Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1869.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 747, 27 December 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1869.

The complications arising from the sale by the Nelson Government to 'private individuals of auriferous lands still continue, and recently seemed to threaten to become of very seiious consequence. On the one band the purchasers claim their legal right to their valuable acquisitions, fortified in their conclusions by the undignified conduct of the Genera] Government, which first denied that they had any right to the mineral riches their purchases might con tain, and afterwards withdrew from wnat they found to be an untenable position. Then there ai© the dig <rers, who conceive that bv the sale

of these lands, containing, as they do, rich gold-bearing quartz reefs, they have been defrauded of their right to an extenshe gold field, and they contend that the Provincial Go vernment ought not to have sold the land under the circumstances; but immediately on the fact being made known should have suspended sales in that district, and proclaimed it under the Gold-fields Act. It is also contended that it does actually come within the boundaries of al ready proclaimed gold-fields, and that, therefore, the sale was illegal, and that the purchasers are now in illegal possession of the land. When briefly referring to this subject on a former occasion, we mentioned the fact that in yielding the right of the minerals to the pur. chasers of the land, the Government declared its intention to immediately proceed with the surveys in order to place purchasers in possession, and define the unsold portion for proclamation under the Act. There were, however, two parties to that question, —the diggers conceiving that if this were done they would in effect yield the point in dispute, they therafore resolved to prevent the survey until such time as the question whether the land was included in an existing gold field or not was decided. Accordingly, on the attempt being made to survey the land, they assembled, armed to the number of 100 men, and seemed quite prepared to proceed to extremities if the survey was proceeded with. One person, named Noble, who pushed back the first surveyor, and prevented him from working, has a warrant issued against him, which the constables fear to put in execution ? as violence was threaten-

ed against them if they did so. A report of their failure was accordingly sent by telegraph to the General Goa ernment at Wellington, who. have allowed the matter to remain in abeyance until the whole question has undergone a full enquiry. They appointed Mr Domett to call a meeting of all parties concerned, who were requested to at Lend and make their complaints, or give any evidence they might wish on the subject.

The meeting was called for Thursday, the 16th instant, and seems to have been largely attended, but the business not being settled it was adjourned and continued on Saturday the 18th, beyond which date our Nelson tiles do not extend. "What the result will be we cannot of course say, but in any case we think the inquiry wisely granted, as ehould it appear that the diggers are right the purchasers must give way, and if otherwise the diggers must yield to law and order, as after a patient inquiry there will be no excuse left for a resort to violent measures to enforce what, if right, the Government shows itself prepared to yield.