TUAPEKA REEFS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 225, 23 May 1872, Page 4

TUAPEKA REEFS.

The Gabnels Gully .Quartz Mining Co. have accepted the tender of Messrs. Kincaid, M'Queen/ and Co., to erect a battery of ten head of stampers. The. Company will not decide on a motive power till after the meeting of the Phoenix Race Co., to be held on Saturday week. The southern drive on the reef is steadily progressing, prospects continuing very good. The drive is being taken out of the reef on the footwall about 6 feet high by 4 feet wide. The stone is becoming harder, and requires to be blasted out, making progress much slower. The underlay in the drive has varied very slightly, from 1 in 8 to 1 in 12 or more, the plan of the footwall presenting an almost unbroken line for over 50 feet, and rising as nearly as can be ascertained 20° E. of N., by 20° W. of S. Tenders for erection of the battery-shed will be invited shortly from local tradesmen at Lawrence. The manager expects to be. able to commence crushing with ten weeks. The tender of Mr. Drysdale for the sup, ply of props for 12 months, has been accepted. A large quantity of timber for the tramway was placed on the ground last week.

. We are informed that Livingston andi Co. and the Amalgamated Companies, intend to commence prospecting on the southern side of the Gabriels Gully Company's claim at once.

The party which for some* time has been prospecting the reef at the Beaumont, has *iot meet with such success aa to,. warrant extended operations. The reef has "been traced to some distance, bnt is exceedingly narrow. The inaccessibility of the country, and the approach of win-i ter may deter the prospectors from further operations.

From Table Hill -we learn that the Alexandra Company is the only one mill-, ing stone, and that it is keeping 10 heads going. The reef in this claim is looking wfell. It jis reported that Mr. Dyer ha# sold his claim to Mr. A. M'Laren.'. . No, arrangements have however been made fojr the crushing^ 'stpne f^Qrri the claim. 'The quality of 'the stone in the Ocean View Company* claim i* 'aajct tf fclive in*,

He objected to-the aidedrschoflls the Government Bill. They would become powerful political engines. He held secular education to mean education without any instruction in religion. Mr Cutten intimated that when the proper tijie came, he would be prepared to move amendments which he thought would meet with the general approval of hon. members. Mr Lumsden would support the amendment, and would be prepared, for the sake of united action and peace, to exclude the Bible altogether from our public schools. He believed that the cause of religion would not be injured, but rather served, by so doing. Mr Maccassey was glad that at length they had in the amendment by the hon. member for Blueskin (Mr Green) a distinct issue placed before them that all could understand, and on which the Government would be bound to express some distinct principle and statement of the course they intended to take. Were he (Mr Macassey) to vote for either of the amendments, he should certainly support the one moved by Mr Green, because it bad at least this merit— it is distinct and understandable. Dr. Webster repeated his conviction that good, rather than" evil, would, under the circumstances, result from the exclusion of the Bible from our public schools. He criticized the conduct of the Government, and blamed them for not having indicated clearly and distinctly what course they intended to pursue. They had now an amendment that^ clearly expressed what he believed the majority of the Council wanted, and he should heartily support it. Mr M 'Arthur was not satisfied with either of the amendments. Mr Bathgate would let his opinion be . known distinctly, and would be prepared to support the amendment as it stood on the paper. The amendment of Mr Green, with the words moved by Mr Browne added, was then put, with the following result : — Ayes, 15 : Messrs Armstrong, Bastings, Brown, J. C, Browne, G. H. (teller), Daniel, Green, Hickey, Hutcheson, Innes, Lumsden, Macassey (teller), Mervyn, M'Glashan, Shepherd, and Webster. Noes, 23: Messrs Allan (teller), Barr, Basstian, Bathgate, Bell, Blacklock, Bradghaw, Clark, Cutten, Duncan, Henderson, Holmes, Menzies (teller), Mollison, M'Arthur, M'Dermid, M'Kenzie, M'Lean, Reynolds, Shaw, Smith, Thomson, and Tolmie. Mr Cutten then moved the following amendment as against the Hon. MrHolmes's : — " That this Council is of opinion that the Education Ordinance of Otago has worked satisfactorily in the past, and regrets that any section of the community should refuse to avail itself of the provisions of that Ordinance, but, in order to remove any objection to a general system of education, resolves that any Colonial or National plan of educational will not be satisfactory unless the teaching be of a' purely unsectarian character." On a division being called for, there voted, Ayes, 19 : Messrs Allen, Barr, Bathgate, Bradshaw, Clark, Cutten (teller), Duncan, HendersoD, Menzies, Mollison, M'Arthur, M'Dermid, N'Lean, M'GJashan, Reid, Reynolds (teller), Shand, Smith, Thomson. Noes, 17 : Messrs Armstrong, Bastings (teller), Bell, Blacklock, Brown, J.C., Browne, G. F. C. ; Daniel, Green, Hickey, Holmes (teller), Hutcheson, Innes, Lumsden, Macassey, M'ELenzie, "Webster. Mr Macassey observed the vote first taken, ■which was the first intimation of the views of the Government, to be decisive of the question. Mr Cutten's amendment was then put as substantive motion, and affirmed.