LYTTELTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 49, 24 April 1852, Page 3

LYTTELTON.

I The settlement has been greatly enlivened ; dining the past week by the visit of His Excellency the Govern or-in-Chief, who arrived in the I Government Brig on Friday evening, the 19th , instant, accompanied by Colonel Wynward, Lieutenant-Go vernor of New Ulster, Captain ! Murray. Mr. Buikeley, of JL.M. sixty-fifth regi- ; ment, Mr. Cooper, His Excellency's Private Secretary, and Mr. Roy, an engineer in theemI ployment of Go\ernment. The main object of 1 the Governor's \isit was to ascertain whether ' mi} thing could be done to forward the opening 'of the road from Lyttelton to the plains. With 1 this view Mr. Roy has been incessantly cmi ployed in examining the line for the purpose

of reporting on the subject to His Excellency. I On Saturday and Monday the Governor went". Ito Christchuich. On Sunday the whole party ; from the Brig attended Divine Service at the I temporary Church at Lyfi.ell.nn. On Tuesday His Excellence inspected the Gaol and the ' Schools, at Lytteifon ; the plan* of the new I Church v.ere also submitted to him by Mr. ' Mountford, the aiehitect. I:i the afternoon of Tuesday an assemblage of a considerable niim-

her of the natives of the ilistiicl took place on the railed ground opposite tho Custom House, which His Excellency attended. Several of the Maorles spoke at some length : the subject was a claim for some compensation fur land purchased by Government to the northward of the Canterbury block. His Excellency recched some of the natives on board the Government Bug in the e\ening, and gave his answer, with which the nati\es were satisfied.

On Wednesday morning, a meeting of the Magistrates of the district took place, by fciir G. Grey's desire, there being no time to procure a more general expression of opinion, to consider the best mode of using tho surplus revenue of the settlement, v.hich His Excellency stated that he was prepared to expend for purposes of local improvement. He iuithtrr stated that if tho meeting determined upon continuing the road from Lyllelton to Christchurch, he would advance a further sum out of the General He venue, sufficient to make up £0000 in all. The meeting, however, declared its opinion that, as £o()00 would not be nearly .sufficient to finish the road, and as there vwis no prospect of getting additional funds from other .sources, it would be more advantageous to spend the surplus revenue in improving, tlib less expensive communications on the plains. His Excellency accordingly promised to authorise a lo<m from the Provincial Treasury to the Csmtuibury Association for the above purpose. We understand that Mr. Godley intends to apply it to opening the Lincoln and illlesmere road as fur as the Heathcote, and metalling part of the road from Christchurch to the Ferry. His Excellency staled that, at the same time, he would not lose sight of the greater work — the completion of the Sumner ltoad.

The works are now in rapid progress for building tho Church at Lytteltou; part of the stone basement being already completed.

A " Government Gazette" issued on the 19th March unites the Middle and Southern Districts for purposes of the Supreme Court, and appoints 1 Judge Stephens to act as -Judge in the "whole district, that is for Wellington,' Nelson, Canter- J bury, and Otago. - . --.-"... ■•-'