CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 191, 11 March 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

THE MINING- CONFERENCE. We give a brief summary of some of the alterations and additions proposed by the Brighton Conference, in respect to the Goldfields Regulations:— CLAIMS. Two additions are made to the classification of claims, viz., wet claims and cement claims. " Wet claims shall mean all claims in flooded ground, which cannot be worked without the appliances for draining, and defined as such by the Warden." " Cement claims shall mean claims containing cement requiring to be worked by crushing machinery." The size of alluvial claims is increased to 60 feet by 60 feet, and cement claims are to be the same size. There is also an alteration proposed in the size of river claims. EXTENDED CLAIMS. The first clause under this head is altered as follows:—" Upon receiving sufficient proof that any ground is worked or abandoned, or that the sinking exceeds 100 feet, or that it requires a tunnel not less than 300 feet to work it, the Warden shall grant a claim not exoeeding a double area, provided that, previous to such grant, the applicant shall post a notice in a conspicuous place on the ground applied for 7 clear days, and there be no valid objections raised to such applications." The clause giving the sizes of extended claims remains the same, except the last part, which is altered thus : " Providing that no such claim shall be granted, except iu worked and abandoned ground, and in no case shall exceed 3 acres in extent." The following new clause relates to the amalgamation of claims : —" The Warden may, upon sufficient cause being shown, permit the amalgamation of any two or more claims upon

such terms aud conditions as may bo considered necessary to secure the effectual working thereof. Notice of such a proceeding to be posted in the usual manner."

The subject of prospecting is thus treated :—" Any person who shall discover any new gold working, or who shall be desirous of obtaining a prospecting claim, shall mark off an area of ground according to subjoined scale, and shall immediately report such discovery, with full particulars thereof to the Warden, who shall thereupon issue a certificate of protection until he visit the ground." The scale is—" Not exceding one mile from existing working—a double area ; exceeding one mile and a-half and not exceeding three miles—a treble area; exceeding three miles—a quadruple area, providing the increased grant is not given to more than six persons comprising the same party." There is another clause on the same subject which states, " The Warden may on application, of not less than four for a prospecting area, grant protection for same if such ground is not within one mile of existing works, not exceeping 100 feet per man frontage, and such protection shall continue in force until gold has been struck or the ground abandoued, or until gold workings approach within the area of one mile." WATER. The following new rules are suggested in connection with the question of water supply—branch races for the distribution of water: —" Any person desirous of constructing a branch race for the distribution of water shall post notices for seven days, and give notice in writing to all parties whose claims may be affected thereby ; and providing no valid objections are returned a certificate of registration may be granted by the Warden to the applicant." Ground allowed on each side of a head race—" The holder of a certificate of registration for a head-race shall be entitled to occupy ;.n area of Crown Lands as a site for such race, ten feet in width, that is to say, five feet on each side of the central line of such race, providing that such registration ■ihall not apply to such portious of a race as may be flumed.

Insufficient supply of water—" In case of failure of water, the junior water right shall give way to the next preceding senior right, and so on in rotation as the supply diminishes, and the holder of such junior right on the receipt of a notice from the owner of a superior right, stating that the supply of such superior right is less than he is entitled to, immediately cease to use the water or such portion thereof as may be necessary to make up the supply of the superior right. Water to be left in creeks—" The holders of water-rights shall not he entitled to take water from any river, main creek, or tributary creek, when by so doing they will reduce the quantity of water in a main creek or tributary creek to less than one black sand head of water." A black sand head of water 'is defined as being one third of a government sluice-head.

"Water shed to be protected—'• "When a person is desirous of constructing a head-race across any water-course or the water shed, of any registered dam or reservoir, such person skill cut a trench 100 yards in length on either side of any tributary, to the dam or reservoir at a distance not exceeding twenty feet, on the upper side of the head race." Use of water may be sola— '■ It shall be lawful for the holder or holders of a water-right, under the " Golclfield's Act, 1866," empowering such bolder to divest water, construct dams, &c.; to sell and dispose of the right to, and the use of the whole or any part of such water." (To he continued?)