson in n fable of a man whose team had stuck fast in th? road, lying down on his back and fold ing his arms and looking to a higher power for help, instead it vigorously putting his own shoulder to the wheel Let them not repeat that waggoner's folly, w' remember ',what the French proverb says—li 6] yourselves and Heaven will help you." ■*