DISTRICT COURT.—This Day.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1201, 9 December 1873, Page 2

DISTRICT COURT.—This Day.

(Before his Honor Thos. Beckham, Esq., R.M.)

A special sitting of the Court was held today for the purpose of hearing the appeal cases of the various Gold Mining Companies at the Thames against the rating assessments of the Waiotahi District Highway Board. Mr Whitaker appeared for the appellants, and Mr MacCormick for the respondents. It will be recollected that the Court pronounced judgment on the 27th of October last allowing the appeal made by the of John o'Groat's Company. It had' been before agreed upon that the decision of the Court in this case should govern the others, and the matter was merely adjourned to allow of the counsel on Both sides coming to some arrangement as to costs. Mr Whitaker now stated that of the thirty-three cases in which appeals had been mado twenty-one were exactly similar to the John O'Groat's Company, and in these the appeals would be allowed in toto. The documents would be left with the Court that the necessary amendments might be made in the assessment lists. In the other twelve cases there was some difference, inasmuch as some of their land was used for other purposes than _ that of goldmining, In these the decision in the John o' Groats case would be only binding as affecting the land used for goldmining purposes. On the question of costs he had consulted with his learned friend on the other side, and it had been agreed upon between them that in the case of the John O'Groats' appeal £10 10s should be the amount of counsel's fees charged, and £1 Is in each of the other cases, making altogether a few shillings over £44. As to Court fees, they had mutually arranged to take the opinion of the Attorney-General— who would be in Auckland next day—on the point. If they (the appellants) had to pay them they would be re-imbursed by the Road Board.

Mr McCormick having expressed his concurrence in all that Mr Whitaker had said, His Honor said he was extremely glad that the matter had been arranged so amicably and at such small expense. He believed that tho opinion of the Attorney-General had already been taken in the matter of costs, but still it was right that his expression should be taken as final.

The case then terminated. B Che list of companies who are affected by this case is as follows :—Albion Quartz Mining Company (Limited), Alburnia Gold Mining Company, All Nationg, Caledonian, City of London, Cure, Dixon's Nq, 1, El

Dorado, Golden Age, Golden fv " Herald, Imperial Crown, Inverts* r O'Groats, Junction, Kuranui, LWr, • Middle Star, Moanataiari, Otff V e> Russell, Prince Imperial! S3 'h °M Rose and Shamrock, Shamrock <^T tn' No. 1, Sons of Freedom, TcoW 7. °T_ r Mining Company, Waiotahi Gold J$TCompany, Windsor.Castle, Old Wh.nrS g of York, Exchange. ™> Clt 7 This was all the business.