MR H. JACKSON'S CASE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1816, 16 December 1879, Page 2

MR H. JACKSON'S CASE.

WELLINGTON", December 15. The chairman of the Public Petitions Committee reports on the petition of Mr Henry J ckeon : —" The petitioner prays for redress of his grievance. He alleges that he was summarily and unjustly dismissed. I *m directed to report that the committee has not examined witnesses in this case, but the result of the examination of the committee appointed under the Civil Service Act Amendment Act, 1871, and of the Select Committee of the Legislative Council and of official documents have been submitted to the committee. In consequence of the late period of the session, the committee is unable to make such an examination into the case of petitioner as would warrant them in making a final recommendation to the House. The committee is, however, sufficiently informed to state that in its opinion the case of petitioner has not been dealt with in such a manner as to satisfy the ends of justice, and to ensure the proper discipline of the service. Considering tho position previously held by petitioner in the Civil Service as chief surveyor, and recognising his ability and devotion to the profession, the committee consider that such disobedience, if it actually occurred, should have been enquired into and dealt with at the time, and should not have bean allowed to sleep for nearly two years. The charges were first officially made to tho Government on the 15th November, IS7S, and the Government did not consider them to be of a very grave character, as another appointment was_ proposed to be given to petitioner if a suitable one could be found. Subsequently, however, the charges made were referred to a commission appointed under the Civil Service Aot Amendment Act, 1871. The committee, therefore, consider that petitioner's case should be referred to a Royal Commission, provided such Commission is composed of men of sufficient independence and high standing outside the Civil Service. " (Signed) " Thomas Kkiit, Chairman.'*

A OALIFOBNIA MININd STOBY. [" San Francisco " Bulletin."! Not many miles from Shasta City is the gulch, of which the following mining story is told : It is a pretty deep ravine, with rocks showing all the way up the sides. Gold in paying quantities had been found along the stream, but it seemed to disappear a few feet from the channel. One day, while a gang of busy men were toiling in the stream, a stranger, evidently green at mining, came along and leaned on ragged elbows to watch, with protruding eyes, the results of their toil. The miner nearest him took out a 5dollar nugget, and anxiety overcame the greenhorn. " S-a-a-y," he asked, " where can I go to diggin' to find it like that ? " The hardy miner stopped his work, and giving the wink to all the boys, so that the joke should not be lost, pointed np on the barren rocks where no gold had ever been found. " You see that rough lookin' place f" "Yes, yes," said the new hand. " Well, thar it is rich. Jes ye stake out a claim, an go ter work, an when we finish here we'll come up, too." Then the new hand thanked the honest miner, and the boys all grinned appreciation of the joke. That afternoon there was a solitary figure picking away on the slope, and every time the miners looked up they roared t«th laughter. But about the next day the greenhorn struck a pocket, and took out something like 30,000 dollars in a few minutes. Then, innocent to the last, he treated all around, and thanked the miner who sent him up there, and took his money and went down into the valley and bought him a farm. Then the unhappy miners arose, leaving their old claims and dotted that hillside for days. Bat there were no more packets anywhere. The whole things reads just like the traditional fairy story. But then I saw the gulon. Much more unbelievable things have happened in the mines.