THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 275, 12 June 1874, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

There are very few who have been resident for a long time onthe G oldfields but must have felt the insuffi--ciencies of the residence areaaqualificacation. Many would gladly attach to theitf homes ten acres of ground, even although such ground might be highly auriferous —a,nd take the risk of their plots so taken being required for milling—if an .opportunity was offered them. There are numberless portions of ground'not immediately required for the gold-miner's purpose, which, from their situation in the neighbor-"' hood of workings, are of little or no value to the pastoral tenants, and might be laid under contribution to find food for families. In Victoria this want appears.to be very provided for by a clause in the Waste Lands Act of 1869, now in force and working well, which reads thus "The G-over- " nor may, from time to time, grant " licenses for any period not exceeding "one year, which shall entitle the " holders thereof respectively to reside "onor to cultivate any lands 'on any " Goldfield within the meaning v of any " Act now or hereafter to be,in force " relative to the G-oldfields or land's " adjacent .thereto, not exceeding!in " extent twenty,acres, subject.;to the ; " payment of such license fee. and upon 1 ' " such terms and conditions as'"shall : " be approved of by the (Governor and " 1 set forth in such license : Provided' " that not more than one such license- " shall be granted to or held by any '' one and the same person " The next clause provides that i" Every license " under this Part shall bear date of the " day on which it is issued, and shall. " continue, in force for a period, not;. " exceeding one year from such " and shall be subject to such reWtric- " tions, limitations, and conditions* and, " to the payment of such reasonable " fee as the Governor, by general re-' " gulations published in the ' Govern-.. " ' ment Gazette,' thinks fit to impose." Supplementary, upon, these, provisions' we may quote a clause among miscel-' laneous provisions—a clause which furnished Mr. Eradshaw with the foundation of his Act passed last ses- : sion—that " All lands alienated under " the provisions of this Act shall be : " liable to be resumed for mining pur- " poses by her Majesty on paying full- " compensation to the licensee, lessee,, " or purchaser in fee simple'thereof,, " for the value., other than auriferous of ,the lands and improvements so " resumed, such value, in casie of dis- " agreement, to/be ascertained by ar- " titration •; the terms, conditions, and events 'upon which such lands may " be resumed, and the ,manner in.which " such arbitration sh ill bW conducted, ' shall be determined by regulations in " such manner as the Governor shall " from.,time to time direct." This last clause is- not, '• of course, 'specially framed to meet'the case of these annual licenses on Goldfields, but it em-; hraces Our 1 readers are aware that it is framed, to meet the proved necessity of a right being reserved in sales of land, as well as leases and lir censes, to the auriferous treasures in such lands. "Indeed, in practice, the clause would' hardly ever be brought into operation, for it would be, in,most cases, wiser to let the. annual license run out than to pay compensation ,for the crops and improvements. At first sight .it' may be thought that no one would take up and enclose ten acres of laud on no better security than a yearly license, but we think ft would be found not to be so. Many men would gladly fence in a small paddock, for a crop or two, for the purpose of growing garden produce and feeding a horse or a cow, on land that they know' quite well—from the fact of all the. water which can be brought on to command it .being employed elsewhere, and likely to be'so employed for many: years—will not be required for mining. We think, under such a system put in operation here on our alluvial Goldfields, no great barm would ensue if the licensee were allowed, under any circumstances, to hold his ground till the termination of his certificate, for there would be, no doubt, publicity given to each application, and those mining in the locality would have a full right to object if they thought that during the year the, ground would be wanted. If they found out, however, in the tenth ,or eleventh month that this was not so—that they required the ground—no great hardship would be incurred by waiting until the twelfth month";'' more especially would there be none bet-ause siu-h a provision under the Kegulations would be for the benefit of the miners themselves. Tbe : •member for the Lakes (Mr. K. Clarke) thinks that, if immediate resumption of the portion; required were allowed, every difficulty would be overcome that very few parties work out more than an acre in a year, and therefore practically would not, in a balance of a year, seriously injure a ten-acre enclosure. Provided *that4he : encroach, ment of claim was from the exterior this would be true ; hut.it would not be so' if water was being brought on to the centre ,and a tu.il''race cut from there. .However, the point is not of much vallie. On the whole, wfe consider that such a system would confer so many benefits upon the mining communities that it is well worth acceptance at even slight ricks of, in some cases, temporary inconvenience.

The arguments' with ' wbi&h' Mr

Clarlte'.s proposition was assailed were politieal'bo^ies: Dummyism—spotting. the runs - spotting the agricultural blocks. Then, too, the creation of. vested rights was also raised, and.MrJohn M'Lean was frightened that parties would settle on ten-acre sections and claim compensation, before they would 'mtfye,sfpoifi larger'seitlera ' It ia» obvious there'CMild be rio such'- areation of vested rights uuderthe annual certificate-; we :rconceive '~it'' would be found so profitable as to, encourage parties, on no better-security, to attempt to live on ten acres of land. In Victoria, a certificate haying to be; renewed year by year on application has not ;been,found to favor dim my- * ism,? neither would any reasonable mortal expect that it would do. Mr. Clarke; could ; not'expect his motion;! coming down; as a new proposition ;to: the Council, to be carried, or, indeed,' to be entertained. - Nevertheless,,he has don'e well to bring it'forward. It, >?vill, -no doubt, be freely discussed in the Goldfields' -Press, and in the Committees; ; of* ' the -i'local' Associations. There is a feeling abroad, given, expression to by . Mr. : Reid, that . theminers were antagonistic to such settlement; , ;The>miners are men with families'to.'keep, and in 'many'districts have to .pack provisiotas .at great expense, when,; .if, they could.; get the small ten-acre sections, they, could grow substantial - food : .themselves.' There "is no. feeling, as a whole, antagonistic to settlement, provided—r-as \ye i have .over an,d over again reiterated— I the • auriferous, treasures are reserved i to the Crown. i

,! The ' Tribune' says that, there is mo truth in the rumor that Judge" Johnston proceeds to Otago. l ■ ■ -----■

We understand that a weekly paper, to'be palled. the 'Otajro'Leader,■' is Id te'started' at' Balclutha.in. July next.? i ii r: if In consequence of there baing' no' cases On the list,- his Honor Ju.dge jdid- not.;; hold his usual' '"Districl: Coiirfc' at' Naseby' this week. •'The Provincial Council made short wort of th'e', Estimates 'on Friday. ' ; When this adjoiirn-meut.-took place,: at! ten p:m.', : ; nearly-every iteiri>was nassed, as sent,dowii..! 'I - ..J v

According to Mr. Cumming, of ApariniaV there, is.a, man, with,only: one arm, known to him thaitj' more senses than one'),- could farni : 160 "iicres of 4and per - yearj except in harvest time. . : U .<• Brian another ; column if 'ofiiiMonday-the '29 th' •inst. is th.e latest hour, to. w,liich' applica-.. tions' wil] 'be received in Qtago and Southland for shares in the Colohial 7 B» n'k bf Ne'w"Zpalandi.:\ r understand :£hat.'over 65,000 shares! have .already «been>applied vin'ce". ' '

H.M.s. Clio, at-Auckland, from New Cale-, dohiav-' reporti' that r ßateman, formerly of Auckland, bas : been convicted 'of s)io6tin : g : -a'-! French ~officer. -He' was s6nten'ccjds loi'ten- 1 Jyears'. seclusion., at the isjand. wasfi ac'iVe.' 'Various'gold discoveries .had .been re* 'porte'd;' ! but'''had ; ? riot : ' bce'r\ proriecl'; payable: ;! ■ Prospectors:are;'out .in:every direction.- ' 1 i underst4ri'd i fhat-it' is'intended to' ereiit''' ; a .bridge; oyerUherWiiitakilßi.vsrjl'im'iiiediately i above the junction of the Macrewlienua lli'ver.: of the work fo be equally .borne ! Otago'- and'. 'Gantetburif'/ '&oviernm6iits/ : This wortl'Svill' supply r a^vint ! long felt,'^arid - be the means of opening up> .a large'bxteriti of; agricultural and pastoral land oii both' sides of tlie riyer.. ( n In 'Committee' of' Supply a'motion, 'introduced by' Mi''.' :i de-{Laut6ur, was' bari-ie ; d ; , -to offer a bonus, (agreed to by Mr. Reid as £250) for, ; the appa,ra,tus • for; (hyaraulicj' Subject. ; to such: .conditions;, 'and' 'regulaiii'bhs- as may .be'.thouglat 'fit. . j jTHis". im'otion, though s agreed to ;by'Mr. Eieid;''wab' Stoui?,i fortunately with ; no success, as the Committee would not even; be persuaded-by his eloquence: to, divide, -but-, carried' thjb motion as slightly amended. t>y' Mri" Reid.' '

.Tjre .'New..Zealand Rimes' , the. 'following- from'' Govethbr •JBVi'gusson's ' private? dated 'AtoVland::^-^!iam > dit-ected. .by. the . Governor, to .infprin.; jyou : - ; thaifi the: para-/: graph in the from the ' Argus' off MayAli/ aiid/stating that his Excellency' has started the id'ea 'tlVat i all correspondence between the Governments of, ;the ! seyferal.-Goloniesv'should''dome , direct from and to the Governors., of and not through their responsible advisers, had no foundation in fact." -, ■.

' The Estimates passed 011 Friday-night con • tain an item of £IOOO on account of the erection, of a fMuseum. vThe Provincial Secret tary : said s they Sad liow a Geologist, -but he" could do but littlefor want of ',a .ptdper 1 museum; as,' if he.collected specimens-,., he hadno r place in; which to'piit thtem. 1 . ; 'W^ciid^noi 1 consitleriit very 'c'reditiible toShe-Provihceinot'' aisuitahle [building foci aMThkmum. l! In this respect they were behind neighboring Province. orCanterbury..., The ; building: would probably'dost CLbbut'£sDoo, and it'was" proposed to erect it at the /north end of the town.—•' Guardian;' ~; i .' ••■> i

A ; correspondent,' writing Kfroin -ifetefe!-''': whenua, says:—The bridge across the river is; finished; I believe the approaches, if not the bridge as well, will go.the.first,flood. —Mr.. Barton, the District Surveyor, lias just completed "the survey of 1 the township. I- 'li Ope the Government will not delay the; safe,'- andthus force us to take out fresh business licenses,. as? at,. £Jt. .Bathans.-^The 1 M'Cosh Smith held- [Divine service in r the Court House here on Monday evening. T aiii happy to say there was a fair attendance. It is a pity we have not oftener an opportunityof hearing. We regret,tt>dearn from our, telegrams that,' the ship Northampton has arrived at Lyttelton with small-pox on board. She is from England, and,has 370 immigrants on board, She- has been placed in quarantine;' and it is to be hoped that the authorities: will : take every , pos&ible precaution •. to,, prevent \ the disease 'from' being communicated to the main land j ..for, sho.uld this dreadful, scourge .once; obtain oh; our . shores,'it is hard to" say <it will-stop. : We have only'too vivid a recollection of the. .circumstances ;of the introduction s of this dieeasednto.Auckland and' Wellington some ■ two' years 1 kgo'J £fir6iigh the proper precautions not being taken on the arrival, of the /p.p. <Nevada,:, from; California,; This want of precaution let! to several'deaths—''Guardian.' - . '

The usual monthly meeting of thes Hospital Committee was held on Friday evening last. Present - Messrs Inder (chair), A M'G. Brown, D, Stewart, Green, George, Greer, and the Rev. J. M'Cosh Smith. - The minutes of previous meeting were read and and confirmed. —The surgeon's report showed: Patients in hospital, 3; admitted 3; discharged 1; reraining in house, 5—The Visiting Committee reported that, they had had the work done as instructed at last meeting. The Treasurer's report was read, and showed: Balance in bank, £224 17s., 10d.; subsidy due, £78 14s. 6d.—making a total of £303 12 4; Account to the amount of £29 4s. 11 1/2d. were

passed for payment.-Messrs. Greer, Jackson, and D. Stewart are the Visiting Committee for the ensuing month.

In the Provincial Council last week, Mr. R. Clarke," of the.Arrow, moved the following motion, which; however, was not pressed to a division, the feeling being against it:— "That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that provision be made in. the G-pld-fielrlf "Regulations'of this Province' to enable holders of miner'si righ'ts -to" occupy, 'by "virtue of certificate granted by the Warden, for purposes of cultivation, in any one case tea. (10) acres. Such land to, pe held ! s\tbject to resumption - for mining 7 pi-frposes'without . compensation; except-;-' as ■■ against fencer.oc.. crop that, tlie certificate be annual, and the land -be chargeable with rent at the rate of not exceeding one shilling per acre per annum, payable in \ advance : And i'thatj&■ respectful address be presented- toMiistffonbr the Superintendent, requesting tha f . he will be pleased" to. giye effect, to this resolution." -7 '• . The_ Provincials in answer to a resolution ; o'f .the, Council, laid. .the following opinion' upon the table in reference to resi-. clence upon deferred sections:—"l a™ of opinion that the. licensee of.»an - allotment under the system'of deferred payments ■miist,. under sub-section"s of section's 4of the Otago Wasti? Lands Act; ;18,72, reside personally on his allotment. The whole scopeand.„in,tention of. the Act, in my opinion, (clearly show ithis;* but even were any doubt to be raised regarding the meaning of the words ' personally occupy,.the last provision of sub-section 5, by providing; that .on the death of the licensee or his assigns during the currency of the license it''shall not-be obligatory on the executors •. or adniihisfcrators of such licensee or his assigns to comply with?' the ! conditions of occupation, clearly implies so long as^the .licensee liyes,-.-personal occupation mustcbelcomplied with?' * V. •;

The Licensing Ordinance, 1865, Amendment Ordinance, 1874, passed its second readingiat Thursday's sitting of the Provincial Council. The Council's power to deal with a witter of the kind was disputed, Mr. John fillies expressing a very strong conviction on tliefpoint. legal element Kin'the ?Housc had also a few words to' say7*and, as :.s usual on 6.11 such ocaasions, their opinions were „conspieuous by a total absence of unanimity. Messrs. Hagwitt and Stout were very that the Council had power to ideal wii li' the.-matter, and Mr. Turton was' equally positive to the contrary. The member for Makarewa (Mr. James Wilson), becoming rather noted for the his' utterances, caused no small"' merriment,by an ;effort on his part to draw a distinctionbetween the legal aspect of tlie qu'estibfi-'and the icoinmon sense view of the matter. The, Council, however,, sided with the ' opinion - adopted by the Provincial Solicitor, mainly on the jground that the Licensing Ordinance passed at- the 'last session - ..0f Ch,e ,General • Assembly .wnsi,jrordedOso. as',to .;r'ecpgn|se }fche* force;,and effect of " any Act or Ordina- ce passed by the Provincial Legislature." The -Bill on its merits was a good deal " chopped up," j the idea being to confine its operations ' strictly to railway-station refreshment rooms

On Friday last a ball, in celebration of the second anniversary of the Loyal Mount-Ida. Lodge; I 0.0. F., came off in : the\ MasOnic Hall.V The Hall was well decorated with ever-' green's, chains of colored paper, colored lanterns, flags, &c. One side of the hall displaced the motto " Friendship, OLove,- and Truth," while the opposite side bore' the inscriptions, " Faith, Hope,\and,Charity/' 'and " In I God we Trifet nicely bordered with'ferns brought from the' foot o;f the range. At tlie end of the hall, facing-tbe dais, there was a large transparency,' representing different emblems of tlie Order. On th,e centre of the dais stood a foible loaded with qdibles of every description, and at the side another table was covered with drink-' sbles of all kinds., ? Q v.e4'?hY,h.undrexli\perapris were 'ladies. The music was dancing was kgpt up till daylight.";., VEv'efyone)seemed to be' highly delighted Svith'tlieir'night's , .amusemenfc,\ ancV with \eaeh other, .and some (t.liei ( ladies tli'ey wbuldinot have objected'to a repetition each week, ; The whole affair reflected great credit phi the Committee of Management, and we must say that the members of the Loyal Mount Ida Lodge have this year fully kept ub the reputation they had previously acquired of never doing things of this kind by halves. , , On Monday night, in Committee of •Mr. ;'de Lautour brought on .the.motion for the. reduction of the gold dirty, \whibh\ran as follows:—"That a b'eprejsentgcl to his Honor the that a sum may bp/.piaceEioii "the Supplementary Estimates for making repayat the rate of f 6d. per ounce, to exporters of gold, the produce of the Province of Qtago and the late Pi'ovine'e of. Southland, during-the current year.'" Tlie'objection's to it were raised in the following orddr: First, : by-Mr'. J. L. Gillies, who Wejhad heHeVed in ; earnest, that the real participators Would 'be the banks, not the miners. Then by Mr. Reid, ; ,who had; ;he admitted,.: always supported any legal- mode;in/which, a Reduction could'be'effected in the' Assembly.' Then by Mr: Stout, who said; there was mo tin just tax<ationupori the miners ataU. THeff by Mr. i M'KeUar, of .Cromwell; jhis objection being a silent one in the* gallery of the House, and' •his -premeditated absence'.from the 'divdsion. i ■'.All objections were overrufed-by the 'Council, , --who, by a fine majority, insisted on a partial justice\being extended to the Goldfields. The 'division list is as, follows:—For the motion: -Messrs'. Bastings, \C.'' -Brdwn',l- 'G.' <F-; C. 'Browne, R. 5 Clarke, Daniel; C! A: deLaii- • (teller), H. S. (teller),. B. - Cv-, Ha£gitt, J?. Hazlett, G. ■ "K.Oliver, C. S. Reeves, G. Sumpter, G. K. -Turton, J. Wilson. Against, tMVnqtion: Messrs. 1 J. Allan, J. L. Gillies, ' D. "Hender.spn,, )G.' Lumsden, I. A. R., Menzies, J M. Webster, 'W. Wood.. -For;, 17.; (against--11 . -' : iS i ' f \ ? • T '• "• \ : •-xY<.\ i-J\ • ; ; r A petition, particularly interesting to lessees! 'owners of Chptels l , \wa£. presented to itlie C6uh6ft''"yeUe'May'"by. "'Mr M'Glashan. The pe'titipn.wfis signed by Mr. W. 11. 'Arrow, as chairmatvof 'ia ! 'i\ifeeti.ijr of: licenced victuallers held »at_ Dunedin .oiv.Tthe '.lst insti, rind the; Counciliwete. asked 'the petition to be' forwar.lect to* the General Assembly. It read t as 'iL'hatf, t ; a, .- ing into consideration' the value'df Koler'p'o- , parties'in Otago, as p-lsb, the. value of the la,iid •whereon the same.are'erec: instiahe'i'lfin'd recently sold "in > Princßs-streefc, Du.nedin . : :(wheredT) an''hotel is biint),-Tealising -at the rate of £90,000: —it may fairly be presumed >that £i",0D0.000 is; not-"an of hotel properties in tlve said aii,d, in dealing with so 'larjr« an inte/est, it is the opinion of this'meeting that'r,be Lieensin" vAct/or .Zealand; regulating';the* sale ,oT r iritoxicafcmg '.liquors' (Ootober 22, 1373), is 'unjust in its and totally, unfit, for -the'i require inents of'suoh; arpopulaitiion ! aS,thiifc tof Otago, as no provisi6n r is J niddeHh6i , 'ein' : 'fiij license houses on Goldfields, thereby affording . ppporjtunities.for : sly-grog : selling, a,nd.its i aV teiidaht; evils., . catf. onlV 'be granted at annual sittings held by-, ii-re-•sponsiWe Boards ; and it is, believed-tliat-ino transfei-: of licenses can-i»w tak"2'plafce J : hmice the operation of the Act is additionally injuriouf. That, - m, the opinion,of • this meeting, alfceraj;ipn in :thp?siiicj' 'lilwns'irnrnediatoiv required.; Its iniquitous and unju'siefiect lias a tendency to rum many 'respuctdhlfe persons : in the Colony, not only as .lessees--of 'hotel's, but. also as the owners tliereof, and is conse'quently jjroductive' of great .injury to tracks'people and others, through loss of custom. That it is believed the slid Act is not legally

in force, as there is .nothing therein- contained as to wbendt.comes into operation (see clause 13), and that'clause .23 is unworthy of the statute-books of the 'Colony, granting, as it does, without appeal or rehearing, a despotic power over the fortune and property of every person who may apply.to any Board of Commissioners for a publican's license. That it is respectfully suggested that, there be a clause inserted; in any new or; amended Act to the effect that'none but registered electors shall be permitted to oppose the granting or renewing publicans'general licenses."