LAWRENCE. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.) 12th January, 1865.

Otago Witness, Issue 685, 14 January 1865, Page 10

LAWRENCE. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.) 12th January, 1865.

January, The Escort leaves here this moraine with 729"

ounces of gold. The smallness of this amount may be accounted for in a variety of ways: —ln the first pace, tbe Christmas holi-'ays^have been as u^ual rievo'ed to pleasures of various kind—the system of reeisferinsr claims rmine; this period, for the purpose ot giving the miners an opportun tv of havi- g a b< lWay without risk of forfeiture or jumpim, has been amply taken advantage of, - so that many have not been wrought until the last few fkys ; then the heavy floods and almost continuous r-un of the fortnieht, terminating last Friday, kept a i>ood many miners from work, and also did wnsiderabl.- d->nnge by flooding their claims fillip 2 up water channel* and races. &c, &c; - md lastly, the (ie3'ruction of Gascoigne's dam by the great fl od, h«s caused a great scarcity of water in the Weatberstone portion of tbe district. Some decrease of pi>pulatiou in tbe latter place may alsi b> attributed to the same cause; but as soon asarra^L'ementn h.ve been made to repair or reconstruct the dam, "We'atherstono will draw hack all tbe population she has lately (but only temporarily) lor-t It is also worthy of note that from the veryfact ot this .TolfifHil b^ing the roost prosperous in tbe Province, it follows that it suffers a greater diminution of its escort on such an occasion as the Ohri<tmrs holidays, for the better the miners are (loins:, the bet'er can they afford to let their 3laimsbtand idle for a week while they take aholidav. If, as 1 anticipate, other gold fields do not shcr so larce a decrease in their escorts on this occasion it only proves that they have not taken ±o lons' a holiday, but have_ kept their claims work'iig while ouis have been idle. A human ■skull ha« be»n discovered at Waipori, in the river ?,bout half a mile below the township. It is supposed to be that of a man drowned about two joars ago while in a state of delirium, • tremens . Much anxi?tv prevails in the district anent tne pleuro-pneumo-iia which is extending its ravages rapidly. Two (if our priicipal dairymen have this we^k discontinued the sale cf milk, and turned ih^ir <-attle out to go dry, s>o that milk will pet p'Ptty «cvrce if others follow their example. Deaths from that disease are of continual occurre"ca. and some steps should be taken without dflayto secure a proper supervision of the catt'e siaushtered and meat nffercd tor sale. *Our reorients herp in the township, as well aa all tbe nvning poi>ulatioD, were much disconcerted at learning the untimely fate cf the modal of the famous Bine '"pur aiagiegs at Gabriels. It isto be hopeH t!ia f it may iot be too late even yet to restore it sufficiently fir the Exhibition. Mr Drummond will be asked to explain his ex-traordina-y conduct if he returns to this district. Apropos of ihe » xhioit'on. The largest piece of gold yet produced in the colony will form not the least attractive of the exhibits from this district I me in the cike of upwards of 300 ozs from tl c Waipoii reef, which went to Dnnedin by last escort. A meeting whs held nt the Sportsman's Arms, Weath"rs'one, hst nisrht. for the purpose of electing an \ wipr vement Committee for the district of G ibrieis. It was Dumerously attended, and muoh interest was taken in the proceedings* MrMouatt was in the chair, and after stntingthe nVj=ct of fTie meeting and pointing out the mmv local requirements that might be diaouispdiby the proposed Committee, called on Mr George Bailpy. who moved the first resolution:— "Tint it is expeiient that an Improvement Committee be formed in the di-trict of Gahuels." In sp-aking to the motion he mentioned th? Improvement Committees of the Hun tan and Queenslow-n. and the advantages tho-e places received by having a body of men to 1 ok after their interests; also, the proposed establishment of pounds on the uunßtan and elsewhere; the Municipal Council Act to be brought in next s-ssion, Ac , &c ; and was followed by Mr Grove, wHo pecnnHpd the motion, and in a lengthy practic Ibpee'b, strongly a'ivicated^ the movement, and aniiripated ureat benefits to accrue from the appointment of suitable men for the committee A votft ot thanks to the Chair terminated the* proceedings.