THE AUCKLAND STAR ON THE LATE GOLD DISCOVERY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1802, 1 May 1874, Page 3

THE AUCKLAND STAR ON THE LATE GOLD DISCOVERY.

We would draw special attention to a very hard case related in our Thames telegrams to-day. A poor fellow, after getting bis hard-earned contribution in retorted gold from the pockets of those bloated aristocrats called shareholders, had put it in a quiet place until he could get it changed into money, when some inquisitive people, ferreted it out, and carried it away. There seems to be evidence that the man had grown honest of a sudden, or had perhaps obtained a lucrative appointment at some mine, when it would have looked very suspicious if he were seen trying to dispose of retorted gold. Yet, notwithstanding these satisfactory proofs of a reformation in character, we learn that the Thames police are preparing to hound the man down, to rob him of his character, expose his little failings to the rude public gaze, and possibly remove him from a sphere in which he is beloved and admired to land him in Mount Eden Gaol. And all for what? A paltry twenty ounces of gold, which a shilling call will more than cover half-a-dozen times over. Is it possible that the Thames police can lower themselves to such, a thing? Is it in accordance, with fair play, honour, justice,"manly feeling, righteousness, high sentiment, refinement of thought, and judgment to come, that a man thus perhaps on the road to repentance should be pursued with a vindictive justice and dragged from his peaceful home to a police dock ? We lift up our voice against it, and with a howl of outraged virtue and righteous indignation cry " Stay." Is it not sufficient that the gold has been found-at any rate twenty ounces of it—(there may have been a hundred originally) ? Is it not enough that the shareholders who owned the gold have, with uncomplaining meekness, paid their calls and said nothing about it, but these miserable police, who have nothing to do but take the public money and thon prey upon society, must meddle with what concerns them not? We urge them to beware and take warning; an eye is upon them before which they may yot quail and shrink back abashed. It is time enough for them to move when they see a man put his hand in some one's pocket, or until a vagabond is caught and brought to them. The impudence of those people called " shareholders" is becoming something unbearable. One of them writes to us thus s-" Sir,—l wish to draw your attention to a statement that has been made over and over again. It is this: That twice the quantity of gold finds its way into the market than shareholders get paid for. If this is true, oue can imagine that many persons, and oven public institutions, in this province, may be interested jn.tbo continuance of speci-men-stealing, inasmuch that stolen gold, no doubt, is bought choap. Try and , obtain a return of all gold bought by the bauks, and another of all gold sold by companies, the proceeds of which has found its way into the pockets of shareholders, and let the public learn the truth, —I am, &c, Shareholdee."