DELEGATES, OR MINING BOARDS?

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 177, 24 February 1868, Page 2

DELEGATES, OR MINING BOARDS?

MEETING OF MINEBS. A meeting of miners was held at the Australasian Hotel, Addison's Flat, for the purpose of receiving the delegates appointed at Charleston, and to take into consideration the advisability of formiug a central Mining Board, or allowing the delegates, as proposed by Mr Kynnersley, to alter and amend the South-West Goldfields Regulations. The meeting numbering about 400, the room being crowded to suffocation, many being unable to obtain admission, was presided over by Dr Denovan, who made a few very

appropriate remarks, aud then introduced Messrs Cameron and Savage, -delegates. Mr Cameron commenced by telling the meeting what the minersof Charleston had done, and called on the iniuei s of Addison's to follow their example. He then produced the mining rule* of the Nelson South-west Goldfields, and showed to the satisfaction of the majority of his hearers that they were " no rules at all." He then commented very strongly on the powers who administered the law, and Provincial Governments, arguing that Mining Boards would, to a certain extent, and to the benefit of the miners do away with some of the grievances now existing, and showing the necessity of a change, and conoluded by imp;easing on the miners that the time had come for them to throw off the tyranny of Provincialism and have their own laws to regulate the whole of the south went goldfields.

The Chairman then introduced th e other delegate, Mr Savage, who, in a mild and determinedinauner, supported the former speaker. One thing he would allude to, which was the length of time that Mr Kynnersley's conference would take before the rules would become law. He concluded by •calling on the meeting to reject Mr Kynnersley's invitation and go in for a Mining Board. Mr Gallagher proposed the following resolution : t( That this meeting respectfully declines to recognize the invitation to select delegates, as called upon by Mr Commissioner Kynnersley, •but prefers adhering to the original steps taken in the matter, namely, the establishment of a central mining-board, which was carried unanimously.

Mr Barrowman seconded the motion which was carried unanimously. Mr Clune, in a few and appropriate remarks proposed the following resolution :—" That in the opinion of this meeting, a committee be appointed to place themselves in communication with J. V. Smith, Esq., in reference to the establishment of a Central Mining Boavd." He said that it was a well-known fact that he was in favor of Mining Boards, having had great experience of their workings in Victoria where he had been a member of one. Here they were wanting either a change in the rules or a Mining Board, the latter he preferred, but if holding oft" from the proposed conference would be any hinderance to the remedy, to good effected by the change in the rules he would be in favor of delegates going forward, stiil leaving nothing undone that should bj done, to gain the main object—Mining Boards. Mr Daley seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.

One of the speal ers remarked that ■the rules existing, (as had been said by Mr Cameron) wcra defective and rotten —that the best thing that could be done was to destroy them altogether, and substitute Mining Boards, which was unanimously carried. The following gentlemen were elected to act as a committee to carry out the intentions of the meeting : Mr Clune, Mr "Williams, Dr Denovan, Mr Cunningham, and Mr Connell, with power to add to the number. Several gentlemen addressed the meeting, fully concurring in the opinions of the delegates ; and after a vote of thanks to the chair, and three good hearty cheers for Messrs Cameron and Savage, the meeting terminated.

A vote of thanks was then passed to the Charleston delegates, and the 'Chairman, and the meeting separated.