TUAPEKA MINING BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 156, 16 May 1862, Page 4

TUAPEKA MINING BOARD.

- .(Tuesday, May 13.) A meeting of the Mining Board was held in the dilapidated tent formerly used as a Court House. Present :—Messrs. Savage, Clark, White, Mclntyre, Caples, Mc?,tasters, and the Chairman. Before .commencing business, Mr. McMasters desil-cd to draw the attention of the Board to the difficulty of obtaining seats or any accommodation whatever. He imagined that it was enough, that he should lose a day in the 'endeavour to frame bye-laws for the-bstter. management of mining matters, but it was really too bad that they should be dependent on tlie courtesy of the Police for a couple of benches on which to sit whilst engaged in this duty.- He thought it was the duty of the Government to have provided the necessary "accommodation. Mr. M'lutyre ' was prepared with a resolution. : censurning the Government for their neglect, not. only as regarded accommodation, but also because no answer to the letter.sent last week had been received by the Chairman. The Chairman suggested that it would be more desirable to wait until the next day of meeting before'arriving at any hasty conclusion as to the conduct of the GoVernmerit. They were no doubt new to'this kind of thing, and he hoped that, the little delay made in starting would be compensated for by subsequent, punctuality. Mr. M'lutyre would adopt the Chairman's suggestion, and postpone his resolution to the next day of meoting. ■ The minutes of the last meeting were then read "and confirmed.

A considerable discussion then ensued upon a motion submitted by Mr. Clarke to the effect, " That seeing the inefficiency of the present sludge channel at Wetherstone's to carry off the sludge, the Board request the Government to place on the Supplementary Estimates a sum of money for-the purpose of assisting the mincers in cutting a channel to the main creek." An addition, was afterwards made to ithis motion by Mr, M 'Masters, as follows:—"That a storm-water

cbit.incl.be also out, t'-vonph Gabriel's and Monroe'?, and tliiit :iksVs_UWhw be untamed from tiie Government ■'•"-•■ for tiiis imnioso.-'--.; •, ' • -,' . Mr. 51'lntyre moved, by way of k:nendment, ' " 'I'hat the consideration of the proposition in tvfe- . rence to the sltidite cha; nel be postponed ti.,til tmk next day of meeting." On the question heing put, the original motion wne * carried, and the amendment lost, —Messrs. M'M-a^fcr ters, Clarke, \Vh\te, nud Savage voting fov 'ho m.'tion, iind Messw. Jl'lntyre and Capies tigain -t it. The ibllowing motion iviis Kiilmiiited liy Mr. Win- ■ tyre, and nurootl to :— "That (he Chairman be autho.rised to call the attention 01 the Government to the absolute necessity of causing a suliioient sum to be placed nn the Supplementary Kstimvtes, for the purpose of sending out properly organised prospecting parties, for the discovery of new gokl fields ' Mr. Clarke' proposed the following reaolut-inn : — "Thill the Boanldraw the attfiitW of the tjovovriment, to the seri'iiift ilniua^e wiiiish is being i.!c>m> (o considerable portions of ground, by the erection of puddling m;]!.:hines in 1 lie centre and mouths of the various gullies on Wethsrslone's; and tlto.v bej? to suggPbt vhiit the Commissioner be instructed, that for the future, in granting any site for a puddling machine, he shall eanse suf-h machine to be placed on the tide of the gully, until the Board can fr.'ime bvelaws affecting this uietliod of extracting gold from the soil.''

- llr. Clarke explained that lie was only desirous of seeing every one have a fail- chance. At present, these machines lind an absolute monopoly of the ground; ami, if he wanted _ to cut it nice down the centre of the gnljey, he (bund himself stopped by a puddling machine. He thought they could work just as well on the edge of the bai<J»', and the miners could then work the ground in any fashion they pleased. The motion was seconded by Mr. Savage, and after considerable discussion, carried. Mr. Clark than rose to ask the Chairman if he was aware whether Sir George Grey would visit the gold fields on his arrival in Otago. If his Excellency was likely to 'do so ho thought the Board ought, to do something towards making arrangements for hig reception. The Chairman was not possessed of any information save that derived through the medium of the press. He would, however, suggest to Mr. Clark the propriety of making a motion on the subject, and also that when definite information was obtained as to Sir George Grey'u movements, they should request the co-operation nud assistance of the mercantile community. ■ This was cordially .assented 'to, and the following motion was then proposed by Mr. Clarke, seconded hy Mr. M'Jntyre, and unnmmously carried: —'• That this Board, learning through the medium o?, the press, that it is the intentioiiof his Excellency Sir George Grey to visit Otago, hereby agreo that in the event'of his visiting- the gold-fields, to present him with a. congratulatory address, and do all that, is possible to give him a fitting reception; nko, that the co-operation and assistance of tlie mercantile community be requestO'l." The Board then adjourned' to Tuesday nest, at 2 o'clock. During the meeting much dissatisfaction was expressed by the various members of the Board, as to the absence of the necessary documents, to enable them to piejceed with the framing of ibye-laws. It was stated that evea if those bye-laws-were ready for gazetting, a considerable delay must necessarily tako place before they could become law; and thero should therefore be no time lost, in waiting either for the Gold Fields' Act, or the necessary clarical assistance.