THE NEW GOLDFIELDS BILL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 224, 20 June 1873, Page 3

THE NEW GOLDFIELDS BILL.

We trust the various Miners' Associations will carefully scrutinise the provisions of the Bill, and lose no time in pointing out any objectionable features they may discover. Our thanks are due to several gentlemen possessing an intimate knowledge of the details of the present system, for directing our attention to several points in the Bill which might otherwise have escaped our observation. Sections 3 and 4 provide for the repeal ** of no less than thirteen existing statutes relating to the Goldfields : all rights and privileges acquired under those statutes, however, being preserved; and all liabilities incurred being still enforced. Section 6 provides for the constitution of " gold mining districts and section 10 empowers the Governor to cancel or (with the concurrence of the lessee or . licensee) suspend the depasturing lease or license as regards the whole or part of the land comprised within such gold mining district: the runholder to be compensated out of Provincial revenue, and the amount to be fixed by mutual agreement between himself and the Government, or, failing that, by arbitration. Whether any actual alteration is intended by the introduction of these sections or not, it is difficult to determine. In sections 13 and 14 provision is made for the issue of " miners rights " to individuals, and of " consolidated miners' rights" to unregistered companies, for any number of years no exceeding fifteen : at a charge, in the former case, of £1 for every year for which the right is to be in force; and in the latter payment of a sum at the same rate, multiplied by the number of rights under which the claim may be tenable. This plan would appear to confer greater security of tenure than the present system of issuing miners' rights annually. Section 23 provides (inter alia) that the owners of any two or more adjoining claims may amalgamate the same if so disposed. Section 24 reduces the fee for halfyearly business licenses from £3 to £2los. Section 26 provides that the holder of ft business license may transfer the to any other person, for the then unexpired period of the license, on payment of five shillings. As the law stands at present, business licenses cannot be transferred : every fresh owner or tenant is obliged to take out a new license. Section 27 allows, in case of neglect, three months' grace (instead of one, as at, present) for renewal of miner's right or Business license, but only on payment of ten shillings in addition to the ordinary price of such right or license. Section 37 deals with water rights and races. In applying for a water license, the applicant is to specify (besides the usual particulars) the situation and dimensions of any reservoir or dam intended to be constructed in connection with the water race. A copy of the notice of application is to be lodged with the mining registrar of the district, who will note thereon the day and hour of receipt, and keep the same in his office. After the lapse of fourteen days from receipt of notice, if no objection be lodged, the mining registrar shall issue to the applicant a license " to be in force for any term not exceeding fifteen years; and there shall be payable annually in advance, in respect .of such license, the sum of £1 : the first payment to be made on the day on which the license shall be granted, and every subsequent payment to be made on the same day in every subsequent year : and such license shall be renewable at the end of the term for which the same shall have been issued, either for the like or any other term not exceeding fifteen years." No necessity wiJi^exist&r serving notices upon miners ground, or upon other interested persons, as required by the present Regulations. Whether the quantity of water required be one sluice head or fifty, the license will be charged at a uniform annual rate of twenty shillings. Any person objecting to the granting of a water license must serve a notice to that effect upon the mining registrar, who shall withhold the issue of the license pending adjudication by the Warden. The applicant must summon the objector to show cause why such license should not be granted. The Warden is empowered to ascertain by evidence the facts of the case and order accordingly, and to award costs to either party. No mention is made of special applications' being requisite for tail races, and it may therefore be inferred that the right to construct such is conferred by the water license. The person constructing a race will acquire the right to occupy (for the purpose of depositing matter removed From such race) the land immediately adjoining to a distance of not exceeding fourteen feet in width, including the width of the race, either on one side only or partly on both sides, as may be specified in the license,-—' Cromwell Argus,' .