CORRESPONDENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 246, 17 October 1872, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

LITIGATION, LTTIGKN'PS AND THE BLUE SL'U'.t (To the Editor.)

Sir, — I cannot restrain myself from giving expression to my feelmg3 on tha subject of litigation on tha UiuaSpur. It seems the miners there, are abo«t to make heavy sacrifice fur the purpose of determining whether the rules of law are the rules of justice. There are many cases arising, in which neither party, however well disposed, may know distinctly what jusHce requires until the law informs them. Even if that i 8 so, there are better m»ana of J>rojedure than prosecuting suits, as the expense and loss created by a c«se, of Vnne and heartburning, powerfully recommend other means, in preference bo law. Now I submit from my knowledge of miners generally that it too frequently happens that injured parties altogether, over-race their grievances, and thus make it impossible for good intentioned .parties to settle a matter with them, and then they have recourse to law. Ou the other hand, defendants do not present a very favorable view of the stata of private principle, who refuse justice tt plaintiffs unless compelled by law. I have said this much before submitting my views on this subject, as I believe I am not singular in deploring the hoavy waste of time and hard earned money, which will result from a succession of expensive law suits. And if as I hear the law ia determined in regard to the rights of support, all the claims ou the Blue Spur may at any time be stoppsd, in order to support their neighbour's grouud, 30 that it bacoines a very serious matter to the district, independent of the parries themsalves, and a matter which call 9 for an exoression of public opinion, as much ;ts do the Agricultural Leasing R'g .l'trors, or abolition of the Bold Duty. Fr >m my knowledge of the state of the R!ne Spur, it seems possible to s ! of> any of thec'aims !>y injunction, and though an expvnsiv^ process, yet when the ball is set rolling there seem? every probability of means beinsc found to keap it going until nothing is left hut the bare bones. The minors of the Blue Spur in my opinion, neglect ] to cultivate friendly and social intercourse among themselves, which if they did, would be a safe-guard sgainst hasty and ! extreme measures in settling differences, which naturally arise in all mining com* munities. Without pr>>fessfng a knowledge of any of the cases which .are tfl come before the Courts, I may remind the litigants that juries doa't generally split hairs about the justice of their decisions. Our romembrance of juries deoisioos. ia extremely vivid in a "case from the Blue Spur, some time ago. It would be unreasonable expect men, after patiently sitting for a week or two, to deliberata with any degree of cheerfulness necessary for the just settlement of a dispn f e, I would therefore recommend a more satis* factory and less expensive system f->r adjusting any difficulty that may arise among thorn. And in the first place to facilitate* *hat, the shareholder on^ht to eneouragefriendly relations, and, if possible, surrender that sweet and solacing ' habit '• of csnauring absent persons; to submit to their luck though bad, even if their 'fitei£h3 b->uw are getting yold in buoketsfuK" It fai not easy, yet it will rapay, if their efftotf*; are half successful. When- that ir*,d*mo I would recotmutiud Uia \iv*M* 5 -~r3 »>£ oagfc Ciaira, to meal quietly aui. discus*, some genera! aphonia o{ arbitritjon. I <!<}„ not moan the Sblec'aoi of .trhcift" time ia b ■■» preamw «J to b» vxi'j'ed iF thirty shilfcnga nn hnnr. ?*Xen e^ijW W gat fr<sm aav>itf thi> imttniy tihiait^itfi*. wh« would s£rn *njpte totinfustimj, tor. tneot th© ends of justice* m » rough w»y« . and though the-award were nfttc-oimittwl to a solicitor, and finally ptwente^on^ 2n^ssed An vellum, ie might be noae tW loss satisfactory, if comiug frni *h'-> £andil of a . .

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