ROXBURGH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 418, 19 December 1874, Page 2

ROXBURGH.

(From our oton Correspondent.)

Some of the material for the long talked of bridge is beginning to arrive on the ground at last, and I hope that a start will soon be made with its construction. The residents of the east side are now bestiring themselves in the way of taking up land, and the long despised Shingle Block is being pegged off in all. directions. Several applications are now before the Court pending survey. Mr Simpson, the Warden, presided over three different Courts here yesterday, that of Magistrate's, Warden's, and Quarterly Licensing Court. The case of Grant v. M'Phail, which was held over from last Court day for the production of further rebutting evidence on the part of the complainant, was settled' out of Court ; the matter in dispute being a boundary fence, for which the amount of about 38a per chain was sought to be charged ; a compromise was effected by M'Phail paying at the rate of 31s per chain . There was no business of any moment iv the Warden's Court. In the Licensing Court two bush licenses were granted — one to Thos. Erridge, for a house situated in the Waikaia ; and. the ither to John M'Laughlin, of the Shingle Creek Hotel. This house is juat within the distance (ten miles), required ny law, from anyother licensed house; the applicant being a suitable person, and the house being in every way adapted for the purpose, the license was granted. The following j»rtie3 were too late, withxtheir applications, viz., Thos. Fielding, Robert Ayling, and Jas. Cosgrove. The services of Messrs. Mackay and Beighton, two Justices of the Peace, were called into requisition the other day to adjudicate in ,a case of a rather novel kind. A certain young lady who presides over the culinary department at one of the hotels here, imbibed certain fluids not allowed by the Good Templars, got excited and commenced kicking up a row. In order to restore peace she was removed to the lockup, and during her incarceration she tore up the Government blankets and her own clothing, and had to be provided with new garments to make her appearance at Court, where she was fined 20a for destroying the Government blankets, but dismissed from the graver charge of drunkenness. We have had splended weather for the crops these last two days, having had a good downpour of rain now and then during that time. The miners on the east side of the river are seeking to have the whole of the low lying flat on the east side of the river above the punt thrown open as a mining reserve, as the present mining reserve of ten chains from the river is'too limited. Some of the miners are nearly in that distance already and obtaining better gold than they ever got before. In fact 1 think it would be well if the Government could see their way to have all the ground not already taken up, for a distance of say one-fourth of a mile on each side of the river proclaimed for mining purposes. These fiats and terraces will yet turn out to be a great source of wealth to the Province, if retained for the use of the miners. Another meeting in reference to the medical guarantee fund was held at IDttrick, on the evening of Monday last, the Bth inst., when a Committee was formed to act in unison with the one at Roxburgh ; and I have no doubt that arrangements will be made that will suit all parties. I think the inhabitants of that place are willing to pay 3s a mile for travelling expenses, and if this is done it will raise the guarantee fund to something over £400.