THE ANNIVERSARY BALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVII, Issue 985, 19 April 1862, Page 5

THE ANNIVERSARY BALL.

TO THE KDITOIV OF TJIK XiYTTEfcTON" TIMES.

Sin.— We truly boast of descending from peoples who, united into a nation, stand in this our day in the- very foremost rank of the nations; and naturally in laying the foundation of a descendant nation in this our brave new land, endeavour to perpetuate not only their independence of individual thought and action, but their manners, customs, and mutual amenities, and sis the old land has traditions not °nly of the glorious but also of the beautiful and the endearing; so also would we, that our descendants should inherit similar from us.

The above paragraph of truisms has somehow developed itself in my head from my having understood that the annual ball, which has been established m Christchurch to bring to the remembrance of our children for all coming generations, the very day on "which their forefathers andforemothers, with hopeful

and bold hearts, first set their feet upon this land and made for them a country, is likely, from some misunderstanding, to come to an end. I am not going, sir, to bore you with a long rigmarole tale of fendiny and, proviny who may or may not have been to blame iii bringing about the possibility of so undesirable a catastrophe, but in the name of all the accomplished and the happy of the descendants of our passing generation, I call upon these by a very slight manifestation of that liberality which over bestows on the giver the heartfelt gratification of knowing that he has promoted happiness—to prevent it.

It appears that the expenses of the last anniversary ball have not yet been liquidated, and that those gentlemen who, on the part of the stewards as a body, rendered themselves accountable for the outlay necessary for the "general enjoyment, are in much danger, from the backwardness of some who might have been expected to join them, of having to pay much of that outlay from their own pockets. I presume to draw attention to this matter because such a result would probably be the cause of preventing any gentlemen coining forward at the next anniversary to make the necessary preliminary arrangements, and consequently a very pleasant, and, for many reasons, very desirable gatheringtogether of the beauty and fashion, youth, and gaietj' of the Province of Canterbury, be suicidicalfy brought to an end.

Trusting that the mere airing of the. subject wil prevent so disastrous a result,

I subscribe myself, A FRIEND TO INNOCENT PLEASURE,