THE MAEREWHENUA MINERS' PETITION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 725, 13 July 1878, Page 2

THE MAEREWHENUA MINERS' PETITION.

o V; the. conference between Messrs. • rater aiii.l (i. Xi. Taylor, vepres. nting t.iii> iniiievs of Maerewheruia. ami Mossrs. Slivimski, M. R.R.and Steward, Mavor of Oamarii, which tonic pi;i"e. yesterday, the following petition was drawn up, and Mr. .Frarer undertook to obtain signatures on (lie gold-field. Mr. Taylor acting in ;i similar cpnacity in town : To Tiir. Honorav.i.f. tut: HorsK ok Tlkvtm:SEXTATI VK.S IX pAlil.tAMl-gNT AsSKM MUlI). The Petition of the- undersigned, miners on the ?daercwhenua Cold-held, ami inhabitant"- of tli.'Town of O.unarii. Humbly Sheweth-That, the develonnicnt of the aurh'e-ous resources of ihe Macrev.iietma gold-iiold is a matter in which the ir:l".-;-. • ?s, not only of the miners ;ir. present

j working upon the said field a-e involve-:], but • a'.-... i'e- ooi.emer.ial iirerets of >'>am:-rn, a-' the in -rhet for the supply of the miner:,' requirements. '.i'hat- the whole of the prncl-nuiod 11--M is payaoh- auriferous, but that a la": e portion of it cannot be. worked in enns.muenee of Ihe cutlet for -he workings leing elii.s.-dd bv the side of la d fhrough which the natural watershed-: fad. Your lu'dti ners specially | :vo r to d.e following are ,-, viz.— \ block iiae running A. and S. i'rom ! i7iAr\ on A,,,' Arid. Py":.h,.. i,hA i.M The :.v-A-o:i-d--l o-i :I:e •.■.--.-■: by th-- :-'■.;.! line 'eros.A' to--' iw.-icr.-whenna at right angles <j-!sterf<v 4!' e'edns : thenee northe'ly iiara'Pel to the tirstmenth.ncd boundary SO chains ; then-:.:: weste"iy to the .-carting point ■lO chains : the .said described land bein; situate in blocks Yll. and Y w • j 1., Maerewhenui Survey I>i-triet. That the hinds de-cribed in the. foregoing arc, or form nart of Jan is which have been soiil by file Crown to the Hon. it. Campbell. Messrs. Boi-ton and M'Master, ami- John L'ringie, but that, as set forth in. a memorial to the Superintendent of the Province of Otago, dated litrh March, 1575, the holders of the said lauds are willing to exchange them i'fir other lauds to be grinted iiy the Crown, or upon payment of fair compensation. That in consequence of the lauds referred to being in the hands of private holders, tie-.mhi-TS of Maercvrhenaa. who have no less than IS;-! miles of water-races, and have expended no less a sum than LISo.OUd in the e:i7ist:".:ctiou of races, 'lams, and other works for the development of the gohl-fi.-ld are further subjected to heavy imposts by the private holders for the right of discharging tailings through their properties (at the rate of Lit) per head) and that unless redress is provided for this srare of things, a number of workings must be closed, to the sen. us hardship and loss ot' many miners aud their families.

Your petitioners therefore humblj' pray your Honorable Mouse that arrangement* :u::y I* ra:ub by the Crown with the freeI holders r< fcrivd to. either for the resumption j of the s.dd i'.ri-:v< in for otlior are/is | i>f land, "!• in consideration of reasonable eo!iipi.'i:.-ation in order to the removal of the i_oievy;iee of which yo'jr petitioners coinplain : and. with a view thereto your petii.ioner.s pray your Honorable Mou.se for the appointment of a Commission to enquire as to the best means of effecting the object m view. And your pr-'Jfioners will ever pray, &c.