RIVERTON GOLD FIELDS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 273, 4 June 1866, Page 2

RIVERTON GOLD FIELDS.

-# (FEOir OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Eitertos", June 2ud, 1866. The delightful weather which we have for sometime enjoyed has past, and the last few days have been particularly changeable, is nothing of much interest to communicate as respects the diggings, .except perhaps a "jumping" which has occurred, may possibly raise the question of the right of the G-overn-ment to Issue " protection " tickets before the district is proclaimed a goldfield. Last week the annual Odd Fellows Ball was held in the Hall of the craft. As far as the attendance and the dancing was concerned it was a perfect success, the room being rather crowded. The pleasure was however unfortunately marred by a rush to supper : everything that could be desired was there, ana placed on the table with considerable care, but at the last moment, it was left without management, and great confusion ensued.'. (:eaoji another correspondent.) There is not much of exciting interest to record. Mining is steadily progressing. Everything is very peaceable here during working days, but on, Sundays a great quantity of spirits is consumed and a great many drunken rows occur ; but they are quickly stopped by the police. The miners in the Longwood Bush and the Paihi beach appear to be all doing well. The beach is taken up as far as the Waimami Creek, that is a distance of about three miles : further on the beach is deep and difficult to prospect. " Jumping " claims are now commencing here. Mr L. F. Clapp -got a claim sixty feet- frontage . which is allowed as one man's ground situated on the Orepuki beach, registered by D. S. Lawlor, Esq., E.M., at Eiverton, on the 16th May ; also getting leave to absent himself from the 22nd to the 28th May. A notice of which I send you a copy was given by Mr Lawlor to Clapp to post on the claim previous to the leave of absence taking effect. This was done without any objection being made by the parties working in the adjoining claims. During Ckpp's absenpe, on the 18th May, two men, named William Potts and Johnson Eay, "jumped " the claim, and still persist in holding it, on the ground that Mr Lawlor has no power to grant any such protection as the place is not proclaimed a goldfield.* Eay and Potts are satisfied to have the matter decided by a meeting of the miners, but Clapp is not. Both parties are now prevented from working the ground until the dispute has been legally decided. The following is a copy of the notice. — " Eiverton, 16th May, 1866. In pursuance of the authority vested in me for the purpose by an extension of a Proclamation issued from the office of his Honor the Superintendent of Southland and dated the 14th May, 1866 ; I. D. S., Lawlor, in virtue of this extension, do on behalf of the Government of Southland, grant this certificate of protection to Lewis Francis Clapp, and this certificate doth permit the said Lewis F. Clapp to absent himself from his claim situated on the Orepuki beach without fear of lawful intrusion in or upon the said claim for a space of days to date from the 22nd to the 2Sth May, 1366." This case will be an important case 'for the magistrate to decide. The impression here is, that as the district has not been proclaimed a goldfield, the said protection certificate is worthless. * Was not the ' same Horie at the Mataura goldfields in reference to the protection to miners ? Ed. S.T.