MEETING OF BOARD OF WARDENS, TUAPKKA DEPASTURING DISTRICT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 32, 19 September 1868, Page 3

MEETING OF BOARD OF WARDENS, TUAPKKA DEPASTURING DISTRICT.

A meeting of the Board of Wardens was held in Chalmers' Halfway House on Tuesday, the 14th inst. It was attended by the Chairman, and Messrs. Edie, G-ascoigne, Mcc, Robertson, Grundy, Browne, Michael; Curregh, and Poison (Secretary). The minutes of last meeting were read, and some conversation took plaoo on au alleged inaccuracy in the report in the tv Tuapeka Times ;" it turned out, however, that the discrepancy arose from the Secretary not keeping a record of motions put anjd lost. On the motion of Mr. Gascoigne, seconded by Mr. Grundy, the minutes were approved, The Chairman laid on the table the following applications, which were passed :—: — WAITAHT7NA. TUAPEKa! Henry G. Morton ... 2 Johu Bray . . , 2 Martin Ryan 60 William Hill ... 3 Josiah Earle ... 4 W. Nichols ... 5 Charles Duncan ... 14 Charles Henderson ..'. 3 Joseph Oxeubald 6 „. James Baserstow 12 T. G. Williams ... 3 Henry Nordou 12 James Hopkins ... 12 George Bantill 15 A. M'Pherson 20 James Michael ... 20 JohnM'Nicol ... 18 William Sheath ... 6 George Wilkins ... 8 Frances Ros3 ... 12 Thomas Kelly 5 *• ... A. Grant ? William Naber 24 John Sparks 7 Wright Lowe 23 Total 305 Some conversation followed on* the question whether a person was enticed to depasture cattle under each of the three qualiacations — a miner's right, a business license, and an agricuitural lease. ; The Chairman said he had made en- ! quiries as to the law on the subject, but as yet had received no definite reply. Mr. Gascoigue presented the following petition from cattle owners in the Wetherstones district : — " The undersigned, being cattle owners in and about Wetherstones, respectfully submit to tiie Chairman and Wardens ot die Tuapeka and Wditahuna Depasturing District the undermentioned, boundaries, and beg that they may be publicly acknowledged, and your petitioners will ever pray, &o. " Namely, taking Lane's old shanty a3 the starting point, and then along the -Bungtown ridge eaatwardly to the top of the spur to the east of Bow 801 l Creek, then down the spur, terminating at Matherstone's ten-acre lease." (Signed by twenty-nine cattle owners.) Mr. Gascoigne advocated in a most able manner tue cause of the petitioners ; and on his motion the petition was received. Mr. Nicholson produced a map which he had prepared according to directions given at List meeting. General satisfaction was expressed at the masterly manner in which Mr. Nicholson had performed his task.,. The Board then considered the question of boundaries ; and after a long, fatiguing, useless, and most desultory conversation, the following were agreed on, the prayer of the Wetherstones petition being, as our readers will observe, disregarded. The land within the following is re- j served for cattle :—: — Ist. Starting at the junction of the east and West branches of the Waitahuna river, on the south west boundary of Ccinmings' run, and following Black's Gully ; thence along Nuggety Gully to the boundary of Hundreds ; thence in a north-easterly direction to the boundary of run 53, and along the north-east boundary of said run to the starting point. | 2nd. Starting at the junction of Gor- j man Creek and the Watta'iuua river, and following along the said Creek to its junction with Bow Bells Creek ; it follows Bow Bells Creek to its source, whence in a westerly direction to the south-east boundary of thai? portion of run 52 over which the pasturing licenses have been cancelled, it proceeds in a north-westerly direction along the leading ridge by Twigg's station, X., J.J., H.H., to the junction of the bridle-track to the Dunstan with the road to Waipori ; thence in a south- westerly direction to the mouth of the Tuapeka Basin, at its junction with the Tuapeka river. It was agreed, after a warm discussion, to defer the consideration of the boundary along the Crookburn, and adjacent to Mr. Smith's run, until next meeting, in order to let Mr Edie hay© an opportunity of consulting the opinions of the inhabitants of the district. (The ground left open for sheep will amount to about 32,000 acres.) BYB-L.AWS. Mr. Robertson reported that the committee appointed to consider this subject had met, and Mr. Grundy had drawn up a code of regulations) "which would be read to them. Mr. Grundy's code was then read, and after some slight alterations agreed to, Mr. Robertson had prepared another code, but as it was substantially the same as Mr. Grundy's it was only read and laid aside, the regulation relating to pigs being, huwovor, adopted from it. The following is a digest of the bye-laws adoptod :—: — c Ist. Provides for confining sheep nnd cattlo within their proper boundaries, except when travelling from place to place nt lho ra fiof i 0 of f.\ v o mile <a, day. 2nd. No diaoasod cattle to be Jopai- \ tuvod in thj u::onelosod . portions ' of the district. 3rd. No entire animal ovor aix mouths or stallion of twelve moulha, to bo depastured in the unoncloeod portions of tho district without consent of Wardens. 4th. No unbrandod cattlo ovor aix months to bo depastured. sth. No unliconsod ' oattlo to bo depastured without consent of Warden*. fi. 'Firing herbage not jo lie alNnvdil

without consent of Wardens, sucli consent* not to protect from the consequences of any damage dune. 7. All cattle dying to be burried four feet deep within twenty-four hours. 8. Vicious and dangerous animals not to be depastured. 9. All drivers to make a return to the Wardens. 10. Provided for cages whore cattle were needlessly disturbed. 11. Cattle belonging to others driven away of necessity, to be separated at the nearest stockyard and returned. 12. Provides for the punishment of the owners of sheep trespassing on cattle land, and vice versa. 13. Pigs not to be permitted to depasture without consent of Wardens. Mr. Edie suggested that some action should be taken to procure one or two common slaughter-yards for the whole district ; such a measure would tend to prevent cattle stealing. After some conversation the matter was allowed to drop. The consi'leration of the sheep licenses was deferred until next meeting. The meeting lasted from five p.m. to oue a.m., chieliy owing to the loose and unbusiness-like manner in which matters were conducted. Gentlemen spoke half a dozen times on ono motion, and addressed each other instead of the chair. The patience and forbearance of the Chairman were beyond all praise. We trust that at tha next meeting (which takes place in the Bridge Hotel on the 29th inst.) a better system of conducting business will be inaugurated.