The Cottar Leasehold Dispute.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 203, 30 September 1873, Page 7

The Cottar Leasehold Dispute.

j t We have been asked to publish the follow* J ing letter from the Cardrona Miners' AssoI eiation to the Government in connection with I the above matter:— " Cardrona, 12th September, 1873. "Sir,—l desire to acknowledge the receipt of )our letter of the 19th of August last, and to express to you on behalf of the miners and other residents of this district My satisfaction on learning that the Government intend to authorise the tamers to mine upon the leasehold of Mr Cottar, deferring to that part of your letter wherein you Mate that authority is to be given under the jiineteenth section of the Agricultural Lease Regulations, I most respectfully submit that we have already searched and found payable gold within the boundaries of the leasehold ; that prior to Undertaking the search, the miners so searching Jeposited with the Warden a sum of money, as f «niired by the Regulations, necessary to secure we lessee against any damage his property ""gat sustain, while operations were being prodded with ; that then action was taken under the written authority of Mr Warden Stratford, *no, I presume, was empowered by his Honor the Superintendent to confer it. as a telegram to that effect was produced in the Extended jurisdiction Court at Queenstown by, and during Jhe examination of, Mr Warden Stratford as a witness in a case wherein the miners severely "tiered. Having arrived at this stage of the esse, the miners now ask that it may plcasa the

Government to deal with it under clauses 36, 37, and 38 of the " Gold-fields Act 1866," believing as they do that any attempt to settle it otherwise will be Unsuccessful; in proof of which I hwy state that two days ago, the miners directly interested, the lessee, Mr Cottar, and the Warden, at the invitation of the latter gentleman, met together to endeavour to bring about a settlement of the dispute. 1 have no hesitation in saying that the most liberal terms were offered to Mr Cottar, both on the part of the Warden and the miners, terms which the latter are really unable to fulfil but for the material sympathy and aid offered by the public generally. So that further prosecutions whioh the lessee again threatens may be avoided,--as 1 stated in my last communication to you, that this is a matter the settlement of which cannot be delayed without serious injury to the Cardrona gold-field and the Province generally, as well as great personal suffering to those directly concerned, —I again pray yon to furnish an effective remedy, and that at once.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, "John Fox, "Chairman Memorial Committee. "H. Bastings, iSsq., "Gold-fields Secretary, Dunedin."