JUDAS No. 2.

Kumara Times, Issue 1529, 22 August 1881, Page 2

JUDAS No. 2.

[to the editor.] Sir —As a person signing himself “ Scrutineer” has made a personal attack upon me in your paper, I claim the right of replying to his deliberate misrepresentation. I am accused of having “ hawked” a petition round for signatures. I certainly had a petition prepared, and obtained signatures, but in so doing was influenced by no private interest or motive. If Sellars and party get their five acres, I shall be no sufferer personally, as I am not interested in any way ; but I maintain that it is the right of any miner to protest against anything which he honestly believes to be opposed to the best interests ot this district j and, holding that opinion, I acted as I have done. It is said that 36 out of 49 names were removed from a former petition. How did that take place? A few miners, through bad luck in their occupation, had not been able to raise the necessary funds for taking out miners’ rights, and bad their names struck out. But there were many who, knowing that Mr Barton had a most unthankful task imposed upon him, and that he had no legal right to demand the production of miners’ rights, refused to exhibit them. I may mention that the Government sludge-channel is being brought in at a cost of .£16,000, and if Sellars and party get the ground they apply for, and five or six other parties apply and get the same extent as Sellars, it will monopolise the whole of the ground the s’udge-cliannel will command. How, then, can the outlay be recouped 1 If the five-acre claims are granted, there will be no occasion to bring in a farther supply of water. The land applied for can he worked from the sludgechannel, and such an amount of ground will be shut out from working, In the event of it being granted, as to annihilate all possibility ol the Government

nuclei taking proving payable. Many parties have brought in their tunnel tail-races to work the ground round Cellars and party as ordinary sluicing claims, and 1 see no reason for making an exception in One particular instance; “Scrutineer’' nitty be a wonderfully smart man, and may pride himself'upon working what he calls “ the Oracle” with the Warden ; hut I can tell him that long before he left the “ old dart” I was engaged in mining operations and had gained considerable experience in that direction, before lie was flunkey to a donkey-impol'ter or keeper of a Melbourne dancing saloon, where children went found with the plate, collecting pennies to pay fir the “ music/’ Whenever I consider that the interest with which I am associated for upwards of 25 years is likely to be detrimentally affected) I shall exercise the privilege J undoubtedly possess to raise my voted against the grievance, whatever it miy be.—l am, sh v , yours &c.> d. &. O’Brien* August 22, 1881.