THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1872.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 181, 23 August 1872, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1872.

The report of Mr. Under-Secretary Haughton upon the G-old fields of IVevv Zealand, recently laid upon the table of the House of Kepresentatives, is not only ah exceedingly able and valuable paper, but is, at,the same time, one of the most exhaustive character. Mr. Haughton has himself had great and lengthened experience on the i Groldfields, and has brought that ex-1 perience to bear in the report which I he has submitted to Parliament. In addition, however, to his own experience and great ability, Mr. Haughton has been much assisted by the Wardens of the difFerent -Groldfields in the Colony, all of whom have reported on the various districts under their respective .charges.- Among the most-able of these Wardens' reports, andr which i more particularly and more directly affect this district, are those by Mr. Warden Eobinson, one of which appieared in a late issue, and which have had the effect of opening the eyes of the Government to the importance of the .Mount Ma .District, and to the necessity of something being done for the further and fuller development" of its auriferous deposits." Speaking on the- 1 subject of Water Supply, the. report enumerates various v/orko which " it has been decided by the Gove.n- ---" ment to undertake, for the Supply of " Water, under part 111. of the Pub- |" lie Works and 1 inmigration Act, i 1870." Among other wo which may be looked upon as "special'" we find—"To the Province of Otago, in " Ihe Mount Ida Mining District, a [" Water Ka<3e fi'Qm the Little Ilyeburn

to the workings above Naseby. The c£ iengfch will not probably exceed fifu j^errmiles, and the cost is estimated by Mr. Warden liobinsori at £2OO P er mils, or £3OOO. A Main Flushcs m £ Channel for the workings above and about Naseby, which, it has been « 2? f \ estimated will cost about ■ &800 G. Xn connection , with this subject we have much pleasure in statVvr* we - earn by a telegram from Wellington, received on Wednesday atternoon, " that the works? are to be " proceeded with without delay." This is in the highest degree gratifying, and most .heartily do we congratulate the miners and residents on the prospect ol the new era of prosperity which is about to dawn upon the district. Whether or not the survey of the Manuherikia line of race, upon which Mr. Simpson has been lately instructed to. i eport, will tend to the retardation of the works we are, of course, unable to decide. \l e cannot, however, but hop© that there will be neither "delay nor dalliance in th© matter. The surveyof the Mahuherikia line of rsce cannot extend over a very lengthened period. Still, there must be many arrangements to be made in connection with the Sludge. Channel, even before Mr. Simpson's report upon that point is sent in. These should, and no doubt will, be proceeded with, in the words of our telegram, " without^delay." There can, we imagine, be no second opinion as to the fact of the Manuherikia liiver being a far larger and snore permanent source of supply than the Xiittle Kveburn. The question resolves itself into one of cost, and that we have no doubt the report of Mr. Simpson will speedily solve. If we cannot have the one let us the other, and that "without delay." The workability oi the Sludge Ohauuel, which, a few croakers have been and are still in the habit of pooh-poohing as an idea utterly Utopjan, has demonstrated by. actual survey, and we trust to find that when JVEr. Simpson's report on the Manuherikia line is completed, it will be made manifest that the bringing in of water from that race is equally practicable, and practicable at a cost which the Government will feel in sanctioning, i lhe statistical tables which accompany the report are of the most elabo. rrMe kind and of the most exhaustive character: We regret that our limited space prevents our placing them before such of our readers as t?.ke an interest in all matters connected with and affecting mining in New Zealand. The report, from first to last, teem.*, with information alike instructive aud • interesting, and will well perusal. Among the Wardens' Report which are appended to the Under-Secretary's general report, we notice another by Mr. Warden Robinson, which the same ability, and knowledge ot toe subject as those which a?speared in a late issue. This report we are compelled to hold over till our next issue.

Before concluding our present remarks on Mr. iiaughtuu'a report, we cannot but take exception at the accusal ion against ourselves wb'ch appears in p. 7ot that report. jVT.r. iX&ugHton. complains of the " greatest ignorance " which has prevailed upon the subject of the Water Supply Regulation", at the same time accusing the Press generally and ourselves particularly of the " grossest -misrepresentation." take the liberty of telling Mr. Haoghton that the attempt to shift the blarne of iniperiect regulations from his own. shoulders to thos3 of others savors rathe? of ingenuity - than ingenuousness. . Had ths 'regulations been, they should have Seen, dear and beyond misconception, there could and would have been neither that real "ignorance" nor gross " miare- " presentation '* .of *rhioh that gentleman,complains. 1-Y 6 trust thafc, should further " regulations " from ' Mr. Hsughfcon's pen appe&u before th? public they will be JwHu-d nlain English—di7ested_ of all that- doubt and ambiguity which never fail fro lead to misapprehension and, not unfrequently to UDiaiteritioiir,! " misrepresentation."

While 8 peak in 3 oir Mr. Hamilton's report. r.B sv v;e do Dot desire it to be understood $13,6 endorse all of the recoxruiiexi(iflitdqtig which it cqju

tains. On the contrary, ,we look upon some of them as us*-it others as unnecessary. and others as utterly unworkable — tending only to render complication more complicated. We shall liave something more to say 011 this subject, as well as on the new Mining Bill (which evidently owes its birth to Mr. Haugh ton's report and suggestions),- at an early opportunity.

The entertainment at St. Bathans in aid of the funds JSational School there, took place on the'evening of Friday last, arid went - off with great eclat, the sum odd being the nett proceeds realised. A report of the gathering will be found elsewh«re. The gentlfemeu from this place who had volunteered their assisance on the occasion were, to their great regret, unable to proceed in consequence of the deep snow, which rendered the roads utterly impassable!- " We beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of several numbers of ' Hansard' and a large batch of Parliamentary pa,pers, among which we may mention the Oold Mining Bill lately laid upon the table, of the House by the Hon. Mr. Ixisborne. There is little doubt tliat this'Bill" will be subjected, tb much criticism, and have to submit to amendments innumerable before it Suds a place in the Statute Book of New Zealand. We regret to announce the death of the infant child of Mr. R. Bottingof this place, who -was found dead in its moJier's arms on the morning of Tuesdny last. The child, a few hours- before, was in good health. An inquest took place at Smith's Otago Hotel on the . «ame afternoon, before H. W. Robinson, Esq., Corone , when a verdict to the effect that death had resulted from accidental suffocation was returned, a;.d that there was no blame attachable to anyone. MmJHii's World Circus gave entertainments here to crowded audiences on the evenings of Friday e.nd Saturday last, upon both of which occasions the various performances of the troupe—-quadruped as well as biped—- • were enthusiastically received. The v only drawback was the soft and slippery state of the ground, which placed the performers at a considerable disadvantage. Still, all vent off wed on both occasions, and to the evident satisfaction of all present. Mr. Murray announced that he was about to proceed to Melbourne for the purpose of infusing new blood into his troupe, and that hs expected to make a tour of the Kew Zealand GoWfields, towns during the coming summer. We feel sure that, couie w en they will, Mr. Murray and his circus wJI meet with a hearty recept ion, though, for our pir*, we cannot but think that this portion of Kew Zealand >is better fitted for summer than lor winter outdoor entertainments.

The weather, which has now been for a long rime past of the most severe kind, took a turn for the better on Wednesday, when a IN. \V. wind springing up caused the ice to melt and the snow to disappear from all but the highlands. This seasonable . thaw still continues, End we hope b ou to see mining operations resumed throughout the district. The season tap been one of great hardship, and very trying to the miner, but we hop? to see him soon making headway again. An open »pnng and summer vrouto soou. put matters to rights again. The roads are spoken of a- being something execrable—almost impassable, and the arrival ot the mail consequently being irregular ; the only wonder is iiow it has been able to get here at all. Dani.l'smail, via Macraes and Hyde, which is usually carried on horseback from Palmerston, has continued to arrive with its usual punctuality. A special general meeting of the Mount-

Ida Trade Association was held in the Empire Hotel 0:1 the evening of Monday last. There was a good attendance of members. Mr. Tnder in the chair. The minute? of the last special general meeting was read and confirmed.—A letter from Mr. Burr, Chief Postmaster, was read, thanking the Association for briuging the matter- of unnecessary delay of mails O i arrival of coach before him, and that the grievance complained of would be removed without delay.—A list containing the names of ninety-seven persons qualification were bona fide J, in favor l of having Kaseby declaied into a Municipality, was read by the Secretary, Mr. Cra%. 11 va> then resolved : " That the names of those favorable

to a Municipality, said liable to be rated, be

forwarded to the Superintendent, o&compaaiecl by a memorial praying that his Honor -wouici cause the tovro to be declared a Municipality as g.?on*a"B jJoasibie.'-" " That, in the said list there be set forth, in addition to their uamas, the qu&liSeationa as well as the places of residence of fbe memorialists;." " 'lhafc Mr. H. Wilssn be requested to prepare a memorial to his Honor the Superin.tendent, praying for Incorporation. Said memorial to b'- submitted to the Directors of the

Association for approval."—Several other matters wt-re brougli: under the notice cf the Association end disposed of, after vy-hick the

meeting broke up. The Mouufc Ida Glee dub have kindly consented to g«e one of their favorite concerts, at Kyeburn on t.he sth proximo, upon the occasiou of the opening of Mr. Mcrgan'i new hall. The concert will take place in the ball, and the proceeds will be handed over in aid of the t'uudc of the Kyeburn School. We trust that trie trouble and inconvenience which the Club must necessarily undergo by travelling so great a distance and over such bad roads for their amusement and benefit, will be rewarded by the Kyeburnites according their Tasitora a bumper house;

The outward English mail via San Francisco, will close at the p -sfc-oPice here on Monday.next, at the usual horn*. The 4 great mining dispute esse, Eager v. Grace, was settled out of Courts at Queenstown, on Tuesday last. The terms are:— £4OOO to be paid Eager ; each party to pay his own costs, which on Grace's part are enormous The settlement was effected by Messrs., Macassey and Cook.