THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 93, 26 January 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. FRIDAY , JANUARY 26, 1872.

The proclamations under which the Goldmining- Districts Act is brought into force, will bo found in another column. The regulations ought to appear at the same time, but they have not come to hand. It does seem a most ridiculous thing to have brought the Act into operation before the regulations to be framed under it are issued. Ignorance of the 1 air is said to be no excuse for breaking it, but with two Acts running concurrently, and with no regulations published, there will be continual unintentional law-breaking, and no end of work for the lawyers. If the Father of all the Lawyers ever rejoiced in inextricable confusion, created by conflicting Acts or legal ignorance, and confusion, lie must be pleased with the present state of tilings on this goldfield. Wo do not know who is to blame in flic matter, but there- has been gross mismanagement somewhere. His Honor the Superintendent has the undoubted reputation of being an excellent lawyer, and the Attorney - General is now in Auckland. Could not these two manage the business between them, and let us have the regulations issued as soon as possible. Clause 98 says the Governor is to make the regulations, but the Superintendent being the delegate of the Governor on the goldfields, we presume it practically rests with bis Honor to make the rules though possibly they may have to be sent to Wellington for Vice-regal approval, for all we know to the contrary. Whatever the hitch may be that lias caused the delay, the sooner it is removed the better. Every day enquiries are being made as to the new regulations, and nobody here knows anything about them. It happens, fortunately, that there has been but little business in the Warden’s Court lately, and wliat there has been has been in reference to existing rights, not allccted, we presume, by the new Act, but before long, unless we are greatly mistaken, a fine crop of actions now ripening will be harvested, and some of them will no doubt be under the old Act, some under the new, and some in an intermediate position prob.ubly. It is decidedly, therefore, a matter of importance that there should be no iurther delay in furnishing the required information. As soon as we can get copies of the regulations we shall lay them before our readers, as we know that much anxiety is felt about them, and they should have the widest publicity possible. The new Act came into operation on the 22ml inst. The ‘ Gazette ’ proclaiming it. in force was only received at the Thames yesterday, therefore the Act bad been in force three days before anybody here could know anything about it, and, as to the rules and regulations, for breaches of which offenders are liable to penalty, they have never appeared at all, and we don’t know when they are going to' appear, nor does anybody else that we arc aware of. This is unfair to the Government officials, and to the general public, and is a state of things that reflects little credit on the business capabilities of those on whom tlic duty rests of promulgating these rules and regulations at the earliest possible moment. We laugh at the Maoris for being so fond of the “ Tailioa,” but, in this instance, the Pakelia is beating them all to pieces. There arc some people who act upon the plan of never doing to-day wliat they can put oil until to-morrow, and not doing it then if they can possibly help it; and we think the promulgator of these new gold districts rules and regulations must be one of the leading disciples of this school.