TOKOMAIRIRO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 214, 27 August 1862, Page 5

TOKOMAIRIRO.

CFKO3I OCXS OWN CORUESPONDKNT.)

August 23rd, 1862' The excitement prevailing here on the subject of the Hartley or Dunsuu diggings is intense. Groups of people are to be seen congregated around the Post office and Ihe various hotels eagerly canvassing the various routes to the new El Dorado, and the bona fide nature of the information received up to the present time. An immense demand has sprung up for picks, shovels, and tin dishes, and" the stores are besieged by crowds, anxious to obtain these indispensable portions of a digger's outfit. Horses too, are ia great denianrT,°and the fortunate owners of any of these animals, that appear to have any clnnce of being able to bear the journey, are obtaining for°them about 50 per cent, more than they would have realized a week ago. Pack saddles are very bri-k, and more freely at advanced rated. The gold mania has seized on all. Farmers are leaving their farnir., servants their situations, and tradesmen, their tools, all oil" to the Dun-st.-in. Many tennis laden with provisions have already started to endeavour to force a passage via Turspeka, Beaumont and Tevior, past Gardner's, Millar's, Musgraves, Baldwin's, Lowe's, and Black's stations. This, although much the nearest route, is according to the most reihble accounts a most difficult one. and likely to prove an impossible one for anythin;; except pack horses. It is passible that some of the drays may make their way through, or discover some new raid more available road than tint at present known, but the general opinion of those best acquainted with the country, i,-; that they will prove unsuccessful, anJ have to return and go by the West Taieri! The Woolshed is almost deserted, and but a few ihr-svjeing people remain there. These, anticipating ihe time when either those that have left or new arrivuli will again flock to the Woolshed, have bought up the took freehold cl :inis, &c, which the others in their mad haste to join the »u>h have sold at mvrely nominal prices. CJnJms, the .-hares in which ih.> owners would not h;:vo taken £30 or .£-!') for a f.w days r.a:o, have been soid ihr Xi or £3—-in fact for anything the buyer liked to give, ho tha? he gave it, at once. Of course ail this will throw a damp on the pn>g!<->s of this district, but the check will i think only be a temporary one. Although under the dßcts of strong excitement, and the almost imsistable attractionswhieha newru»h, (specially if a good distance away, oilers to the digger, he mny relinquish claims from which lie was r^Using £10 or £12 a week, still he will in a short time be sure to return, unless the new place be something very wonderful, lie will be the more likely to do this when he finds that he ha* to pay s'jtne two or three hundred per cent, more for the necessaries of life. Ground as rich as some of that at the Wo.dMied undeni;tbly is, is certain not to remain long unoecur.k'd, even though its mare distant competitors boast of greater riches. One great gm> i which will result from this rush, even should it prove a failure, is that it will lend to a thorough prospecting of the whole country. From what 1 know of the country my-jlf, ant! from the opinions of men well (jmliiSe'l t> judge, J should not be surprised if ere next whuer the diggings should extend ahiiast couthiuously from Toknmiiriro to the Mannberikia, perhaps to the Wakatip and W'atiaka.

I'he remarks in your leader of "Friday la«t, relative to giving the r;>iiig townships of the l'rovincc the benefit o! .Municipal Institutions art: specially applicable to this District, the population of which amounts according to the last census to nearly 1,800, a number which will probably be much increased in the course of the "summer. Some recognised and official exponent of the wants and wi.she* of the community is much wanted. If any measure is introduced to supj)ly this want, it is to he hoped that the policy hitherto usually pursued of creating a cumbrous and unwieldy body, destitute of all real authority and power, will not be adhered to. Such bodies are common in the colony, and they only serve to make matters woise* Auv •nea-uiiv to j;ivc country di>frtct> the benefit ot municipal in-titutious should lie of the simplest form possible, or «.■] <: it will prove unworkable, and the ivi;i'.-dy will prove worse than the dis-e::-e. Ido not know what power theCioveniment have of proclaiming towns which have not in-on reserved as .such on the map, and which are o;i private property; hut it would be well ifMlhoii were constituted a town. The number of hm-cs i<; duly increasing, aad it h in reality assuming something of the appearance of a town, although not legailv so. The use oi having it made one would be, that then several useful Or !i;:a:iccs whic'.i ap]>!y exclusively to towns onid be brought into operation wiieu required. As an instance of these, I may nrjiit-ou the Consiabulm- Force Or linaiic..- of Xew Mun.^tcr, which deals with an infinitj num!;er of p.tty oftl-iiciis of frequent oxurreucj wluro m uiy *pjop!e are brought into close contact with "each other, and winch are not providtd fu- by any other Ordinance. The lock-up lure" has lately been proclaimed a public gaol, which will enable prisoners sentenced to short terms of imprisoment t-> be kept here, where theirlabourwill be useful in the vicinity of the police station, instead of their being rent into town. The new Courthouse is now erected. It is a :nost unsightly building, and altogether too small and inconvenient. In addition to those connected wish the cases under consideration, L do not think that it will accommodate more than eight or ten of the public, while of a court day, °it is by no means uncommon to see fifty or sixty present where the Court is now held.

A wire fence has lately been pat round the public cemetery here. This was much needed, as the Camotcry was getting into a most disgraceful condition. The usual work of burning the country to improve the feed has now commenced, and every night the horizon is illuminated in all direction*. It is a most dangerous practice now that the country is becoming more^.hickly inhabited, and although it cannot be Entirely dispensed with, yet great caution should be observed in doing it, or serious damage may ensue. The body of the raati whom I mentioned in my last as having been drowned about six weeks or two months ago in the neigbourhood of the Tnieri Ferry, and whose body had not then been found, has been found, and the Coroner proceeded to the ferry this morning to hold an inquest upon it.' g-F?;«Fliy»M«ir.Mi J t f i. T^^af » T"-HllMMgggg" l '"iu,utiuj.i. J^M , Tin: '-Duslop Cash."—This case, which has excited much interest in Scotland, was settled by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on Fri- i day. The Rev. Mr. Gelbic. minister of Duulop, was i charged with heresy, ami with irregular conduct in j connection with the "revival movement" in his ! paiLii. He was found guilty on s-eveval counts and ' tiie Committee of the Assembly, to which the case i was rjferrel, reported on Friday that Mr. Gebbie had J disclaimed holding the false doctrines imputed to him ana ha.i expressed extreme regret that he Mioultl have I said anything that might lead to the conclusion that j he held such doctrines. He also expressed regret ! that lie had allowed scenes of disorder in his church. '' Ihe Assembly agree 1 to admonish Mr. Gebbie lo be ! more cautious and prudent in future, and that he i should not resume the pulpit duty till the first-Sab- ! bath of July, when the report of the Commission j and the deliverance of the Assembly are to be read at i Ins church. |

The Queen, since her return to Windsor, has visited the Hoyal Mausoleum at Frogmore, and appears deeply interested in the progress of this intended eating place for her Royal Concort.