PUHIPUHI SILVER FIELD.

Te Aroha News, 15 February 1890, Page 5

PUHIPUHI SILVER FIELD.

PROSECUTION FOR ALLEGED TRESPASS.

(from our own correspondent.)

The Whangarei Justice of the Peace Court was occupied on the morning of Saturday last with cases of great interest to the inhabitants. Mr Ranger Garsed had, by orders from the head of this Department, summoned Mr Robert Thompson, M.H.R., Mr Barton, agent of the Bank of New Zealand, and Mr Holiman, a builder, for trespassing on the Puhipuhi State forest on the 7bh January last. The Bench was occupied by Messrs Joseph Bell, Finlayson Smith, I. Irwin Wilson, and James Whitelaw, Justices of the Peace. The prosecution was conducted by Mr Charles Buddie, of the Auckland firm of Whitaker, Russell, and Buddie ; for the defence was Mr W. A. Carruth, of Thorne and Carruth. Mr Thompson was undefended.

Mr Buddie pub Mr Garsed into the box, who stated lie had seen the gentlemen named passing his house on the 7th January, that he had shown them his plans, etc., bub cautioned them that they were running some risk of being prosecuted. They said that they would risk it, as Mr Thompson wished to obtain some stone to bring with him to theSoutb tohave tested by experts, and toshowto the Ministry. Mr Fraser,one of the prospectors, was examined as a witness, and seated that he had seen the gentlemen at tho prospector’s claim upon a certain wet day, and that the claim was situated on the Tangipakura Creek in the Puhipuhi State forest, and that he was working by permission of tho Crown Lands Commissioner as one of tho No. 1 Prospectors’ Company. This was the evidence for the prosecution. Mr Thompson addressed the Bench, and stated he was there on public duty, that they had entered the forest along a track usecl by homestead settlers of the Ruapekapeka. Mr Carruth then took exception to the Order in Council of September sth, 1889, showing that it was informal, as it did not state when it came into force as required by the Act, 1885. This, with some other irregularities, was, he submitted, fatal to the cases, and he asked the Bench if they so considered Ins objection whether they would proceed with the hearing. The Bench upon consultation said they would adjourn the cases for one month to enable the prosecution and themselves to look up authorities. It is hoped that before the month is up the country will be opened up for mining purposes. The Court was crowded during the hearing.

FURTHER TESTS. SATISFACTORY ASSAYS AT WELLINGTON. Tiie Mines Department has received a preliminary report and assay by Dr. Skey from the five samples of stone forwarded some days ago. It is as follows : “ Preliminary reports on five bags of reef stone for silver.—No. 1, from Kaimanau, quartz, with stibnite in nests, also dispersed : This sample varied greatly in composition. Three separate assays for silver were, therefore, made upon it, but in none was silver found. One of these was on the pure stibnite. “Nos. 2,3, 4 and 5, from Puhipuhi: These samples all appear to have the same character, except that Nos. 4 and 5 are frequently veined with a dark mineral, the nature of which has nob yet been precisely ascertained. This dark mineral, however, contains practically all the silver of the stone, principally combined as sulphide. The matrix itself is a chertz rock, and has most probably been formed by some hydrothermal action. The assays of these samples afforded results as follows, as calculated on the ton of stone : “ No. 2, traces. “No. 3, soz Odwt 20gr bullion per ton. “ No. 4,107 oz 18dwb “ No. 5,102 oz 19dwb 7gr. “The bullion in each case was found to be nearly all silver, as, though gold was uniformally present, it was too small a quantity to weigh. The exact quantity of gold and silver in the specimens to hand will shortly be proportionately determined upon a larger quantity of stone.— (Signed) W. Skey.”