THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1873.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 226, 4 July 1873, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1873.

Clause 42 of the proposed G-oldfields Bill reads thus :—" It shall be lawful " for the Governor, in die name and on " behalf of her Majesty, to demise for " mining purposes to any person, for " any term not exceeding fifteen years " from the making of the lease, any " auriferous Crown lands not exeeed- " ing fifteen acres in the whole, and to " grant any necessary easements ■ in " connection therewith." The penalty clause 207 makes the miner's right necessary in the first instance, as in water race construction. Tha whole working of this system would depend on the Regulations made from time to

time, which-the Act says may "Be applicable to the whole Colony, or to any part thereof. These fifteen acre leases thus would have ho check at all, except the hastily-framed local Regulations for the time being, and might become as great a nuisance to the holders of smaller claims as the sale of large blocks of land is at present- to the agriculturalists. The Regulations are to control everything—the mode of application, the objecting, the marking out, the amount of deposit to be paid by the applicant and objector (if there be any) as security for the costs of hearing, and the terms and conditions upon which such lease may be held, occupied, worked, assigned, forfeited, or cancelled, and such Regulations, from time to time, to alter, amend, or rcvolce. The only intended safeguard is the words following the G-overaor , s.-:po4ver of proclamation of Regulations*-" not being contrary to " the provisions of this Act." Prom our experience of the "Act so far, this would be no safeguard at all. One other provision, giving holders of leases under other Acts the. option of surrendering their old leases in favor, we presume, of a new one, is about all the Act has to say in the matter, leaving all details to subsequent Regulations, tinder a certain condition, however, the Governor's power to make Regulations would cease, and that would be where a district was constituted a Mining District, in which case the Mining Board would have all the prerogatives, as.far as Regulations are concerned, otherwise resting,in the Governor. The Mining Board is to be composed of a number of members to be elected—the Governor fixing the uumber and also the qualification of the voters. Any such Mining Board would have power to frame bye-laws, and to revoke or amend the same touching their own proceedings, and 'for regulating the quantity and forms of land which may be occupied under any miner's right .. . . . and all such other bye-laws [relating to mining under miners' rights and applicable to the gold-mining district for which they, may be elected as they "shall deem most beneficial. . . . . . Provided, also, that no such bye-law, revocation, or amendment snail be in force until it shall have received the consent of the Governor, and shall have been published in the 'Gazettes,' and in at least one of the local papers best calculated to give publicity to the same amongst the persons most interested. It is a matter of very grave doubt whether it would be desirable that, instead, of one code for a Province, there should be exactly as many codes as there might be Mining Boards—anct" every district that could persuade 200 holders of miners' rights"to sign a petition could be constituted a Mining District. It appears to us that the difficulties in the way of the miners knowing what the law was would be m ueh greater than even at present, and in. uine cases out often it is ignorance that originates mining litigation. The Governor reserves power to dismiss any Mining Board, or to revoke their byelaws, but very deep grievances would have had to be experienced before such a high-handed course might be expected to be taken. In clause 65 a provision is made for handing over the Goldfields istration to the Superintendent and Provincial Council. But, to secure the officers'-Salary, it is prpvided that the revenue' of the Gold Mining District shajl be held responsible where payments have been repudiated by the Province. •» ' • The Act also provides special legislation for mining on Native lands. Ten clauses are devoted to.enable-the. ownerof any machine or appliance which - is used in raising, lifting, or draining water from any mine, to receive from the holders of, or persons working, adjacent mines benefitted by such machines, contributions towards, the expenses thereof—the Warden to determine, in disputed cases/ whether the defendant is benefitted, and, if so, what he should contribute. A very elaborate and detailed scheme is prepared for the establishment and working of Mining Drainage Eoards (a very curious contrast to the cure way in which

the Mining Boards—far more important creations according to their respective powers —are disposed of and left to haphazard Kegulations.) There are seventeen clauses devoted to these precious Drainage Boards —their duties, their constitution, quorum, and even election of Chairman. Possibly these Boards might be of value in districts where reefs and deep leads were the distinctive features—but, even so, we fail to see what advantage they offer compared to that afforded by a little confidence in a well paid and efficient Warden.

1 The monthly meeting of the Naseby Athenseum Committee was held on Monday evening last, all the members being present.—'The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.—The outward correspondence consisted of letters to the Colonial Secretary and Goldfields Secretary ; and inward, from the Secretary to the Education Board, concerning a further supply of books; copies of Waste Lands Act and proposed Goldfields Bill from the Provincial Government; also "a letter from the Provincial Secretary, enclosing plan of the piece of land granted for Athenaeum purposes.—The Secretary stated that the number- of subscribers to' date was fortythree.—The Treasurer's report showed the balance in bank to be £ll4' 4s. sd; cash in 'hand, £2 6s. Gd.; -total, £ll6 10s. lid.— Accounts were passed for payment to the amount of £3 3s. 3d.— Resolved: "That a porch be.erected in front of .the Athenseum, and also a partition across the library.—liesolved: "That cocoa matting belaid down on the reading-room floor."—Resolved: ''That a deposit of ss. be left on all magazines previous to being taken out by subscribers."—Mr E. 'C, Smith was appointed librarian and Secretary.—A vote of 'thanks to the Chairman terminated' the proceedings. Severe frosts during the night, and thaws by day have prevailed since our last, rendering travelling extremely dangerous, through the wretched state of the rjads. Mining operations are almost at a stand-still, iii consequence of the ground and water being held in. the iron grasp of. King Frost. The favorite amusement of indulged in, during the early part of the week, on the dams- On Monday night Cobb's coscb was unable to proceed further'than rTaseby on its downward joiirney, through the severity of the weather, and, on the return trip, had again to remain here during the night. The Home mail, via Suez, will, we understand, close this day (Friday) at the usual .hqur. Through the action of* .the. Chief, Post-„, master, in I)iiifellin,'ih refusing to allow "tile! ■' information as to, the departure of the English' mails being telegraphed, and in,the absence of any notice; being stuck up in front of the pbst- ■ office here, we regret, that it is 4 impossible to : notify the fact earlier. Itf another column it will be observed that our ex-M.P C, J. P. Armstrong, Esq., is annouuced to deliver a lecture,, on Wednesday next, in aid of our excellent local institution, the Mount Ida District Hospital. The wellknown.characteristic ability of the lecturer, and the attractive nature of the subject of the lecture—"Travels and adventures of an Irishman in America-, Australia, and New Zealand'* will be inducement sufficient, in our opinion, to crowd the Hall. The president of the iujstitution, H._W. Robinson, Esq., will preside. A special meeting of the Mount Ida District Hospital Committee was held on the 23rd ult, when the applications ot Mr and Mrs Johnstone for the positions of warder and matron were accepted. Seven applications were lodged. Resolved that the Secretary give testimonial to Mr and Mrs Reid for the satisfactory manner rn which they performed the duties of warder and matron since the opening of the institution. On dit that R. Oliver, Esq., M.P.C. for Mount Ida intends contesting the representation of the Waikouaiti district in the General Assembly. ' _The concert in aid of the funds of the Naseby. Brass Band has, we understand, been postponed for a week. . The following advertisement appears in the ' Lake Wakatip Mail' :—" The last notice ! . I give notice to every one concerned, that if all accounts due to me whiie in the- Prince of Wales Hotel, are not paid immediately, I shall make a present of all drinks for the last ten years. But look out for summonses for board and lodging and cash lent. William Maclarn. ' . - - .. " 'We understand that the police are determined to strictly enforce the 49th clause of the Licensing Ordinance. The clause relates to the penalty for permitting drunkenness on premises, and making the publican responsible for allowing an intoxicated person to so remain on his premises.. , The architect "of the Lawrence Town Hall has recommended that the size of the building should bo 40 x 65 feet, and capable of holding 400 people. - ; ' - As the Impounding (Ordinance forbids the impounding of cattle' during the night-time, the Inspector of Nuisances in Lawrence, to get over the difficulty, suggested to the Town Council the desirability of erecting a yard for the detentien of such cattle until the morning, previous to placing them in the pound-.- By v this means a good deal of annoyance and" damage to gardens would be avoided. At the adjourned meeting of the Hawksbury Licensing Court, a general license to Hugh Lyons, of the Commercial Hotel, Upper Shag Valley, was |. The whole of the men s employed by the

Heart of Oak and Star of the East Companies 'struck work the beginning of last week, in consequence of-having received notice of a redaction of wages. The Heart of Oak has been ■•paying £3 12a., and the Star £3 10s., pe week of 4§k hours ; and the reduced rate now offered is £3 ss. for the same number of hours. Wages men working on the lower.: grounds—at theßannockburri, for instance —are paid from £3 to £3 ss. for 44 hours' work; and the reefers claim the right to resist any reduction on their former wages on' the grounds that the climate of the Kange is more severe, the work more arduous, and the hours of labor longer, than they are in less elevated parts of the district. The following appears in same issue:,—"Strike! strike! strike! Notice is hereby given to the miners in Cromwell and surrounding districts that we, the miners on Carrick Range, are on strike for the purpose of resisting an attempt to lower the wages."—' Cromwell Argus.' Goods via the Bluff from Dunedin cannot. be delivered in Queenstowri uuder £l3 to £l4 per ton, according to the nature of. the article, and to obtain carriage direct from Dunedin, except upon an increase of this figure, is an impossibility. All goods coming to hand are more or less knocked about, and the state of the roads, is barely described by the word frightful—they are next door to impassable.— 'Wakatip Mail.' - "The following Government contracts have been accepted: Win. Pcarce, Mount Ida Waterworks, contract No. 5, £1,586 55.; Michael Dillon, same, contract No 6, £1,920. The ' Tuapeka Times' thus refers to the south road :—Last week, a waggon with five tons of goods was fast for two days. The combined efforts of thirty horses could not move it; the waggoner was compelled to unload the goods, and drag'the empty waggon out of the rut. This is only a single instance, but it is of daily occurrence, we therefore wish to draw the attention of the people to it intime. 1 MAN named Hickey was "brought into Waikouaiti from Palmerstonon Saturday the 21st inst., suffering from temporary insanity. The ' Waikouaiti Herald' says that the most discreditable disclosure in connection with this unfortunate a'ffuir is that the accused is represented as being an ex-M.P.C. He was committed to the Lunatic Asylum, Dunedin, for proper, care and treatment. Colds and coughs, says the ' Wakatip Mail' eontine to be the order of the day.' 'Up to Sunday last the weather had been unseasonably warm aud mild. It was then followed by a heavy fall of snow with sharp but riot heavy frosts, such weather, in fact, being most provocative for the catc;,ing of coughs'.afftt colds, by all classes of people. The young suffer very severely from the prevailing: epidemic. The hooping-cough in Clyde is attacking both old and*young alike. No deaths have.as yet occurred, - but there : are 'some;;v&Ty I ''serious cases!'. ' * .-.'■' ' 1"„■ ■ ' John Pattersok, alias Peter Gordpri, whq was arrested in N.aseby several weeks since? charged with having issued a valueless Cheque in Albert Town, was brought ,up v before the Resident Magistrate/at Clyde" on, the 17th ult., and was committed for trial'at the next Criminal Sitting of the Supreme Court at'Dunedin. A newspaper company has "been formed in Dunedin, with a capital of £12,000. It is . understood the intention is to purchase the plant and copyright of the 'Star,' and that Mr. Vincent Pyke will hold a responsible position on the staff. - : ." The Warden's. Court at Maerewhenua has been postponed to August sth, in consequence of the depth of snow in the Pass rendering travelling dangerous'. ■'■- ' '•'-■■-- i ■ °\ The Golden Hill Water Pace Company, Maerewhenua, was to have been opened on Wednesday last. From what we know of the enterprise, it is one of the many safe speculations on this promising Goldfield, and we trust that the pluck and perseverance of the promoters will be amply rewarded by a rich and abundant harvest. We regret that circumstances prevented our accepting the kind invitation to be present on the occasion. By special 'Gazette,' published on Monday last, the meeting of the Provincial Council was put off until noon of Tuesday last, Ist instant, in order to allow time for members to reach Dunedin. The ' Bruce Herald' understands that Mr Warden Carew has merely temporary charge of Tuapeka. The Government have not yet definitely decided what officer will be permanently stationed in that district. We understand that the Public Library, St. Bathans will be opened shortly.; The books have been selected with taste, and are daily expected. Workable and liberal rules have been adopted for the conduct of the institution. A petition to the Provincial Government is in course of signature in the district, praying for the construction of a bridge across the Taieri River, at a point half a mile below the old ford. The many advantages to be gained by bridging the river at the place mentioned are well known to those who are acquainted with the district. The old crossing has now become dangerous ■through the tailings damming bade the water. These be few Englishmen, we take, who are so ignorant of their country's history as not to have some knowledge of the Indian portion of it which treats of the memorable, terribly disastrous, Cabul campaigii in 1842, in which an entire British army was annihilated —without question the most fearful episode in England's military annals. In the retreat down that awful pass, of the 13,000 to the 15,000 soldiers and camp followers which composed the force all were killed or taken prisoners by the pursuing Afghan, but one

solitary European escaped to tell the heartrending tale to the people of Jellalabad, the ne'aresb British post to the scene of the massacre. This person was Di\ William Brydou. it is seeing a notice of his death by the recent mail that causes us to advert to a matter now buried for thirty years. Dr. Brydon, it will bo recollected, wont through the rest of the siege of Jellnlabad with the garrison under the command of Sir Bobert Sale. Bub perhaps few know that this adventurous and brave medico had his fortunes again cast in besieged places some fifteen years later, for we find him as one of that band of Englishmen who were shut up iu Lucknow with. Sir Henry LaAvreuce in the mutiny-year. Of the few who escaped uninjured during that trying siege Dr Brydpn was one.