TOKOMAIRIRO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 309, 16 December 1862, Page 6

TOKOMAIRIRO.

(from our own correspondent.)

December 12th 1862,

The escort from the Woolshed this we«k, although not quite equal to the last, is stiil very good, especially whenthe.comparatively small number of miners on the field is considered. The marvellous tales regarding the riches of the Dunstan which are now current, have militated considerably against tho Woolshed, and have cast its attractions quite into the shade. Large numbers of the diggers have left and many are still leaving for the new El Dorado, but a considerable number declare their intention of abiding by the Woolshed. One good sign is that the number of water wheels and other mechanical contrivances is increasing, and I have heard the apparently strange fact of the escort increasing, while the population is decreasing, accounted for by the fact that several of the h rge parties have only just commenced to reap a return for the labour they have hitherto been expending in making preparations to work their claims There are a considerable number of miners at work on Adam's Flat and on Millar's Plat—more, perhaps, than there are on the Woolshed proper. A Warden's Court is now held at the Woolshed every Tuesday. Mr Wood, the -v ar( i en f rom Waitahuna, attending there. The Clerk to the Warden's Court also attends there every Friday, to issue summonses, miner's rights, business licenses, &c. A llesident Magistrate's Courtis held at the Woolshed every Monday, for civil and criminal business. Mr Musgrnve, the Magistrate from Tokomairiro, attending.

The first meeting of the Bench of Justices, in this district, under the Licensing Ordinance, was held here last week, for the pir pose ot receiving applications for the transfer of licenses. There were, however, no applications. A similar meeting was called at the E&«t Taieri last Tueslay, and the. Resident Magistrate attended ; but as no other Magistrate appeared, there was of course no meeting. However, It did^not much matter as there were not, I believe, any applications. . .';.■: Meetings of the Mutual Improvement Pociety and the Agricultural Society were called for last Friday an i Satur ay evenings respectively, and both our M.P.'J.'s came out of town to attend them. Unfortunately both ireetings proved failures. The first owing to a very wet night—the second to—l don't k ow what.

The. triennial election of a lay representative for this district, in the Utago Rural Deanery .Board, is now goiner on. Mr J. Squires was origiually appointed lleturning Officer, but owing to his uhavoidaDle absence from the district, Mr E. T. Gillon has been appointed its his stead. The iate member, Mr Dewe, isjikely to be again returned. Talking "-of representatives reminds me that the Counedis likely to have a re-apporti nment of members to make this session. I hope that the claims to a larger amount of representation than is possessed by this district will not be ignored by the House. I regret to say that Tokomairiro generally offers to take but little interest in. the forthcoming Exhibition, and will be but inadequately represented at it. Mr Hnnly has obt ined a very large bock of coal, upwards of five cwt;, 1 believe, and he will also exhibit specimens of grain, &c. Mr "Dewe has forwarded some very beautiful-specimens of petrified moss, from a singular petrifying well upon his property. The same gentleman also exhibits some fine seedling apples. Summer appears to have really come nt -last. The weather for the Ja-st few days has nem exceedingly warm, and the hay crop is rapidly prepuringjfor the scathe; and bids loir to turn out well.^ •>**.■£■

A Custom-house has been erected at the Taieri, on the Ferry reserve, and Air A. Logic in now there as sub-collector.

The wire over the Molyneus River has been replaced, and the punt is expected to be on again to-morrow. A vessel belonging to Messrs Thomas and Woods, of the. xMolyneux Ferry, has just been ..wrecked at .the •mouth of that river" She. has been for soma time trading'fbetween Melbourne a7id the Mblyneux. and it wasou coming over the. Bar on her voyage from the former, port that she went auround. hhe is expected to become almost a total wreck. I understand that there is shortly to be another bridge placed across the Tokowairiro River, in a line with the main road, which will then go attaint acrss, instead of taking the extraordinary twist which the position of the present bridge compels it to do now.

The new Presbyterian Church is being rapidly pushed on. It will be rather a handsome' building. t'.p f mudation is of stone and the superstructure of wood.

. tew weeks ago there appeared a paragraph in your co.umns stating flat an otfer to lease the peacoast between the mouths of the Taieri and Tokoinairiro river.--, lor the purpose of c-.ll.crmo- the Bla<-k or Titamerou3 iron Sand, had bee-n received by the (General Government, and by them referred t:> the Provincial authorities. This sand abounds in some places along the coa?t, especally about t ;e mouth of a cr ek called Emery Creek, it having been at first, supposed that the sand was emery. A very considerate portion of the coast line alluded to is. however, pr vate propert., a-.id it would be satisfactory f some further iatornrinoa on the suhject we. c afforlcl, as it is a mitterof considerab'e importance not only to the proprietors whose property would be affected, hut also to the whole district. If it were found posfi >le to come to any arrangement by which this *>a id c ;uld be turned to account, it would open up a n w source of wealth to the Province, aud do a great do a of g-o.id to the district. Perhaps as the Council is now in session, the Governme it might be induced to lay some information regarding the subject on the table of the House