CANTERBURY.

Otago Witness, Issue 569, 24 October 1862, Page 7

CANTERBURY.

(pfiOM THE DHU TIMCa CO-RESPONDENT ) Christchurch, Oct. 15, 1862. doJMhof the Provincial Council are. perhaps, thflHHk important I have to mention in this lette^££poe I last wrote two more vacancies have been occasioned by the retirement of Mr Cookson and Mr Jlurr iy,"thu« leaving to be filled up one of ihe four seats' for C'uristcbuich and one for the Hei-t'icotu district. Dr. Turnhull was elected lo the seat vacated by Mr J. Brit tan without opposition ; for the other the Hon Mr Tancred has consented to stand on receiving a numerously signed and influential requisition inviting him to present himself as a candidate. The interest, however, excited in Christchurch by the prospect of a contested election has, as usual, been of a very wild description. The nomination took place yesterday in the presence of some five and twnnty persons, who placed Mr Hawkes in a majority in the show of hands, and the poll will take place to-morrow. I should scarcely iuvigine that the electors of Christchurch would choose to be represented by a perfectly untried man, and a comparatively late arrival, in pieference to one ■who has taken an active part both in general and provincial politics since the foundation of the settlement, and therefore venture to predict the return of Mr Tancred. The friends of Mr Hawkes however, profess themselves very confident of success. For the Heathcote district there are also two candidate?, Mr Williams, solicitor, of the firm of Duncan and Williams ; and Mr Turnbull, who comes forward Li the Jigriculturul interest, of which this district is one of ;he strongholds. The poll was taken to-day, and at the principal polling-place was in favor of Mr Williams, but I have heard that at the other it went very much airainst him, and perhaps that may have been sufficient to turn the scale.

In the Provincial Council itself matters appear to have gone on pretty smoothly, till last night the Secretary made iiis financial statement, and I am much mistaken if he has not supplied the house ■vvth ample materials for any required amount of debate. It must h n understood that the estimates have only been made up for nine months ending June 30th, 1863, it having been agreed that in future the financial year shall commence on the first of July, instead of the first of October, in order that the estimates may be considered and money for public works voted in time to allow of operations being commenced early in the spring. The balance at the present time standing to the credit of the province amounts to upwards of LBO,OOO ; the land sales are calculated as likely to produce Lloo,ooo more ; the pasturage licenses Ll 6,000, with the addition of some other items, bringing up the whole income for the nine months to L 233.000. On the other side of the account, the ordinary expenditure for the same time is placed at L 293,000, to say nothing of the railway, which will absorb L 61,000. The main point of the finjincial scheme of the Government is a proposal to repeal the Railway Loan Act, and pass a new one for raising £500,000, and out of this to make up the over expenditure of L 120.000. This plan is sufficiently startling, and proves beyond a cavil that, whatever differences of opinion may exist as to their" general ability, our Executive are possessed of a remarkable facility of getting through money, and are not at all bashful about giving themselves a chance of displaying their powers in that line. A singular tiling too is that this expenditure does not include any of those great works •which are so necessary, and have been so much talked of— such as a bridge across the Rakaia; a deep water jetty at Lyttelton ; a lighthouse ; various important public buildings in Christ* church, &C..&C; nor makes any provision for that fixed idea of the Superintendent, the extension of the railway to Timaru, which he has repeatedly pledged himself to carry into effect before his term of office shall have expired. We must therefore suppose that all these works are to be undertaken in addition to thobe mentioned in the estimates, which is piling Pelion on Ossa with a vengeance. A difficulty also presents itself at the outset to this plan of raising money by loan, for since the sanction of the Home authorities must firnt be obtiiined, so much time must necessarily elai se before we could touch the money, that it would hardly be in time to help us out in meeting the demands of the current year. However, the whole matter, has yet to undergo the oi deal of discussion in the Council, and th"re ere men in it now with whom the interests ot the Province may saft-ly be triiite j, and who will not allow the colony to be plunged into embavasiment by any extravagancies on the part of its rulers.

The members of the Philosophical Institute, held their opening dinner on Thursday week, when Mr Haast, the President, delivered * long and interesting inaugural address, in the course of which he passed in review all that has been done in the several provinces of New Zealand in the way of scientific research, and explained what were the particular objects to which it is most desirable that this Society should direct its attention. The address ha^ since been published in the form of a pamphlet. His Honor the Suocrintendent. who was present at the dinner, promised on the part of the Government that they would give all the support in their power to the exertions of the Institute, which has thus made its first step with much enthusiasm on the part of its members, and considerable promise of becoming of great advantage to the Province.

A rather amusing correspondence has appeared in the Lyitellon Times, respecting some supposed gold discoveries in the Timaru district. Reports ■were brought to Christchurch some time ago that Mr Levy, a medical gentleman residing at Timam, had found some specimens which appeared to warrant the expectation that extensive deposits would be proved to exist in the neighborhood ; and accordingly, Mr Ilaast went down to inspect the locality and decide whether it would bear oui. the claim asserted to the rev/aid offered by the Provincial Government for the discovery of a paying uold field. However, a brief examination was sufficient to convince him that there was no indication of the existence of gold, and he returned to Christchurch forthwith, to the inteuse disgust of some enthusiastic gold-seekers who accompanied hun in his prospecting expedition. One of them, Mr Itose, Collector of Customs, at Timaru, eased his mind by writing a letter to the Lyttelton Times, complaining bitterly of Mr Haast's impatience, and asking indignantly what lie conld expect to find ia a he irch of two hours only. He. iv the same letter, alluded to a present Tie had lunde to the Philosophical Institute, of " a lizard skeleton, saurian yen us." Mr Haast replied in due course, reiterating his opinion, that no amount of industry would have been rewarded by the discovery of gold, as there was none there to be found ; and suggesting that if Mr Hose was so confident thatfuither research would result in the discovery of a gold field,-— he ought to be rather grateful to Mr ilaast for so obligingly leaving him all the honor and profit, — the glory of shutting up the Philosopher, and the pleasure of pocketing the £1,000. As to the lizard skeleton, it turned out that " some stupidly matter of fact medical and other gentlemen, who had seen it, persisted in saying that it was part of a mutilated skeleton of some aquatic bird, which had in all probability afforded a meal to a rapacious hawk," The whole thing appears to have been either a hoax, or a discovery of a similar sort, to that of the owner of the golden ducks, of which I told you some time ago.

Our nuibical amateurs, after a temporary eclipse, are com:ne out again in great force. The two societies, which existed latelyuuderthenamesofthe Musical Union and the St. Cedlia Society, — ihe one composed of instrumentalists, the other, of vocal performers, have very wisely united, to compose a third, which by combining the peculiar attractions of each, bids fair to surpass them both. Thu fiist Concert of this Canterbury Musical Society (such is its name), took place on Tuesday week sind was very successful, in spite of some disadvantageous circumstances arising from the many and varied purposes for which the Townhall, as being the only public building of any size in Umstchurch, is compelled to be used. The members purpt.se giving another concert shortly, in aid of the Lancashire Relief Fund • and at Christmas, as I hear, they contemplate a prohgious achievmeut, nothing less than the performance of an entire oratorio— "The Messiah." Certainly there is nothing like aiming high, but this docs set-m a very bold flight. The Garrick Club give another performance this evening, at the Foresters' Hail, converted for the nonce into a theatre. This club is entirely a local one, patronized chiefly by the tradesmen of the town, and all things considered, really does remarkably well. Their "Julius Csesar," the piece selected for their opening night, was much better than I could have expected, and decidedly ab.>vethe usual average of amateur acting. Christchurch ha 3 bjen well supplied with puolic enter.tainments lately, for besides those already mentioned, with th<? addition of Thatcher (who will •hortly take his departure) j a very tolerable company, got together by Mr. Hall, th© polyphoniit,

has been pl-iyin^r at the Town-hall during the last week — Mrs. Fohy and Mr. Lawrence, from Melbourne, arc among the chief stars. Tne manager has selected taking pieces for rcpiescntation, a:id put them on the stage in so superior a style thnt ho has succeeded in creating a favour able impression, and drawing much better houses than has b u en the ease on similar occasions heretofore.

A kind of semi-public dinner was given on Monday evening in honour ot J. T. Coukson, Esq , who is leaving for England ; as> a mark of the respect and esteem in which lie is universally held in the province. The chair was taken by Mr. Fitzgerald, who, in proposing the toast of the evening, expressed with much feeling the sorrow he Mt, in which all who know Mr. Cookson could uot fail to participate, at parting from so valued a friend, who^o courtesy and kindness had justly endeared him wherever he was known. The dinner was attended by the Superintendent, and about sixty other gentlemen.