THE GOLD-FIELDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 182, 16 June 1862, Page 5

THE GOLD-FIELDS.

TUAPBKA. (FRO3I OUII OWN CORRESPONDENT.) June 13th, 1862.

A regular raid has again been made by the police on those refreshment tents in which it was supposed, spirits aright be sold. Accompanied by a bullock-dray, Sergeant Bleary and two of his familiars in blue, promenaded Wetherstone's and with the utmost nonchalance entered the rarious shanties, taking therefrom whatever could be found in the shape of grog. By the time the bullock dray reached the end of Wetherstone's, it was pretty well loaded with bottles and boxes of every kind of spirits, and as portion of the freight, not a few suspicious looking kegs. One unfortunate digger had been stupid enough to imagine that his house—tent, I beg pardon—was his •vstle, In; en his return from work found that he must accept a Dew reading of this old saw at the hands of the Otago police. It appears that about a week ago this tent was sold by auction and bought by a couple of diggers as a place to live~in. There happened to be unremoved by the purchaser at the sale, a case of bottles containing spirits, and the diggers themselves owned to having about half a bottle cf gin for their private use, but denied with the utmost vehemencs that they either had sold, or intended to Hell a single nobbier. For these grave offences, they have, however, rendered themselves liable to be dragged from their work, their little comfort in the shape of a half bottle, confiscated, and the possible penalty of a fine, not exceeding £50. Happy country ! and possessed of most wise Senators, capable of framing a law by which they committed to the care of an ordinary policeman, the privacy of their home 3, and, perhaps also, investing that functionary with the power of inviting himself to dinner on the pretext that he had been led to "suspect" (the words of the Ordinance), that you kept spirits for sale. I am given to understand, that it it the intention of those who have had their property seized in this reiver like style, to employ a barrister from Dunedin to defend, their case, and if lost in the Police Opuii, to appeal to the Supreme Court. It is to be J-^jHliis will be done, as it will then set at rest the \.|^(tble point whether the Licensing Ordinance, . under which these seizures have been made, apply to the goldfields at all. It speaks volumes for the orderly habits of the miners on this goldfield, that notwithstanding there were "curses, not loud but deep,''no attempt was made to interfere with the police, whilst discharging the duty of bailiffe, on behalf of a paternal government.