The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 49, 28 February 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1870.

The accounts wliich reach us from the Thames district, both in the public prints and by private haDd, all agree in showing that a most disastrous state of affairs prevails there at the present time. Attracted by the glowing reports of gold discoveries of an almost fabulous nature, immense numbers of miners have, unadvisedly and in the most thoughtless manner, rushed to the spot, only to find, when too late, that out of the hundreds of claims which had been taken up, and to i work which companies innumerable had been formed, some two or three per cent, have proved remunerative. Two of these mines, the Long Drive and the Golden Crown, still maintain their wonderful yields, while some few others are paying small dividends, but the rest, including many of which great expectations had been formed, have gradually subsided, until nothing more is heard of them unless it be by the unfortunate shareholders, who are reminded of their existence by the occasional calls that are made upon their purses for means to extract from tho unwilling quartz the precious metal, which, in too many instances, exists only in the prolific imaginations of those who, at one time ? thought that to hold shares in a claim on the Thames Goldfield was to ensure a certain fortune. The results of this over sanguineness are now being felt most acutely. Miners, who in the excitement of the moment left ground in other parts of New Zealand, which was affording them, at all events, a livelihood, have discovered to their cost that in so doing they have committed a fatal mistake, and that from being comfortably off, and in a position to pay their way, they have descended to abject poverty, and in many cases to the very verge of starvation, and the natural consequence is that crime is becoming frequent. We read of robberies committed by small bands of desperate individuals in the coolest and most determined manner, while the general nature cf tbe distress which prevails is shown in the threatened rushing of the Ohinemuri district in defiance of all law or right. Such a proceeding would involve us with the natives to an extent, the end of which it is difficult to foresee, but at the same time it is not to be wondered at if thousands of men who see, or think that they see, in the opening up of this district, supposed to contain alluvial diggings of a payable character, the only outlet from the state of misery and poverty in which they are at present involved, should insist upon being allowed to enter upon that which to them is a land of promise, aud, if th6y are unable to do so legally, that they Bhould determine upon occupying it by force, thus preferring to act in defiance of the laws to remaining where they are, only to endure the pangs of starvation. But the consequences of such action on their part must be fraught with disaster to themselves and the colony generally, for ita results must inevitably be to bring . about such a state of anarehy as obtained

in California iu its most lawless days. The Government could not recognise them as being in lawful possession of the land, aud therefore would not be in a position to send its representatives amongst them — there would be no wardens, no law courts, aud no authority whatever — might against right would be tbe order of the day, and such a state of things would be brought about as no peaceful and law loving citizen would ever wish to see in existence in New Zealand. There is, however, grave reason to fear that such will be the case unless tho authorities are successful, and that speedily, in thenattempts to obtain possession of this coveted district.