TOKOMAIRIRO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 181, 26 June 1862, Page 5

TOKOMAIRIRO.

(FROM OUH OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Tokomairiro, June 21st, 1862. The shock of the earthquake, on the night of the 12th instant, was distinctly felt by a number of persons in thi3 district. The eclipse of the moon on the same evening appeared to great advantage. A vacancy in' the representation of iiruce County (of which Tokomairiro forms one of the most important portions), has been caused by the death of the late lamented representative, Mr. Kettle. Captain Baldwin is, I understand, likely to be a candidate for tlie vacant seat. Tbe practical knowledge of tbe requirements of the gold fields, and of the alterations which are needed in the present Gold Fields Act, which the gallant Captain has acquired as Commissioner at Waitahuna, points him out ns likely to prove an eminently useiul member of the Assembly, should lie be returned. In addition to this, Captain Baldwin is a fluent and practised speaker, and a man whose social'position would at once command the attention and respect of the House. I have not as yet heard of any other probable candidate, and as far a3 the electors of Tokomairiro' are concerned, I do not think that any opponent could make a very successful canvass, as they appear perfectly satisfied at the prospect of heing represented by one so well qualified for the task as the gentleman in question.

Two sittings of tho Resident Magistrate's* uoii.t have been heal neie du..'.g the week, but there AVvie no cases of importance ;.t either of them—the mo-t serious c.ise bei.ig that of a man from the Woolshed. I who -was to fourteen days lvu-d labor, undu. the Vagrant Ordinance, f..r in lceney wila im vl „o insult a temple, Aiith wiio^o husband he h.u! jit., ' „:i fighting. it Mould be a great boon to the inhabit mt- < t i.iib diitiiel, were it piucl.ii.iicd a dutiut undo- t,e daughter House Act, a-id an lii'pcciui- of tdau .'i v.r Ilim-Co appointed. At present thoie aie two s1 iu o -l:----ter yaid* in the midst of the town 'sip of Miirj.,. wliich are a source of considerable annoyance to the neig. bionig lesident"-, especially, as but lnlli-iuti'i - tion is paid to tlieir cleanliness." The appointment-o> one of tlie police stationed here as Inspector would remedy t'ns evil, and wo dd put a stop to the present indiscriminate mode of n-.!:ng!iteiing cattle. -As matters stand now, there r; t;o cheek whatever on killing cattle; no notice has to bo given before doing so, nor are the parties under any obligation either to keep an account of the brands, or preserve the hides or- the beasts slaughtered. In fact, nothing in the world would lie easier for any on:- so iueliiiet', than to on to the run, and drive oil'aud kill as many beasts as be wished. By at once destroying-the hides, detection would be rendered impossible, and Avhen the -beasts were missed by their owners, their disappearance would in all probability bs ascribed to tho Tutu. There ia also an immense number of unbranded cattle on the run, and of course, with these, there would bo still Jess fear of being discovered. That thiniS of this kind havj not been done-already, is creditable ttf those who have had every .temptation to doit; but as tholoo!:ed-for rush nextspriiigmaynot be quite the little lnillcuisim which people seem to expect, it would be as well to remove all temptations to crime. We will probably have sufficient cf it, without holding out a kind of persuasion for its commission. Apropos, how is it that "none of our legislative geniuses liiae done tiie same Iriud oili c for eattiethat they have for ■ sheep, by having a registry of Brands ? Such an institution U a conkuumatiou devoutly to bo wished for by a.l ow; ers of cattle. The ureadful stare of the road for some miles on each side of the Taieri Ferry has compelled the proprietors of the coaches to discontinue the running of a coach direct, and now one coach comes as far as tho Reliance Hotel, where the passengers and mails are conveyed by boat to Clarendon, aud there met by auotaei- coach. By this arrangtnent the worst part of the road is avoided, r.Uiiough, in stormy wcaiher is causes tho coaches to he rather behind, as it is liiiiieiilt to np the Waihola Lake when there is :•. s>u' .vester blowing. The public cemetery in this district is iv a uio3l. shamcf ji state, something parallel to the condition of the old cemetery in JDiuiedhi a few years ago. It is quite iiiifenced", and' ihe cattle 'wander over it at pleasure, while the paling; which surround some of Die graves afford mo=t cmveiiient places on which to h .ng .he bu lies of luis^s, Avhen there is a putuie meeting or anything of that s.at. at the adjacent school , house. Sometimes a resvive horse nearly pulls the j paling down altogether, and some of the graves are ; quite unprotected. , Allans at the Woolshed are still in " confusion i worse confounded," and rows of all kinds are of daily occur: c .cc. The materials for the erection of a Police Station there, were sent up from Dunedin, but ' when they were unpacked it Avas discovered thai- a ; considerable portion of the timber was nou ejt iyiventus, so that the election of the building could net be proceeded with. The miners talk of getting .up a i petition for the appointment of' a government staff there, and its being proclaimed a Goidfield. The •. supply of water is a frightful source of disagreement, i Captain Baldwin, for-a considerable time past, has been in the habit of coming over from Waitahuna ■ occasionally to settle disputes, biit, as he possesses • no authority to enforce his decisions, the Woolshed - not being within his jurisdiction, he was of course sometimes placed ia a rather unpleasant position, and it is not, therefore, to bo wondered at it' he has dis- . continued his A-isits there, and left them to settle ti.eir disputes as they best can. <

The township of Milton has lately received an accession to its number in the shape of a Watchmaker and Jeweller, and a Photographic artist.