GOLDFIELDS CELEBRITIES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 364, 25 February 1876, Page 3

GOLDFIELDS CELEBRITIES.

ME. JAMES B. B. 3B4DSHAW. Mr. James B. B. Bradshaw was bore in England, at Southampton. His father, General Bradshaw, is related to, and connected with, the Bradshaws andßradshaighs and Benns of Lancashire, Cheshire, Derby and Tipperary. Young Bradshaw passed creditably through the East Indian Company's College, Hailey bury, near Hertford, and, in due course, entered the Indian Civil Service, which, however.he soon left from declining health For severaly ears after, his life was a most eventful one. Thoroughly unsettled he was in the humor for travel, common to so many, and was, as so few are, able to gratify his humor to the full. During those years of travel he went through the Empire of Brazil, and several of the States in South America. He also visited the African Islands, including Bourbon, Sea Shells, Madagascar, Isle of France, and voyaging as far as St. Helena and Ascension Island. The continent of Africa next tempted the traveller, and he journeyed inward from South Cape Point across the Great Fish River, through Kaffraria to the|missionary stations of the Revs. Robert Moffatt and Dr. Livingstone, i with whose families he was intimately associated. His attention was next drawn

to the Dutch Republics, and he passed through the territory since widely known as the centre of the diamond and goldfields of recent discovery. During his travels in Africa he made several successful trading ventures between the continent and the Islands. His African experience was not confined to peacable pursuits, for, on the outbreak of the fifth Kaffir war about 1850, he became in turn war office agent, recruiting officer, and commander of a company. Sir Harry Smith, an old friend of General Bradshaw's, was then Governor of the Cape and for the second or third time took an active part in the suppression of the rebellion. In 1852 the Governor's frontier policy not being ap proved, he was re-called and succeeded for two years by General Cathcart who in 1854 was himself replaced by Sir George Grey, K.C.8., from New Zealand. Sir Harry Smith had, however, left little to be done by his successors except to gradually build up a more satisfactory relationship between the Kaffir tribes and the Colonists. We may stop here to note that Sir George Grey's proposals were to educate the native children, provide relief for the sick, and employ Kaffirs for the construction of roads to open the country. For these purposes the British Parliament sanctioned a vote of £40,000 a year for a limited period. Leaving Natal, when his leader was re-called, Mr. Bradshaw went to the Isle of France remaining only a short time. In 1852-3 he landed in Victoria, and at once, like every

one else, of even less travelled instinct, went straight to the diggings. The time was one of great excitement, and Bradshaw threw himself into the pursuit in full sympathy with the intoxication of tho moment. He kept to practical mining for about four years. He followed it up in the deep wet sinking of Creswick Creek, and Ballarat district, and worked in and followed every new rush, in some instances being very successful. His attention was early drawn to quartz mining, upon which he entered before any quartz machinery was in the country, being interested m claims on Eagle Hawk, Mariners reef, and at New Bendigo. At New Bendigo, with the Roskruges, he was very successful. One of the brothers is now we understand a shareholder in, and manager of the Nugget Company, Nugget Reef, Skippers. It will be seen that Mr. Bradshaws practical mining experwas very large. In 1856 he was persuaded to commence the scientific study of auriferous drifts, and the occurrence cf lodes and veins and their quali ties. He opened an assay office at Castleraaine as assayer and gold buyer, under the style of Cameron and Bradshaw. Subsequently he opened at Tarrangower and Maryborough. At Maryborough he sold the business to the Bank of Australasia, taking office with the bank as assayer and gold buyer, and, before leaving, having a temporary charge. While in Australia his attention was drawn to Otago gold, and he wrote to the then Superintendent, Sir John Richardson, stating it was worth by assay £3 17s. to £4 Is. per ounce, and pointed out that, by the establishment of a Government assay office, the price of gold, which was then only £3 10s., would be raised. Doubts were, however, cast upon the scheme by his Honor's advisers. Major Richardson (not quite discouraged) sent several thousand ounces home for assay and sale, and was able to declare at apublicmeeting, that the price realised was £3 17s. to £3 195., after paying all expenses—proving the accuracy of Mr. Bradshaw's opinion. In 1870, when settled in New Zealand, he again wrote to the Superintendent, Mr. Macandrew, recommending the scheme of a Government assay office, in connection with a School of Mines ; and also to Mr. Vogel, The sama policy he urged upon the energetic Superintendent of Canterbury, Mr. Moorhouse, coincident with the West Coast discoveries. Unfortunately for New Zealand this good advice was systematically neglected. Influences were all at work, representing too large interests, to give the plan a trial. The i i i-i _ i • ii • ■ i •

proposal was published in tins journal in January, 1874, and its value pointed out. Upon Mr. Bradsbaw's arrival in Otago he went to the Dunstan, and brought down 3000 ounces of gold, before an escort was established, on horse to Waikouaiti, and shipped thence by steamer to Dunedin. At the first of the rush to the Lakes he went to Queenstown. He there opened a gold ofiice, and received deposits for the Union Bank of Australasia. At Queenstown he began his connection with the New Zealand press, editing the 'Mail' for nine months, and advocating the cancellation of the pastoral lease held by liees, and the withdrawal of the delegated powers from the Provincial Government. At that time a petition for the withdrawal of powers was got up, and signed by 3000 persons. liees' lease having been cancelled for commonage, he next strongly objected to the proposed sale of the commonage, in 1864, in runs of smaller sizes. The objection was for a timo successful. He also corresponded with the 'Colonist,' ' Telegraph,' and ' Mail,' newspapers, advocating a higher grioe for gold, the reduction of duty, and the abolition of all special taxation and monopolies. The Union Bank opened a branch in the Queenstown gold office, but the management objecting to the political writings of the agent he opened another office. In 1865 ho left Queenstown, and, in the same year, stood for the Provincial Council for the Goldfields, but was defeated by Mr. Mouat. In the following year he stood for the Assembly 'to r*t>r«sent lh* Gold-

field Towns, and was returned, beating Mr, J). P. Main. In the same year, assisted "by Mr. Haughton, he had a hand in the concession made for the purchase of 60 acres on goldfields held under agricultural lease, under the Act of 1866. In 1867 he was appointed by Mr. Stafford Ministerial Agent to take charge of the Goldfields. The resumption of the delegated powers caused a great stir. A plebiscite was taken, public meetings were held, and the unhappy Ministerial Agent was alternately burntand drowned in effigy. Mr. Vogel, the great advocate for the preservation ot Provincial rights intact, stumped the with paid agents, whom he placed in charge of the Court Houses, at an expense to the Province of several thousand pounds. At the conclusion of the parliamentary session, when a truce was patched up, the Ministerial Agent's appointment ceased. Meanwhile, on his persistent protest, the Wakatip runs were, by order of Mr. Stafford, withdrawn again from sale, and put back into the CommoDage, a proceeding which offended the Provincial authorities. It will be well known to our readers that this disputed Wakatip country, was, for' the most part, sold in snaaller leaseholds by the Turnbull - Bastings Government in 1872-3, as many think advantageously to the Government, but not in the interests of the people, other than the lessees, who perhaps will find that they have paid too much for their whistle. Mr. Bradshaws, private secretary, Mr. Felix Wakefield, the brother of the founder of the Colony, and father of the new Member for Geraldine, was provided with another appointment. Mr. Bradshaw did not seek for himself any compansative office, although, no doubt, his acceptance of the temporary appointment injured his political prospects very seriously. In 1868 Mr. Haughton introduced the Road Board Endowment Act, 1868, which, amended advantageously in Committee wjth Mr. Bradshaw's assistance, provided a better Act for outlying districts than the good intention of the Abolition Act promises. In 1868, his technical knowledge of mining again stood the Colony in good stead, and resulted in some excellent reports on the occurrences of the quartz veins then being discovered in Auckland. In 1870, the Goldfield Towns being abolished and put into districts, Mr. Bradshaw was returned for Waikaia, and, shortly after, in bis absence, was returned to the Provincial Council for Mount Benger. When the newly-elected Council met the Government in power were displaced, and Mr. Bradshaw joined Mr. Reid's Government as Treasurer. The new Executive had a tough battle to fight; the Treasury owed £97,000 to the banks, money was tight, and the agricultural interest was almost bankrupt. The Secretary and his Treasurer undertook to carry on the Government at salaries reduced to £4OO, holding two offices a-piece. The Superintendent's salary was also cut downjto £BOO. After.twenty months' in office Mr. Reid joined the short-lived Stafford Government as Minister for Works —a proceeding which Mr. Macandrew considered rendered his dismissal from Provincial office necessary. The Executive accordingly had to go, leaving the Treasury with a credit balance at the bank. The retiring Treasurer was pressed by the Superintendent and Mr. Tolmie to join the new Executive, but refused. When the Council met Mr. Tolinie's Government was displaced, and Mr. Reid formed another Government which Mr. Bradshaw refused to join, and which the Superintendent refused to accept. A dissolution was granted, and a new Council immediately summoned. On the appeal to the Province Mr. Bradshaw was not returned for Mount Benger on account of the Moa Plat sale, for which he was most unjustly blamed. Since then his active connection with Provincial politics has ceased. In 1873 he succeeded in carrying through the Assembly an Act called " The Resumption of Land for Mining Purposes." This Act is now law. It makes mining a public purpose, and is, therefore of importance in interpreting certain clauses of the Waste Laud Act of 18; 2. It authorises the resumption of any land sold after 1873 with no considertion as to its auriferous character. In 1873 he also introduced and carried through Parliament the.Female Employment Bill. The Bill has been preached throughout Scotland by the Rev. Dr. Begg, and has been commented on favorably in England and the English Parliament. In England the hours allowed for female labor are ten. In New Zealand they are only 8. In 1874 an Amendment Act was introduced by Mr. Rolleston, and the opportunity was taken by the originator of the measure to still further improve it. In 1875 Mr. Donald Reid again endeavored to amend the Bill, in the interests of the employers, and wa9 successful in the Assembly. Mr, Bradshaw gave notice of a" series of amendments, in the interests of the working classes, which he was unsuccessful in carrying, but which were insisted on by the Legislative Council. The Act is now known as "Bradshaw's Act," and promises to work well. Under its provisions no child is allowed to work in factories under the age of ten, and no boy or girl from ten to fourteen can be employed for more than four hours a day. Mr. Bradshaw supported the Government in the Abolition proposals but went into Opposition after the second reading, as he considered the question, of constitutional change should be relegated to the country. He did not seek re-election for the Waikaia, considering the requisition to Mr. Bastings was an approval by a large section of the district of the sale of auriferous lands, which he had ever opposed. He consented to stand for the Lakes district, and although late in the field, and without electioneering organisation, secured 200 votes to Mr. Manders 261. Education, Moa Flat sale, and other bogus cries were supposed to have decided the election, but with little truth. The fact appeared to u» to be that Mr. Bradshaw was out of date at the Lakes. He found himself, although almost the oldest Queenstown resident in the place, yet a comparative stranger to the people. They, on their part, knowing Mr. Bradshaw's Colonial reputation, expected something more flashy and startling than they found. But for these natural circumstances Mr. Manders victory would not have been so easy. Mr. Bradshaw's public career has been distinguished for sterling integrity, industry, and dogged determination. A little sluggish in disposition—yet, what he determines to do that he generally succeeds in doing, or getting done. A more generous politician docs not exist. What he knows, or has gathered, at great expense of time or labor, is freely unyones who will make use of it. We do not knowany member out of office whose time has been so devoted <o the interests of the Goldfields. His labors liiivp not b on al-

together fruitless. To him the miners have owed the receipt of a greater price for their gold than what they would have got. To him they have, in a great measure, owed the only facilities for some years offered them to settle on the Goldfields ; and to him perhaps more than any other in Wellington they have owed a ten years intelligent and influential representation of the Goldfields interest. Mr. Bradshaw's career is by no means closed. In the full strength of manhood, we hope ere long to see him sought after and returned for an Otago goldmining constituency. Men of his experience can ill be spared at the present juncture of affairs. Julius. ,