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Provincial Secretary\'s Office,
Christchurch, May 22nd, 1857.

NOTICE is hereby given, that his Honor the Superintendent has appointed the following additional polling places for the purpose of the election of Members of the House of Representatives, of the Superintendent of the Province of Canterbury, and of Members of the Provincial Council.

For the Christchurch Country District :
The residence of Mr. John Hayhurst, on the North Bank of the River Ashburton.

The office of the Resident Magistrate, at Timaru.

By his Honor\'s command,
RICHARD PACKER,
Provincial Secretary.

TENDERS FOR PRINTING.

Provincial Secretary\'s Office,
Christchurch, 20th May, 1857.

TENDERS FOR PRINTING for the year, commencing on the 1st July, next, will be received at this office, up to Thursday, the 11th June next, at 12 o\'clock.

Separate Tenders must be made for :

1. Printing the Provincial Government Gazette.
2. Printing Ordinances of the Provincial Council.
3. Printing Drafts of Bills and other occasional papers.
4. Printing official Forms.

Separate contracts will be made for each.

The Government or the Contractor to be at liberty to terminate the contract by three months\' notice on either side.

The Government will not be bound to accept the lowest tender.

RICHARD PACKER,
Provincial Secretary.

Provincial Secretary\'s Office,
Christchurch, 12th May 1857.

HIS HONOR the Superintendent directs the publication for general information of the following letters from Captain Millton of the Zingari steamer, and Captain Conradi, of the Highlander schooner.

By order of his Honor the Superintendent,
RICHARD PACKER,
Provincial Secretary.

Lyttelton, 23rd April, 1857.

SIR,—In answer to your favour of the 21st instant, requesting me to state my opinion of Timaru as a place for vessels to frequent, having only been there once am not in a position from my own knowledge to form one: but comparing it with New Plymouth on the west coast of the North Island and other open roadsteads I have visited, that any class of vessels, using ordinary precaution, may land and receive cargo with perfect safety; the facility with which it may be done would of course much depend on the kind of boats and people employed.

It is well sheltered from the winds that blow the hardest and get up the heaviest swell, namely, S.-Westerly. The holding ground appeared to me very good; moorings would be of great service, as it would enable them to get under weigh quickly on the first appearance of bad weather. As I am much pressed for time you will please excuse the brevity of my reply.

I have the honor to remain, Sir,
Your Honor\'s obedient servant,
W. N. MILLTON.

J. E. Fitz Gerald, Esq.

Lyttelton, New Zealand,
5th May, 1857.

SIR,—I beg to inform you that I have been down to Timaru in my schooner, the "Highlander," 148 tons register, to bring up Wool for Mr. Frederick Banks, of the firm of Messrs. Miles, Kington and Co., and, as he told me that you would be glad to receive any information about that place likely to prove useful to the Colony, I beg to report as follows :—

I arrived there during a south-east wind, blowing hard, a heavy sea was rolling outside, but there was comparatively smooth water along the beach; anchored in 4 1/2 fathoms, Patiti point bearing south-east by south half south, Lagoon point north-west by north : very good holding ground, chiefly clay.