WARDEN’S COURT, CLYDE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 649, 25 September 1874, Page 2

WARDEN’S COURT, CLYDE.

—o— Thursday, Sep. 24. (Before W. L. Simpson, Esq,, Warden.) An application by Kastie, M'Nally, and party was made for a special claim of 20 acres, in Connew’s Gully, Objections were lodged by Messrs Wilde, Ross, and Lindsay, and party. Mr W. W. Wilson appeared in support of the application. Wilde contended that the Government were giving compensation for this ground and the granting of this claim would he a monopoly, and unfair to the miners on the commonage as this was the only ground which could be worked by the miners who had not water rights, there being sufficient water in the gully to work the ground with.

Ross said : This claim took all the water in the gully. lie hail no claim and was prepared to take up one. He had no waterright, and could woik this ground without getting extra water. If this claim was granted he and others would have to leave the commonage. Lindsay said he desired, should the claim be granted, provision should be made for tail races through it, as there was a large amount of auriferous laud above, which could not be worked if the outlet was closed.

The Warden said that the objection had a show of reason. The applicants had marked a known auriferous gully, and asked for a special claim. Mr Wilson contended that the applicant had spent a large sum of money in constructing a race, which had taken two years, and would not be completed for the next eighteen mouths, and had only marked a portion of the gully, which did not interfere with Wilde, and there was plenty of room for the other objectors.

The Warden said : What had to be done was to guard against a monopoly being created. It was true applicants had laid out a large sum, hut this was in labor. Every miner risked his labor. No doubt they were entitled to some consideration, so was the miner who worked with the driblets of water in the gullies. The Government were giving a large amount o r compensation for this ground, which it is asked to give a large portion to one party for nothing. Those men who hold small claims paid equally with the large race owners ; and ho was not sure that some conditions of payment would not be attached to all claims in the paddock, He would suggest that the applicants should cut out the portion of ground which can be worked without the aid of foreign water. However, be would order the survey to be ma le, and then see if all could not be satiable 1.