POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. [BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Goldfields Regulations.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1552, 15 June 1882, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. [BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Goldfields Regulations.

WiXLiNfi-rox, Last Night. The following amended gold fields laws and regulations have been submitted to the Goldfiehls Committee for approval : — (1) The committee see no difficulty in the way of codifying the mining laws of the colony, and making the laws universal throughout the colony ; (2) in consolidating the existing laws the following matters should receive special consideration :—: — (3) The protection of hona fide mining enterprise for a reasonable period ; for prospecting and the erecting of machinery, and for the perfecting of arrangements for the successful working of the claims ; (4) that all fees and charges under the Act and regulations should be uniform ; (5) that the procedure of both the administrative and judicial departments of the wardens' offices should be simplified, and the hours of sitting should be shortened, and to enable this to be done additional waidens should be appointed. Note. — The above are Mr Sheehan's suggestions. The following are Mr Weston's :—(1): — (1) That provision be made for the driving of quaitz mines through adjoining claims or leases ; (2) that provision be made for tunnelling through the claim or lea&e ; (3? the conditions of mining leases should be less stringent at the commencement than at a later period of the holding ; (4) that the provisions of the Mining Act in regard to mining and agricultural leases should be analogous to those of the Waste Lnnds Act ; (.")) until land be tested piospecting licenses or leases should be alone granted. This would prevent the locking up of country ; ((!) that the cancelling of leases should be in all ordinary cases effected on a bleach of Government, and the picccdurc in legard to such cancellation should be simplified in that the cancellation should be so announced as to give the public an equal chance of taking up the giotind; (7.) that the scale of fees should be revi&ed, and that mineis rights, business licenses, and other charges be lowered ; (9.) that Government should purchase sites for tailing where they deem it prudent ; (10.) That no agricultural land adjacent to a mining township or mining claim should be leased or sold; (11.) that when machinery had to be erected in all alluvial claims, the area should be in the discretion of the warden increased to 20 acres.