The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1868. THE KARAMEA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 24, 29 January 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1868. THE KARAMEA.

[from a correspondent.] Baton River, Jan. 26. Since my last letter, I am happy to be able to report that matters are looking much better in this locality. The weather for the past few days has been as fine as could be wished for, and appears to be now settled, bo that diggei-s and others are now able to work without interruption, and appear to be reasonably satisfied with their gains lately. Scarcely a day now passes without fresh arrivals of men, who are bent upon trying their luck in. the neighborhood of the Baton for the present, aud ultimately pushiug into the Karamea when the track to the saddle is finished. In fact, I may safely say that there are upwards" of 80 men employed in gold mining, &c, on the Baton and the different gullies in the vicinity at the present time. Several parties who have been here for the past few weeks and have got fairly to work, have, during the late fine weather, succeeded beyond their expectations, and are now going to work right merrily. Several really nice little nuggets, weighing on the average 2§- pennyweights each, have been found quite near to where the 16 oz. nugget was got. The Baton is now being pretty well prospected, and new ground daily taken up by the late arrivals, but I am inclined to think that as soon as the track to the saddle is completed, and stores can be taken to the Karamea without the present great difficulties, the bulk of the men now at work in the neighborhood of the Baton will lose no time in proceeding to the new ground. Several parties of diggers have come in from the Karamea within the past few days. They report that the weather during the time (a month) they were last oat, was very wet, and that they had only two days' fine weather in which they were able to work. In a severe storm they had two canoes carried away, and totally lost, the river having risen in one night at least 30 feet. One party in two < days work made 2 oz. 16 dwts. lam happy to be able to say that the men are again pone back without any loss of time, and as the weather appears to be settled for fine, they entertain great hopes of doing something worth while in the next trip. Another thing that causes much satisfaction is, that our enterprising storekeepers, Messrs Sutcliflfe and Son, have promised to put up a store at the Saddle with the least possible delay in order to meet their wants. As the traek to the Saddle is expected to be completed in the course of two or three weeks, I really expect that should the weather continue fine, I shall be enabled to seat you a further, favorable report.

At the conclusioQ of the Commanding Officer's inspectiou yesterday, a meeting of the officers of the Volunteer Corps took place at the Orderly Room, the Hon. Major Morse in the chair. Upon the raotiou of Captain M'Tavish, commanding No. 1 City Rifles, a circular letter was read, dated from the Colonial Defence Office, Wellington, 14th January, 1868, and addressed to Captains commanding companies of the Volunteer Force. This letter refers to clause 104 of the Volunteer Regulations, 1867, and states that with a view to facilitate the payment of . the Capitation Grant, oue of two courses may be followed; either, that when a Volunteer Corps obtains its uniform from a local tailor, the account may be placed in oue of the usual expense vouchers, its correctness certified by the officer commanding the corps, and sent to the Defence Office for approval, when, if the funds to the credit of the corps are sufficient, it will be forwarded to the Treasury for payment direct to the tradesman : if the funds are not sufficient to pay the whole account, it must be paid by the corps. Or if a corps has provided itself with uniforms, and wishes to expend the capitation grant for k other purposes, an application must be sent to the Defence Office, accompanied by a letter, stating (in detail) the several purpose for which the money is to be applied. A very strong feeling was expressed by all the officers present that the terms of this circular were offensive, and implied a want of confidence on the part of the Defence Office iu the integrity and honesty of the Commanding Officers aud Finance Committees of the Volunteer Corps, whilst the payment (direct to tradesmen was absurd, all the tradesmen employed by the Nelson Volunteers having already had advances made on account from the officers commanding aud in some cases having been paid iu full. It was also felt that this circular virtually attempts to override the Volunteer Regulations issued under the authority of the General Assembly, and also seeks to establish an authority and control over their finances, which the Volunteers cannot consistently recognise or submit to. It was therefore determined unanimously that resolutions giving expression to these views, should be drawn up by Captains M'Tavish and Pitt, to be forwarded by Major Morse to the Defence Office, accompanied by a letter from that officer* This, we understand, has this day been done, and we trust that the Defence Office will see the expediency of withdrawing a circular of so obnoxious a character without delay. The Nelson left Wellington at half-past 6 yesterday evening, and after a fair passage (passing the Wanganui on her way from Waugauui to Wellington), reached this port at 9.30 this morning. Thanks to the exertions of Mr Kaye, who acted as Mail Agent, the letters were all sorted on board the steamer, and were delivered at 10 this morning, so that no delay occurred in their distribution throughout the city. A meeting of the trustees of the Nelson Savings Bank took place yesterday evening, at the Institute, for the purpose of passing the accounts for the last year, and also of nominating new trustees to fill the vacancies created by the death, removal from the province, &c, of some of the original trustees. The following gentlemen were recommended to his Excellency the Governor for appointment as trustees : — Messrs Goulston, Watkins, Stanton, Hunter Brown, Sharp, Fisher, Thornton, and Dr. Irvine. The statements of the accounts (which will shortly appear in our advertising coluras), showed the affairs of the bank to be in a very prosperous condition. A small committee having been { appointed with a view to obtain a suitable site for the erection of a building for the purposes of the bank, the meeting separated