[BT ELECTBIC TEI.EGBAPH.] CHRtSTCHtruKCH, Friday, 5 p.m. The Provincial Council was opened at two o'clock to-day. There were not many members present. ' The Superintendent's speech was a very long one. He congratulated the Council on the return of the progressive prosperity which marked the early, growth of the pro vince. He reviewed the. past financial de pression, and touched on the ' Native war. Yet, he said it was impossible not to recog nise the foundation of a prosperous future firmly laid- Whilst the pastoral interests had suffered, agriculture had spread, and no doubt the latter would continue to increase,

and the lands now lying idle cultivated on a large scale, or distributed amongst a growing population to promote the wealth of the country. He congratulated the Cuuncil on the establishment of flax and meat preserving manufactories. He was not without hope of payable gold fields being discovered m the province. He also referred to the award oil the Can terbury and Westluud debt. Referriug to southern matters, thu Super intendent said : You will be asked to con sider proposals for the apportionment of revenue to the districts of the province south of the Raugitata, and correspondence will be laid before you embodying principles on which £ consider such apportionment should be made. In the interests of a large and rapidly increasing district of the province, I trust that such measures may be adopted as will lead to the abandonment of views on the part of a section of the inhabitants which, if they were carried out, could not but be pre judicial both to the interests of the districts and to the good government of the province. 1 am unable to perceive that there is any dissimilarity of interests, or any geographical barrier between thb country north and south of the Kaugitata which can at all interfere with the due management by one Government of a uniform system of adminis tration iv all matters relating to police, gaols, harbours, immigration, education, and the waste lands of the province. 