THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1611, 3 October 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1873.

In the new Mining Regulations which have just come into, operation on ti^. Nelson Gold-fields, considerable alterations, additions, and amendments upon the old rules have been made. The rules relating to quartz mining are entirely remodelled, the new quartz mining regulations being altered according to the suggestions of a Committee appointed by the Superintendent to revise the rules, the members of which met at Reefton early in 1873. There are new rules with respect to dredging and beach claims, and all the amendments made in the bye-laws Bince 1868 are incorporated. There are also important alterations iv the gold mining lease and agricultural lease regulations,, and the Rules and Regulations as they now stand are declared to be in force •on. the Golden Bay Gold-fields as well as in the Southr Western division of thePro,'yince of Nelson. In the interpretation clause of the first section of the new rules the legal definition of certain technical terms used in the rules is given, as in the old regulations; with the exception that the words "ordinary quartz claims, " mining operations," 1 and quartz reefs are more clearly defined. It is laid down that " quartz reefs" shall include all leaders and veins of quartz, and "mining operations" shall include all work in connection with the claim,, such as the erection of machinery, &c. In the second section, the size of ordinary and wot claims remains unaltered. Each person can hold 60ft x 60ft, or 3600 square feet, and so on up to twelve men's ground, which is the limit. Claims maybe of any form, but except In the case of spare ground, the length must not exceed twice the breadth. The mode of marking off claims is not altered, and the plan ...of^'^eaHng with surplus ground is the same. The amended rule of December; 1870, is introduced with respect to double areas, which gives the .Warden under certain circumstances the power of granting claims twice the usual size in alluvial ground. The amended rule, giving holders of frontage claims a depth of 1000 ft, is also inserted. Shepherding may be carried for seven days from date of front occupation, but after that time any claim remaining unworked for twentyfour consecutive hours is to be deemed forfeited,' unless good cause is shown for the negligence. The clause relating to amalgamation of claims is the same as j formerly, with the addition that "nopermanently amalgamated quartz claim shall exceed 1920 ft measurement along the course of the reef!" Under the heading " wet claims," the Warden has the powen, upon receipt of a requisition sujned by not less than three-fourths of the claimholders affected, to declare the "wet rules" applicable to any particular district, and in like manner the Warden can suspend the operation of those regulations, upon receiving a similarly signed memorial. The. clause contains a very commendable direction, namely, that all applications made under! it " must be published in some newspaper circulating in the" district," and notifications must also be posted -outside the Warden's office. The clauses relating to "drainage," "baling," "continual baling," and "compensation for drainage " in this section remain unaltered. > Section 4 deals with quartz claims and

the mode of working them. In marking off claims under the section, four substantial corner-posts, four inches square, must be erected. These posts must be maintained three feet above the surface of the ground, free from rubbish, and clear, so as to be readily observed. In ordinary quartz claims lines must be cut and trees blazed from peg to peg at one end, and prospecting claims must be .marked at both ends in a similar manner. The frontage length of all quartz claims shall be parallel with the supposed course of the reef, and all veins, leaders, and alluvial deposits within the claim so marked are to be the property of the holders of the claim " save as hereinafter provided." The Warden may grant protection for a prospecting area of 300 yards square, provided the ground applied for is not within half a mile of any other such area, or other existing quartz workings. Two men must be continually at work on the grant, and protection continues until the reef be struck* or until the ground is abandoned for 48 hours, and the.certificate must be renewed every three months. The third clause describes how prospecting areas are to be marked out,* and directs that a board, with the words "prospecting areas" written thereon, must be maintained upon two ' of the corner posts. Persons discovering new reefs will be entitled to ground according to the following scale :— Half a mile from any quartz workings, 100£t for each man, along the supposed course of the reef, by 600 ft frontage ; one mile from any workings,, 110 ft by 600 f t; and two miles from any quartz workings, 120 ft by 600 ft for each person. Not more than six men's ground will be given in one block, and the discovery mnst be reported to the Warden without delay. Frqm 'the time the discovery is reported until the application is finally dealt with, the ground is protected. Three days after the grant is made the ground must be fully occupied, but one man can hold ib in the meantime. The sixth clause introduces the principle of co-operation, by giving persons other than the actual discoverers shares in the prospecting claim, provided those persons can be proved to have assisted the prospectors, by contributions or otherwise, while the search for the reef was being prosecuted. Every claim must have a name by which! it may be distinguised. In ordinary quartz claims, holders of miner's rights will be allowed 80ft along the reef, by a width of 600 ft, and no claim shall exceed 960 x 600 ft, or twelve men's ground. One man may mark off two men's ground, but between the hours of twelve and two on the day following the marking out the ground so taken up must be fully occupied. Afterwards, and until registration is granted, one man must remain on the claim during working hours. A list of the shareholders must be posted on the claim, and a survey and registration must be applied for within 48 hours of the first occupation. Quartz claims containing not less than four men's ground may be held for the first three months with half the full number of the registered shareholders. Extended claims may be granted where ground has been fairly tested and abandoned. Each miner, to the number of twelve, can hold 100 x 600 ft in such ground. Permission to amalgamate temporarily may be given to the holders of two or more adjoining ; to the extent altogether of 1920 ft * supposed course of the reef, and the bonajide working of any one claim so .amalgamated will be deemed a legal " working of all of them. The claim selected for work must be worked night and day until the reef is discovered, or amalgamation ceases. When tne reef is intersected, or if the "working claim" be idle for three consecutive days, or if the parties mutually consent, the amalgamation ceases, and six days afterwards each , separate claim must be fully occupied. When temporary amalgamation is effected, notice must be posted on the claim, and' a copy of such notice forwarded to the Warden, who will then issue a certificate. All quartz claims (excepting prospecting . areas) must be registered and surveyed. A deposit of £5 must be lodged with the Warden within seven days of occupation, and, after deducting the cost of the survey, the balance, if any, will be returned. The Surveyor will make the survey within fourteen days, and supply a plan of the claim for 10s. Plans of the ; several lines of reef must be made by the Surveyor, and kept for inspection in the , Warden's office. The plan of any claim must be on a scale of five chains to the inch, and a tracing of as much of the general map of the district must be ' shown as will lead to easy identification. The fee for the survey is £2, with a further charge of 2s per chain for cutting lines, and travelling expenses are allowed •at the rate of Is 6d~per mile one way. If the rule relating to the occupation of claim* for the first 24 hours be not strictly complied with, any person may on application take possession of shares not represented. All ordinary or extended quartz . claims may be held by half the number of ] shareholders for the first six months, | after which the full number must be re- [ presented, but the Warden may extend ', or regulate this privilege of half occupation as he may deem fit. Parties who have regularly worked their claims for six months, will be entitled to exemption from work for three months on making application to the Warden as directed. , Where machinery is employed embankments must be made to retain the sludge, unless it can be more conveniently carried off by drainage or other means. ; A wall of 6ft must be left between ; quartz claims, and the party who neglects to leave a full wall. may have it deducted from the length of hia claim. Walls are to be the common property of adjoining claimholdera, and are to remain untouched, except by mutual agreement in 1 writing. The Warden may make an order ' as to the disposal of the walls for the pur- ! poses of ventilation, or for the division of auriferqns' deposits contained in them ; or j for the disposal of surplus ground left in ! these partitions. When surplus eironnd is proved to be left between claims after survey, it will be forfeited and marked off from whichever end of the claim the 1 Warden may direct. The cost of this survey mult in the first instance be borne by the applicant for the spare -ground, but. the expense is afterwards to be considered coste in the .cause. TCJie foregoing are the principal alteration* made jn the,, quartz mining regulations, and it will be i seen on comparing the old with the new rules that the amendments and additions made to the former are both numerous and important.