NELSON SOUTH-WEST GOLD FIELDS AMENDED RULES.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 775, 5 January 1871, Page 3

NELSON SOUTH-WEST GOLD FIELDS AMENDED RULES.

[to the editor.] — t have been much pleased in reading a paragraph of your mining correspondent's letter of the 21st ult., concerning the new Mining Regulations of the Nelson Gold" Fields. The several comments made upon its substance are so correct, and so much in accordance with the expression and the generality of the miners, that it need no further addition. It is short but to the point, " Bramssimo, brave correspondent." On behalf of a great number of miners of this place, I am requested to congratulate you fprthe able manner in which you have so generally and particularly in this instance so well advocated an interest before the public through the press. All that is further required is the drawing of a petition to the Government, expressing our dislike of the new Regulations, and requesting a prompt remanipulation of the whole of the clauses, the principal object in view being the simplification and condensation of the ambiguous machinery of the Mining By«-]aws. Should our petition not be taken into consideration, I advise that we should petition the General Assembly for the authorisation of Mining Boards established for the sole purpose of framing bye-laws suitable to our different operations and applicable to our different wants. The present bye-laws are certainly, too ambiguous for the miners' to follow, without sustaining a prodigious number of litigation cases. The new Regulations are certainly not what we expected them to be. The work of amending has yet to be completed. Our bye-laws ought to be simple like ABC, clear as the middle of the day, aud the wording of ought them to be like that of Our Lord's Prayer, to carry one meaning alone, and in short sentences. It should be condensed, no doubt. The clauses relating to water-races of any kind or to water privileges deserve special attention. Is not half the time of the Warden's Court passed by the " gents of robe" arguing between them or with the Warden in the explaining of * words, terms used in the bye-laws, the meaning of which is left so questionable that they make it appear that they are ■jjg^niriifc on either side. On that ground, wSHlfcineTb *11 dread the Warden's Court t proceedings, i.nd we generally believe that the " gentlemen in the robe" who *' bounces " the mo&t r£ the two will have the best of the case (that is as far as interpretation clause business is concerned). Miners of all districts, I make an appeal to you ; now is the time for work. Let us unite our efforts and see if justice will be done to us in obtaining genuine bye-laws. We are the " bees " of this country, to us the hardships, the pains, the privations, the heavy work. We have for different causes accepted the con- . dition of gold miners. Our great maxim is " live and let live." It is true we have " the name to be wanderers. Where is the fault ? With us or with the Government 1 What encouragements have we got to settle in this country? The squatters have where we have none. We have got the name to be industrious, orderly,; we** hardily get we spend it freely, i£ is the fruits of our labor, it is our own.- Why should we be deficieut in having good laws to govern us! 'We must have good regulations. The diggings are getting too poor and too difficult to •work, and we cannot afford to lose both time and moneyYor settling endless cases of litigation ; it is time that we should put a stop to the swallowing of our claims by law expenses, fees, and duties of every kind. Let the Nelson Government take for a model some of the Victorian mining bye-laws, in which there exists no such repetition of the word " may ;" this word being replaced everywhere by the more dear and positive verb " shall " or " shalL not" — that is the proper way to make laws. As to the question of fees, of any nature, as required by the present rules, although I admit that revenue must be derived from some source or another for paying the cost of administration of the gold fields, I certainly say that the fees % are exorbitantly high. A reduction instead of an augmentation of the -fees should have been made. And is not this a great anomaly — that at the time we have been told that no money shall be spent in our district for public roads or charitable purposes that we should be made to pay still more taxes. ; We must protest,' fritf we miners are well aware that, considering everything, we are more, taxed than any other class. We^ are the " consumers," generally speaking, and consequently we have to pay our own taxes and those of other, people: V The mining administration in this country requires some great changes, and unless the Nelson' Government is disposed io facilitate these changes, we will have them anyhow, and advocate the forniav tiou of Road and Mining Boards, the two interests jointly combined. If we can get them by " fluck " we will have them by "cruck." I am, &c, /A, Pice and Shovel ; of 17 year* experience on various* Gold Fields. « Half-Ounce, Dec. 27, 1870.