GOOD NEWS FOR THE MINERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVII, Issue 967, 15 February 1862, Page 3

GOOD NEWS FOR THE MINERS.

We have seldom had a more gratifying task than the present. We have at the same time to announce the introduction of most beneficial reforms on the gold fields, and to praise the Government that instituted them. The late visits to the mines have born prompt fruits, as the following results will show:—Tenders have been received and accepted for raising 1200 tons of coal or lignite on Tuapeka, and 1000 on Waitahuna. Sheds are to be erected by the Government, and the coal is to be retailed out to the miners at cost price. We are not at liberty to indicate exactly what that will be, suffice it that the cost will be little more than that of procuring firewood on the Victorian gold fields. In a proper fire -place, the expense of fuel is likely to be less than SI a month; this, divided amongst a party of miners, will be comparatively trifling. Townships are at once to be laid out and disposed of at Tuapeka and Waitahuna, at the sites indicated by Mr Hardy in his report. The allotments will be mapped out into quarter-acre, one-acre, and tenacre blocks. The upset price is not yet fixed. The road to Weatherstone's from the neighbouring gold fields is ordered to be at once proceeded with, and contracts for thousands of pounds have been accepted for repairing roads and erecting bridges on the route to the gold fields from Dunedin. An hospital is at once to be erected at a situation nearly equi-distant from Tueapeka, Weatherstone's, ami Waitahuna. The dimensions are to be 130 feet by 2.0 feet, and it is to be fitted up to hold forty patients. To close our interesting budget, revisions and emendations are to be made in the mining rules to meet present necessities, pending the formation of mining boards and the construction of by-laws. The miners, we do not doubt, will be gratified with these concessions, and will esteem the inducements offered by the province as not inferior to those of Victoria.

A rumour was prevalent in the town yesterday that the Blue Jacket had been placed in quarantine, owing to typhus fever'having broken out on. board. We are happy to think the report unfounded, as late last evening the passengers by this ship arrived at the Jetty. We understand there were nearly 500 on board. They must have .conceived an extremely unfavourable impression ot the town, with its wet, muddy streets and profound darkness. It is too bad that a few lamps are not stationed about. One at least might be placed on the jetty. A private firm, Messrs. Standford and Co., has erected at its own expense a lamp opposite the cutting. The material burnt is kerosene, and the liujit given is exceedingly brilliant. "Assisted Female Immigration is at last decided on, Instructions are to leave by the first mail to send out a limited number of female emigrants, selected from all parts of Great Britain and Ireland. The agents are to bo allowed the discretion of paying the whole or only part of the passage wwwy. A person inado au application yesterday at i!;u iSuper-

intendent's office, for the passage expenses t*o be paid of the female portion of Am family, he undertaking to pay for the male members. We are exceedingly pk-assd to find that in accordance with the petition presented .to the Superintendent, his Honor has determined to at once call for tenders for a steamer to carry down the English mails at the latest date'compatible with catching the mail steamer which leaves Melbourne on the 2Gth. An advertisement appears in another column, but we believe it is to be altered as far as that the date of receiving tenders is to be extended to the 7th April, thus giving longer opportunity to tenderers. I he present contract will be continued, but viewing the trifling subsidy paid for the contract which the contractors have the power at any time to throw up, the further inducement will, we believe, be offered them of a bonus or gratuity whenever they succeed in bringing the mails down in time to admit of answers being returned the same month. The sale of land at Oamaru, block 3, took place at the Land Offices, Dunedin, on Friday.' The total amount realised was £6613 1 Is. 9d., and the quantity sold was 4030 acres 3 roods 35 perches. The highest price given was £4 6s. per acre, and the lowest £1 Is. Average rate per acre, £1 12s. 4d. The thirteen and a-half ounce nugget found at the Waipori, came to town on Saturday. It was bought on the diggings by the New Zealand Bank, which has parted with it to the Great Exhibition Commission. It will be sent down by first steamer for exportation. It is a large flat piece of gold, somewhat impregnated with "cement." If any one could afford so expensive an ornament, it is admirably adapted for a letter weight. In fact, nature seems to have destined it for that purpose. A movement is afloat amongst some of the leading houses to close their offices at two o'clock on Satur-. day, so as to give their employees a half holiday on that day. This practice is now generally adopted in the chief commercial cities both at home and in the colonies. One thing that will rather interfere with it here is that the mails for the interior of the province are closed the first thing on Monday morning, necessitating the writing of advices on the Saturday. The steamers to Canterbury and Southland, and to the northern parts of the province, are also generally despatched early on Monday morning, and goods by them have to be shipped on the Saturday. The consequence is that Saturday in lieu of being the lightest is mostly the heaviest day in the week to those houses which have business with the interior and with the settlements on the coast. If other arrangements would permit, it would be better1 to change the day of closing the mails and of the sailing of the steamers to Tuesday. The Southland Provincial Government has offered a reward of £100 for such information as may lead to the conviction of the person or persons who set fire to the Ocean Chief.