The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20th 1867.

Dunstan Times, Issue 295, 20 December 1867, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20th 1867.

Beneath the Rule of Men ENTIRELY JrST, the rv.y is mightier than the sword.

As we expected, the appointment of •-■ i.i ■•, 1 i,' \Fnvflorß of mouthers of tlie

the very reverse of satisfaction among the mining community. That reform ■< is desirable in the Goldfields' depart- j <meht there can he nb °doubt: In fact, the general system of management might "with considerable advantage to the public be entirely reorganised. It appears to us that every successive government, immediately upon taking office deems it as one of its first duties to try its prentice hand In effecting alterations— misnamed in the management of the goldfields; so many schemes have been tried from time to time, that things are now in such an almost hopeless state of confusion, that the best remedy for existing evils, would be to follow the example of the Canterbury Government by nominally dismissing all the officials and starting again afresh. The Goldfields' Act itself is a very imperfect affair, many of its clauses being seemingly ridiculous, while thel system of giving them effect is stil more so, and in many cases amounts to positive oppression. Take for instance the exacting 'Of large sums of money for deposits upon mining and agricultural leases, and the retaining of the cash to answer no specific purpose whatever, let alone in the end, causing more trouble and loss of time to get it back again than it is really worth. The entire proceedings in these matters are entirely wrong and amounts to littleelse than trifling with the public interests. In all instances, it is a mere bread and cheese affair with the parties interest" ed, anci what can be iaofe annoying to a working man, than to find his industry hampered up with silly and vexatious restrictions, apparently especially invented to give annoyance. The administrative business of the Goldfields is doubtless conducted upon a very extravagant scale, while the number of officials engaged in the several departments is unnecessarily largo, but to reduce the number of officials, it will require an entire reorganisation of the mode of doing business, and a much less roundabout way must be adapted. This we are sure could be easily managed, and much clerical labor saved. The amount of correspondence in a Warden's office is extravagant, the | valuable time Nvasted with the usual preamble to "opening -and concludiftg 'Correspondence, even ttpon the most trifling subject must be something enormous. An ordinary man of business does not want any honoring to be informed that such and such a thing is or will bo the case, nor does he require the writer to to take upon himself any honor to remain his obedient ssrvant: he deals with matters of fact, and merely requires a straightforward answer to a strait forward question. Looking over the newspapers, what can be more preposterous than the Wardens' reports of their several goldfields, and we ask our readers, would such unmitigated trash be tolerated anywhere else, save in Gtago. What matters it to the Government, if there is a rise in the price of soap, candles, or sardines, or whether tobacco, soda or starch have become scarce articles, or that the storekeepers have doubled the rates for brandy and cigars? For our part, we should be sorry to engage some of the Wardens as " our own pen-ny-a-liner." We set no value upon such compositions—yet doubtless the Government pay very highly for them. The number of the population, the general prosperity, wi£h the amount of revenue contributed, is about the sum total of what is required in ah official report. The newspapers pretty faithfully record matters of detail, and the Government can select therefrom without cost any information that may be interesting for them to know. Now that a Commission has been determined upon, let us have such an one that its labors will result in some tangible good, but composed as it is at ' present, all the benefits to be derived, will amount to nothing, for how in the name of common sense, can a man, having a mote in his Own eye, be sufficiently qualified to remove one from his neighbour 1 The query therefore remains, what can be expected from a Commission of Enquiry into evils, when it is principally composed of pei--I sons specially interested in their per-

The Escort on Monday last took lown the following quantities o£ ►old : Queenstown ... 1,1220z. Odwt. Arrow ... 3GGoz. Odwt. Dunstan ... 7250z. 9dwt. Cromwell ... 5040z. Odwt. Alexandra ... 32Goz. 4dwt. Black's ... 4040z. Odwt. Naseby (Mt. Ida) SGGoz. 'Odwt. Hamilton ... 4Gsoz. Odwt. "Total 4,7750z.13dwt. We are requested by the Treasurer afthe Dunstan District Hospital to acknowledge the receipt of £3S 13s Od being the proceeds of the Art Union lately conducted by Messrs Hazlett and Fache for the benefit of the Institution. On the Ist of January next the Resident Magistrate's Act conies operation. It is no material alteratiM of the old Act, but many acceptable reforms are nevertheless made. The amount for which a creditor can sue in. this Court, formerly limited to .£2O (in some districts), is now generally extended. By Cla'uSe 20 the Resident Magistrate's Court 'of any district shall have power to hear and determine any case in which the amount claimed ■ or value of the specilied moveable pro. perty sought to be recovered shall exceod £2O : provided that the parties thereto shall agree by memorandum, signed by them or their solicicitors, that the case shall be tried by such Court, and provided that the case is suck as might have been lawfully tried in such Court if the amount claimed or value of property sought to be recovered had not exceeded £2O. By this clause also a mutual consent of litigants gives the Resident Magistrate temporary extended jurisdiction. Clause 41 gives the Bench power to change the venue when deemed desirable. It says : "If the 'Court shall be satislied by either party to a causo pending therein that such cause can bo more conveniently or fairly tried before the Resident Magistrate's Court or Court of Betty Sessions of some other district it shall make an order that the case be sent for hearing to such other Resident Magistrate's Court or Betty Sessions." This is a change of some value. Clause 45 provides that " In an action for the possession of a specific chattel the defendant may deliver the same to the plaintiff, and .pay into Court a sum of money by way of compensation -for the detention thereof or damage thereto, together with the costs incurred by the plain, till* up to the time of such payment." Clause 54 is one of considerable importance to the legal profession and the public generally. It strictly defines the cost of professional assistance thus : when the amount claimed does not exceed £2O, a fee not exceeding one guinea ; and when the amount is more than £2O, such costs shall not exceed three guineas, at the -discretion of the Court. Clause 139 renders it compulsory for the solicitor acting for any party to deliver a detailed bill of costs within seven days of the action having been terminated. By Clause 140 the client is exempt from actions for costs should the above rule be broken by the solicitor. In Clause 141 power is given to Resident Magistrates, on the application of any party to an action tried and determined by them, to fix the amount of costs to bo paii to the solicitor eihploycd. Clause 142 provides that this taxation of costs shall not take place until the expiration of three days' notice. The newAct modifies the punishment of im. prisonment for debt, although it docs not abolish the existing system. At present a debtor can be kept in custody one month for every £5, but for a period not exceeding four months. The new Act provides that, in the event of committal, it shall bo for " any time not exceeding one month for every £10." Provided also that no person shall be imprisoned on account of any judgment debt of less than £lO in amount. The " Oamaru Times" says,— learn that the Provincial GbvernnWU,.* intend sending a deputation to Victoria, to invite His Royal Highness Prince Alfred to pay a visit to Otago during his stay in New Zealand." The "Wakatip Mail" is very wroth with the Government for re during tire Grant in aid for Hospital maintenance from three pounds to two pounds to one egaihst subscriptions collected. We however in this case must differ from our contemporary, as we consider two pound to one a very handsome subsidy, and any mining districl pro ■ pevly canvassed for subscript ions should support witli ease and eflicicn cv an institution lil,-<> ■. i-.. > ;*•.•>!