H.—4.

13

'j

I expect in my next annual report to be able to record a great amount of vitality in the district, more especially as before that time the large works at present in hand will have been completed. I append the statistics of the district under my charge for the past year. I have, &c, Chaeles Beoad, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields, "Wellington. "Warden.

Enclosure in No. 7. DISTRICT OF BULLER. STATISTICS of Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Offices for the Year ending March 31st, 1878.

No. 8. Mr. AVarden Shaw to the Under Secretary for Gold Fields. Sir,— Warden's Office, Reefton, Bth May, 1878. In forwarding the usual statistical returns for the districts under my charge for the year ending March 31st, 1878,1" have the honor to report generally as follows: — Inangahua District. The sittings of the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts are held twice weekly. The following synopsis will indicate the business transacted and revenue collected : — Resident Magistrate's Court.—Criminal cases, 114 j Committed for trial, 3 ; Civil cases, 420; Amount sued for, £3,301 16s. 4d.; Amount received, £1,630 13s. ; Fees and fines, £506 2s. lid. Warden's Court. —Cases heard, 11; Applications for cancellation of gold-mining leases, 4; Other applications, 236; Gold-mining leases applied for, 67; Agricultural leases applied for under Gold Fields and Mines Acts, 2. Revenue. £ s. d. Publicans' licenses ... ... ... ... ... - ... 975 0 0 Feeß on application for licenses, transfers, &c. ... ... ... 30 15 6 Revenue collected by Receiver of Gold Revenue, exclusive of rents, £1,005 15 6 &c, on leases under Nelson Waste Lands Act ... ... 2,527 4 4 Resident Magistrate's Court fees and fines ... ... ... 506 2 11 Total ... ... ... ... £4,039 2 9 There is a noticeable absence of serious crime in this mining population, attributable, doubtless, in a great measure to the comparative certainty of means of livelihood and the high rate of wages obtainable, but chiefly, in my opinion, to the intelligence and discipline that are required of quartz miners. From the foregoing tables it will be observed that but two applications wera made for agricultural leases under the Gold Fields or Mines Act in this district during the past year. These are the prominent exception to the many scores of applications made under " The Nelson AVaste Lands Act," and the marked preference shown for the latter system deserves remark, from the serious inconvenience and loss it entails upon miners. In many instances auriferous ground is belted by strips of flat country, 2—II. 4.

Westport. Charleston. Lyell. Total. Miners' Eights issued Business Licenses ... Summonses in Warden's Court Applications for registered Eights Applications for Gold-mining Leases ... Applications for Agricultural Leases ... Resident Magistrate's Court —■ Number of Criminal Cases Number of Civil Cases 174 11 6 97 1 4 257 Nil. 17 407 191 11 8 130 9 2 622 22 31 634 10 6 172 278 10 56 46 66 228 400 Revenue — £ s. d. 292 4 8 818 14 6 10 13 0 £ s. 56 1 731 18 3 2 d. 9 0 6 £ s. 161 4 726 17 7 18 d. 2 8 6 _£ s. d. 509 10 7 2,277 10 0 21 14 0 Fees and Fines of Eesident Magistrate's Court Receiver of Gold Revenue ... Clerk to Licensing Court A-mount received as Deposits on Goldmining and Agricultural Leases 91 5 0 oz. dwt. gr. 17,130 18 16 £ s. d. 1,714 2 6 68,563 13 4 153 15 0 283 2 6 528 2 6 oz. dwt. gr. 17,130 18 16 £ s. d. 1,714 2 6 68,563 13 4 Glold exported from Westport Duty Value