The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1880.

Thames Star, Issue 3666, 28 September 1880, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1880.

We have frequently of late taken occasion to refer to the Miners' Bight question, and it is mainly to our action that tbe recent, vigorous agitation has been origi nated. Having thus iv a manner put our hand to the plough it is not our intention to turn back till the attention of the Government is directed to all the grievances of our miners, and something is done to ameliorate the same. II anything were wanting to phow the desirability of a change iv the regulations in force respecting the exorbitant gold field taxation, the cases recently brought before the Warden by the Inspector of Miners' Eights would afford the illustration. Nearly all the miners who appeared before the Court were poor men unable to comply with the demands of the law, and that Mr Keurick dealt leniently with them is to his credit, less so he could not, with the law as it at present stands. Besides the hardships experienced by the miners under the Acts in force, which, we have mentioaed, we may ask our readers' careful considerations of the following

clauses, and especially the business people trading in places outside the boundaries of the proclaimed township. If the Warden and Inspector have no discretionary powers, as the the former stated a few days ago, the sooner the absurdities of the present Acts are pointed out, the sooner may we expect the remedies to be applied. Clause 133-134 says :—

In any district constituted under this Act — r (l .) Every person not being the holder of a " miner's right," who shall be engaged or employed in niuing operations ; (2.) Every person not being the holder of a " miner's right or business license," who shall occupy laud for any purpose whatever, except he in the owner o( the laud ; (3.) And every perton, rot being the holder of a " business lieenee," who shall curry ou any business whatever upon Crown lands outside of any township, shall be liable for the first offence to a penally not exceeding five pounds; for a second offence to a penalty not less than five and not exceeding ten pounds ; and for any subsequent offence to a penalty not less than ten pounds and not exceeding twenty pounds. No person shall be entitled to institute proceedings in any Court whatever, in respect of any right title or interest acquired or created ut.der this Act, or in respect of any encroachment thereon or injury thereto, unless he shall at the commencement of such proceedings be the holder of a miner's right or business license then in force issued under this Act or some other Act in force in the Q-old Mining District constituted under this Act prior to this Act coming into operation therein.

Other persons besides, though already summoned, may anticipate prosecutions at the hands of Mr McLaren. Those persons who in follow, ing out a personal feeling changed the old order of things hare little thank* to expect at the hands of the poorer, classes of miners and toilers on this field, but it may possibly happen that their action, ostensibly to benefit the natives, may in the end have quite the contrary effect. For a time a few may suffer, but we believed this agitation will have the effect of having regulations framed for the working of this field, which will not require an inspector to see them complied with, nor will the miner ever seek to evade them. We would suggest to some person occupying a residence site being the holder of a miner's right, to refuse to pay the annual pound for rent, and allow the Inspector to summon him before the Warden ; we question if a conviction could be obtained it the fee or rent so paid is proved to accrue to the natives, and claimed under their original agreement.

As the provisions of the Stamp ■A ct Amendment Act come into force on the Ist of next month, it may be worth while to call the attention'-of our readers to some of the principal alterations. Clause 4 says :—" (1.) All receipts given by or on behalf of the Corporation of any county, borough, road board, education board, or harbour board shall be and the same are hereby declared exempt from duty; (2.) All receipts given to Her Majesty, or to any person on her behalf, shall be chargeable with stamp duty under the provisions of the said Act, and any exemption of such receipts from stamp duty is hereby repealed." The following is the penal clause in the Stamp Fee Act: —" 9. If any person shall without lawful excuse (the proof whereof shall be upon such person) file, issue, procure, or deliver any document, or serve to execute any writ, rule, order, matter, or proceeding in respect of which a stamp has not been affixed to the document provided for by this Act or any regulations made hereunder, or do or perform, or permit to be done and performed, any act, matter, or thing in respect whereof a stamp should be used, without using such stamp, or shall fail or omit to cancel or obliterate any adhesive stamp at the time and in the manner prescribed by this Act or any regulations to be undo hereuuder, he shall incur a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds.

The HamiltOQ correspondent of the New Zealand Herald telegraphs that a Waikato gentleman has received a letter from the Lincolnshire delegates, slating that they arc prepared to establish a special settlement at To Aroha if they cau come to terms with the Government about the price of the land. Some years ago, before the opening of the fertile plains at the base of tie Te Aroha mountain, the people of this district cried loudly for lands for settlement, looking on the country of the Upper Thames as theirs by right. Indeed, so jealously did they

protect this sentiment that Parliament was compelled to repudiate an agreement with the representative of a body of English capitalists who wished to settle the upper country. At that time we pointed out the absurdity of turning Broomhall and his money away, but the only chance that ever existed of Thames people ever settling the land was that it should have been thrown open at that period. The matter was kept dangling so long that with only oi.e or two exceptions, all the married persons likely to become the pioneers of Te Aroha became tired of waiting and took up land in the Waikalo and other portions ot the colony. Wheu at last the land was thrown open, our day dream vanished and it soon became apparent that we could not settle the land we had been so long waiting for. And this is the present position of the Thames people as regards the Te Aroha block. There is not one who will deny the advantages that will accrue to the Thames by the settlement of Te Aroha, and we believe the most advantageous class of neighbours would be those Messrs Grant and Forster purpose bringing out. We therefore trust that every inducement will be held out to these gentlemen, feeling certain that should these Lincolnshire yeomen come to reside amongst us the prosperity of the whole district will be greatly increased, while the chances of railway communication with the Waikato will be enhanced.