THE The Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 590, 28 October 1869, Page 2

THE The Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1869.

Only the other day we recorded some smart practice which had taken place in the city of Nelson (the inhabitants of which are not renowned for so misconducting themselves) with regard to the buying up of a track of land at Wangapeka, in which auriferous quartz reefs had been discovered. Since then a few disclosures have been made in the Nelson papers, which show such a loose state of things that public attention has been aroused and will be directed to them throughout the Province. In the enquiry the Grey district is as much concerned as any other district under the control of the same men and laws which allowed the possibility of such a state of things to arise. In order that the matter may be fully understood, we will proceed to explain the details, as they can be gathered from the columns of our Nelson contemporaries, who profess to show both sides of the question. "As far back as ten years ago gold-bearing quarta was found at Wangapeka, and the existence of the reef, about which so much is now said, was then known j and a lease of the very ground now sold was held for two years by Mr Tatton and other gentlemen, and afforwards abandoned. Mr Robinson, who was then Superintendent, visited the ground, and saw the reef, but he neither proclaimed the district a gold field, nor put a stop to the sale of land there, which has gone on ever sinee — the district all the while maintaining alluvial diggings." Recently prospecting parties were fitted out in Nelson, and one of them, very naturally, directed its attention to this locality, where the existence of an auriferous quartz reef was a foregone conclusion. Specimens said to be knocked oil' the reef were brought to town, and one of tho party. applied to the Superintendent for a lease of sixteen acres of land, on the same terms as are granted on the recognised gold fields of the Province. Then the truth, which had been staring successive Superintendents in the face, flashed upon Mr Curtis, that although the locality had been known as goldbearing for ten years, it had never been proclaimed, and therefore, at the moment when they were wanted, mining leases could not be granted, and the land must be sold freehold ! The applicant for the lease at once put in an application to purchase sixteen acres of supposed auriferous land at L 2 per acre, and as under the rules no objection could be made, the large track of land was parted with for a very trifle. A meeting of the Land Board was called, in order to withdraw the land in question from sale, lease, or license ; but ere that could be held, a rnsh of speculators was made to the Government offices, and over one hundred and fifty acres of auriferous land was bought freehold at £2 per acre. And here the scandal commences in earnest, for among the speculators who have taken advantage of information given them officially we find names ranging (as stated by the Colonist) from the Resident Magistrate and Provincial Treasurer (himself a member of Mr Curtis's Executive) to the Inspector of Police ; from the partner of the Provincial Solicitor (another member of the Executive) to the Treasurer's Clerk ; from the Registrar of the Supreme Court to the pensioned Consulting Surveyor; and from the Provincial Auditor to Mr Curtis's own private servant- -the last on the list — all these were permitted to purchase land, although, some four-and-twenty hours before they applied, the head of the Government had resolved to hold a Land Board meeting to withdraw the land from sale. It will be noticed that these persons all obtained their information within the Government buildings, while acting in their official capacities, and made use of their opportunities to the detriment of the body of miners on the ground, who, little dreaming of the position in which the land stood, had pegged off claims, and gone to work, when they were stopped b}' the startling information that they were working on freehold property, and that they had better clear off. But that is easier said than done, and the miners have resolved to stand their ground against all-comers. They have sent a deputation to see the Government on the subject, but can get no answer beyond that the land has been parted with by the Crown, and the miners will have to make their terms with the freeholders. Meantime, it is not unlikely that a very serious complication has arisen, fur it is not at ail likely that tho

miners will give up possession without a struggle. It is clear that tho matter must end either by the miners giving up possession, or working on terms, or by the Government condoning its past carelessness by paying compensation to the purchasers — its own officials ! We expect to hear that this latter course will be adopted, and a very handsome sum paid by way of gaining experience. At all times that commodity is dearly purchased, and the Nelson Government will find that it is no exception to the rule. Coining as it does during an election, this incident will no doubt be made to tell against the return of Mr Curtis again as Superintendent, but when the facts are closely looked into, it will be seen that he is not so much to blame as the system which has prevailed in the Government offices for many years past, and which has only now broken down when circumstances arose to put it to the test. The same incident might have occurred at any time during the last ten years, but it was reserved to Mr Curtis to learn the bitter lesson. Let us hope that in his future experience as Superintendent of Nelson, for he is almost sure again to be returned, he will profit by the lesson, and adopt such measures as will protect the bonafide miners agpinst official speculators.