THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 715, 18 August 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1870.

Although it is not probable that the miners on the south side of the Grey River will remain long under the rule of the County of Westland, yet so long as they are, they may as well understand the Rules and Regulations under which they are working. By virtue of his delegated powers under the Gold Fields Act, the County Chairman has caused a new set of Regulations to be gazetted, which we propose briefly to summarise; but we may premise our remarks by saying that Mr Hoos appears to us to have stretched his power to. the utmost to lay the burden of taxation on the raining community, by increasing the fees and charges on every possible occasion. We are astonished that the riiihers in Westland have not ere this met and given public expression to their opinion upon such an important question as this ; but we suppose that, as the new rules have, only been published in the Gazette, the majority of the miners are still ignorant of the changes which have been made. We will simply state what the present rules are, so that the miners may compare them with those recently in force. First, with yegatd to prospecting in alluvial ground, it is provided that the Warden may, upon the application of any persons forming a party of not less than four for a prospectinsr area, register an area not exceeding 600 yards by 600 yards in ordinary ground, the same not being within a radius of one mile of any existing workings, or within a radius of half-a-mile of any other such registered area, and shall grant protection for the same* and such protection shall continue in force until gold be struck, or the ground abandoned for the space of one clear day, or until gold workings approach such protected area within a radius of one mile. It is further provided that protected areas are not to be considered " workings," until the prospecting claim is granted on such areas. With regard to quartz discoveries, it is provided that the Warden may allow to be registered an area not exceeding one mile square, the protection to continue in force until a prospect is obtained, when the prospector shall mark out the claim, or lease,- to which they are entitled, and, upon ' application, the ground shall be protected until the Warden has granted or refused the application. With regard to the alluvial ground, workings it is provided that any person who shall have discovered new gold workings, not exceeding three miles distant from existing workings, may have allotted to him an extent of ground not exceeding double the area of an ordinary claim ; exceeding three and hot exceeding five miles distant from existing workings, an area not exceeding treble an ordinary claim ;' and beyond five miles, an area not exceeding quadruple an ordinary claim : Provided that the increased grant shall not be given to fnore than six persons comprising, any party. With regard to the discovery of quartz reefs it is further provided that any miner or miners prospecting or discovering a quartz reef shall be entitled to hold in length one hundred (100) feet by a breadth of three hundred (300) feet for each holder of a miner's right, but no such claim to exceed- 600 feet in length. Of course, we must leave to the 1 miners themselves to find out how the claims are to be marked; the size of the alluvial and quartz claims : and the usual regulations in such cases, but we may mention that! shepherding h strictly forbidden under the following clause .-+-" No person shall be. deemed to possess a valid title to any claim unless the same shall be fairly worked during the entire period of occupancy, and any claim unworked beyond the space of one clear day shall be deemed to be forfeited, unless sufficient reason, such as sickness or other urgent cause, shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Warden." Some very serious alterations have been made with regard to the granting .. of extended claims, which are well worthy on notice. Provision is made that extended mining claims may.be granted by the Warden upon application being made, subject to the conditions that a sufficient number of holders of miner's rights shall be constantly employed thereon, as follows : -r-For a quarter acre, two men ; for half an acre, four men ; for three quarters. of an acre, six men ; for' one acre, eight men ;; for one acre and a quarter, ten '

men ; for one acre and a half, twelve men. Provided that no such claim shall be granted in new and unworked ground, unless it be proved to the satisfaction of the Warden that such ground has been fairly tested and .cannot profitably be worked in claims of the ordinary size : Provided also that an extended claim shall in no case exceed one and a half acres in extent, and may be of any form the Warden may sanction. In' tunnelling, walls of not less than 4ft 6iri are to be maintained on each side, and all tunnels shall be begun within seven days from the date of registration, and fairly worked until completed or abandoned. The tuunel is to be considered abandoned if unworked during one clear day during construction. It is also provided that, when any tunnel is driven through auriferous ground held by others, the person' desiring to remove the same must provide an equally good tunnel for the original owner ; provided that he obtain the consent of the Warden, who, in the event of any dispute arising concerning the efficiency of the tunnel, shall make an order for the same to be decided by arbitration. With regard to puddling operations, a main sludge channel must first be constructed, to be approved by the Warden, the expense of which is to borne by those then or afterwards using the same iix proportion to the position of each machine ; and all sludge drains and channels are to be kept clear at the expense of the owners of the machines on their banks. It is also provided that roads, tramways, or tunnels may be carried through claims, upon compensation being paid. ' No mining shall be allowed within ten feet from any road in common use, nor driving underneath the same, without the sanction of the Warden ; and also, if any party shall d in carrying on mining, sink any shaft, or excavate any kind of hole of whatever depth within the distance of twenty feet from any road, footpath, or crossing-place in • ordinary nse, unless such hole or shaft be suffi.cfeatly barricaded by a raMad of earth thrown up to the height of four feet above the surface of the adjoining ground, or logged up to a like height for a windlass, such party shall erect around such shaft or hole a substantial two-rail fence, the upper rail whereof shall be at least three feet six inches above the surface of the adjoining ground : should any party leave any claim unworked for a short period, or abandon it, srich party properly fill up the shaft or hole, or completely cover the same with logs not less than six inches in diameter,, or erect around it a fence as aforesaid. The remaining portion of the Regulations, witK regard to protection, registration, drainage, amalgamation, and general rules, we shall notice in our next.