NEWS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 222, 27 July 1866, Page 2

NEWS.

(from a correspondent .) A Public Meeting of the Miners of the I v evis, was held at Forties's Nevis Hotel, !no the evening of the Uth inst., for the | purpose of representing 'to the members for ! the goldfields the necessity of amending the present goldfields act of New Zealand. Mr H. M'Kom was voted to the chair, I and explained the object for which the meeting was called. Mr M'lntyre moved the first resolution viz : —■•' That the meeting being aware of the faulty nature of the present goldfields Act of New Zealand, would respectfully i suggest to the representatives of the goldfields, the necessity of amending the same in the following particulars : Ist. The repeal of the powers vested in the Governor of delegating the management of the goldfields to the Provincial authorities. 2nd. The resumption by the General Government of the goldfields administration, with a member of the Ministry, for the time being, as Minister of mines. 3rd. An annual miner's right to be valid in any part of the Colony of New Zealand. 4th. The establishment of Mining Boards, on the Victorian system, with payment of members. The speaker said the present Act gives the Superintendent authority todelegatethe powers vested in him, to any person or persons at his descretion, the consequence is, that the Superintendents of any goldbearing province have a second-hand power vested in them, to the great annoyance of the mining population ; for instance, a miner, or merchant, resident on the Otago goldfields has to provide himself with a license, as a matter of course, but should he try his fortune at I lokitika he will have to provide a fresh document there also ; the same fleecing process to be repeated at the Nelson or Marlborough goldfields, should circumstances call him to either place within the twelvemonths. Think of that gentlemen. (Cries of shame). And call it justice. It is therefore obvious that the only remedy for such a state of things is the repeal of the delegatory clause, and

the resumption [by the General Govern* meut of the management of the gold-fields of the Colony, with a responsible Minister of mines. The next serious defection we have to complain of, is in the section of the Act referring to the Mining Boards, as matters now stand, a given number of miners, by petition, may request the Governor or his delegate, to create Mining Board districts, which may be granted, or refused by the latter at his option. The Governor or his delegate, has also the power, by proclamation in the ' Government Gazette/ of rescinding such Mining Boards, which power was put in practice by that big little man, Major Richardson, in the case of the late Tuapeka Mining Board. It need not be told this meeting, that a Mining Board to be of any u e, must be as independent of the Governor, or his go-between, during their term of office, as the Provincial Council itself. There can be no doubt that the sooner the section of the Act referred to, is amended, the better it will be for the mining inferests of New Zealand. Our goldfields representatives could not do betterthan copy the Victorian goldfields Act, which worked admirably for many years, and which would be quite applicable to the requirements of New Zealand. In conclusion he would state, that in no other Colony, would such a bungling piece of legislation be tolerated on the Statute Book. Mr P. M'Arthur in seconding the resolution, said, that when the present Act became law, some eight years ago, tl,c gttiuueid known in New Zealand was the Buller, in the province of Nelson; but so few in number were those engaged in mining pursuits there, that they could not support even one store. It was well-known that the framers of the Act knew as much about practical mining as he (the speaker) knew about ledgerdemain. It is true that this same Act w s patched up in 18(32, and repatched in 18G5, nevertheless it was a most unsatisfactory one, and requited amending. It was simply absurd to suppose that a measure originally passed for governing a few fossickers in Nelson, could be applicable to the present circumstances of the Colony. He trusted that the miners of the whole country would keep agitating the matter until the end desired was gained" He felt much pleasure in seconding the the resolution. Which was carried unanimously. Mr Howorth, in supporting the resoluti n, reviewed the history of the New Zealand goldfields A ct, he said, for all useful purpos s the sections of the Act referring to Miniuing Boards might one and all bo abolished. He thought the time had arrived when the management of the goldfiel Is of this whole Island, should be in the hands of the General Govermeut, was in favor of an amended goldfields > ct, on the model of the Victorian one, and hoped sat_thj3_Assembly would take the matter in hand duyng the present session. V\ ith regard to Aimer's Plights, he considered it a great hardship that men should be obliged to takeVmt a fresh one for every province. What- would be thought in Victoria if a minei were oblided to take out a Miner's Eight for Ballarat, another for Bendigo, another i.u- the Oyuw*, on. Yet, this is th>-ray we are treated here. In Victoria every encouragement is given to the miners by reducing taxation ; while here, every opportunity is taken to increase it; for these and other reasons, he cordially supported the resolution. Mr Mitherland moved, and Mr Clelland seconded—"That a copy of the resolutions adopted at this meeting be forwarded to each Representative for the goldfields; and k that the following gentlemen le constituted a Committee for corresponding with the same, viz: Messrs Harrisoi' Stratford, Woolly, Clelland, Lowell,' M'Koni aud the mover. After the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting dissolved.