CANTERBURY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 159, 20 May 1862, Page 6

CANTERBURY.

(FROM OUR OWN COI!Iti:SI'OXDEN-T.) Ohristchurch, May 13. An Auckland paper lately, in giving n, summary of now.i from the different Provinces, passed over Canterbury with the remark that this favored portion of New Zealand was so rich, dignified, and quiet, that she had 116 history, there was'nothing to be said about her : a very satisfactory state of things, no doubt, for the public at large, but not without its embarrassing side for your correspondent, who finds the tranquil .comfort of his fellow-citizens somewhat deficient in the materials best adapted for compiling an exciting column of "the latest intelligence." However, a stone has been flung' into the quiet stream of Canterbury life, in the shape of a dissolution of the Provincial Council, consequent on the increase of its numbers from 26 to 33, and for the last three weeks we have been in J,hc thick of our elections ; though it must be owned that the excitement caused thereby has been of .the mildest''description.' Mr. Moorhouse was, as you are aware, re-elected Superintendent, nobody caring to enter the lists against him. Mr. Fitzgerald, thc'gi-eat gun (the Armstrong in fact) of what may be termed the Opposition, mot with similar success as a candidate for a seat in the Council, of which it may be said fhnt it is a great advance on its two immediate predecessors in the class of members who will occupy its benchgs,,com_prising a niuch laiger proportion of men who, from tfcqjr mental I calibre, their knowledge of affairs, and position in life, are really fit and proper persons to represent 1 their country in its deliberative Assembly. The works of the Lyttelton and Christchurch railway are steadily progressing. The main drive of tho tunnel has been pushed on to the extent of about '2OUU feet, and a short part enlarged to its full size, showing what the tunnel will be like when completed. On the Eyttelton side the working was temporarily : stopped by the extraordinary quantity of water which poured out from some hitherto unsuspected reservoirs within the hill, at the rate of 50,000 gallons a day. Imagine with what feelings the inhabitants of Ljttelton, when waiting en queue after the French fashion at the public wells, or buying their water at per bucket, must behold this copious supply of the precious element wasting itself in an attempt to freshen the harbor. Want of water has always been the crying evil of Lyttellon, especially in summer when the hill springs are dried up, and this supply, if they can adopt any means for bringing it into use, will be indeed a god-send. There is a probability that the tunnel may be finished considerably within the stipulated time, for Mr. Hichardson, of the firm of Holmes and Co., the contractors, lias just-left for Europe, in order to examiue the boring machinery ' now in use at the Mont Cenis tunnel, and if he finds that it can Tbe advantageously worked here, to import a similar apparatus. I understand that the Government have offered a bonus for every month that the works arc completed within the time specified in the A dinner was given in honor of Mr. ltiehardson before his departure, which was attended by his Honor the Superintendent, some members of his Executive, I

and other persons interested in the railway, who saiig the usual pieans over tluir success. I hear that Mr. Holmes in his after dinner speech, i<tuted thai uo eujjineariiig difficulties ha.l occurred to inluiTeiii with the prosecution of the woi 1;. Lyttletou and (Jhri tcliuroh will shortly be mi'f closely ouneci'H f>y ihe eleutrie telegraph. Tno plant for this was .vji'ii; out three ytsnivs iuo by Mr. Fif.ger.ild, but the ii.i.-u.ei 1 crisis of IS.if) iuterfored' v.-itli its erection, mi.: tin.materials have since lain in quiet repose among the government stores, tiil io 0.-curred to the i'rovij,c.;.l Council that they would be used to more advantage if applied to their destined purpose. The work is now in hand, and it is exported that by the end of next, iiionth the telegraph will be in active operation, Our Volunteer movement, though I. fear it exhibits some symptoms of a tendency to relapse into its former languid state, yet is capable, when called on, of being roused into considerable animation. T1 c shooting for the Government piizcs has lately come off. The Uhri-stehuroh companies fired on Wednesday, the 30th ultimo, at the butt lately erected at Hagloy Park, about a mile out of the town. It was iutended to have been a regular gala day ; tents wereputiiponthe ground—t lie officers provided a grand banquet—the ladies ware expected to grace the scene in lair array, in short, every picpo-ration was juiu'.o to give crhit to the proceedings, and render it a red letter day in the annals of the corps. Unfortunately the weather-omco, which so unremittingly persecuted tho volunteers of England during their first year, would not spare their brethren of Christehurch, and perversely considered it a fitting opportunity to order out a sou-wester. The result may be imagincx', aud the "dammed moist unpleasant bodies," ;{s Mr. Mautalini says, which marched dripping back to the town, were sufficient to damp the ardour of any aspiring youth, who might havubc<:n tempted to join the martial ranks by what a poet cails '"the gorgeous pomp and circumstance of war." First r/ite shooting I could hardly be e.\pjctod in such weather, and 27^ ' the highest score made, was voted a creditable performance. The difficulties which some time ago overclouded, the commercial aud financial prospects of Canterbury are now wholly cleared away The aspect of Chri.stchurch is most cheering for the present, and, to the most casual observer, a promi-sinir one for the future." An immense stride has been taken in the innrch of improvement. Though the streets of our capital cannot present such a crowded assemblage as those of Dunedin, Chiistchurch has very visible marks of' prosperity in the numerous buildings lately erected, and still briskly going up on all hides. Large warehouses, auction rooms, and storci, 'capacious enough to hold two or three of the old ones, are rising, phoenix-like, on the ashes of the great fire in Cashel : Btreot, and not only.there, but in every part of the town, a goneral enlargement has been, and is, taking place. Nor do the contents ot the stores do any discredit to their outward appearance, being very far superior, both in quality and variety of goods, to anything they have contained at any former period. Both Lvttlelon and Christclmrch have taken advantage of an Act passed last tession by the Provincial Council, to constitute themselves municipalities. I have nothing to report of the proceedings of our Worshipful Lord Mayor aud his Board of Councillors, as they have hardly had time to get fairly under weigh, but there is plenty of work before them. In particular, the state of drainage, or rather the no drainage at all. of Christehurch is an important item for their consideration, and has obtrude 1 itself very forcibly on the public notice by its natural results in the form of low fever, dysentery, and other 'kindred', disorders. A sanitary commission has been appointed to enquire into all this, but as yet 1 believe they have barely 'commenced their investigations.. Of the extraordinary rise in our land revenue this year, you have, of course, frequently heart, for the men of Canterbury arc justly too proud ef Hint undeniable proof of the prosperity of their settlemeut to leave their neighbors in ignorance on the suliject. During the first quarter of this year, the receipts at the Land Office were no less than £5'2,(530; the amount taken during the whole of the previous year having been £83,212. This remarkable increase is owing in part to the facilities afforded for direct steam communication with Melbourne, and the hirge purchases made by Australian capitalists when the capabilities of the Province had thus been brought under their notice ; while the arrival of these foreign purchasers, by urging on tho ninholdcrs the necessity of securing the freeho'd of their runs, has in that way contributed not a little to swell the amount received at the Waste Lands Board. It must not be forgotten, however, that, though large investments by individuals naturally attract the greater share of public attention, the proportionate increase has been no loss marked among that important cla*s of buyers who invest their savings iv the purchase of from 20 to 50 acres. Onr third wool ship, the Mermaid, sailed for London on the 2nd, carrying 3,203 bales, valued at £83,4fi2. The two previous vessels took between them 5,147 bales, valued at £13-1,000, and there still remains the Evening Star, which js fast filling up, and will leave a full ship. - The Lyltclton Tines on Saturday spread a report that Sir George Groy was coming down to visit this Province at the end of the week. I understood that ho would come here after leaving OUigo, but don't know on what authority i(, was stated that his visit here would take the precedence, and I have heuid nothing about it from any other quarter. 1 snpposo there will be some ceremonial observed oirthe occasion, of which I will give some account in my next.