KARAKA GOLDFIELD. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) April 17.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3356, 18 April 1868, Page 3

KARAKA GOLDFIELD. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) April 17.

i A meeting w»s held yesterday afternoon, in Captain Butt's Theatre, for thq purpose of placing before the inhabitants the address to his Excellency the Governor, drawn tip by the committee appointed for that purpose. .Mr, Mitohjsm. moved that Allan Baillie Esq., Warden of the district, take the chair, which was duly seconded, and carried unan-mously. The Chairman, betore submitting the address, availed himself of the occasion to explain the cause that prevented the publishing of the official despatch received by him from Mr. Stafford, intimating the intended visit of his Excellency, th* of which were placed before your readers in a recent issue. He had no doubt that, bad the inhabitants ' known that his Excellency was about to appear amongst them, a public demon»tration, expressive of their loyalty to her Majesty, would h»ve greeted him on his arrival. As they had been thus deprived of the pleasure and gratification of » public reception, the next course to puraue was tp express their loyalty, in the form of an address. Dr. Sam then read the address, as follows :— "To his Excellency Sir George Ferguson Bowen, Knight Grand Cross of the most distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor and Commander-iQ-Chief in and over her Majesty's colony of New Zealand and its dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same. " May it please your Excellency,— "We, the inhabitants of Shortland Town and the Thames goldfield, desire most respectfully to convey to your Excellency our expression of the pleasure which your recent visit has afforded us. We beg to assure your Excellency that this pleasure has not been lessened by the fact that your coming amongst us possessed less of a ceremonial character than was exhibited in other places. Such ceremony is only regretted as its absence prevented our testifying in a more public and demonstrative manner our loyalty to the beloved Sovereign whom you represent, and our personal feelings of respect and goodwill towards yourself. Neither of these feelings is diminished by the homely reception ac orded, and we trust that on a futuie day toey may have an opportunity of being more efficiently displayed. Wishing your Excellency, Lady Bowen, an<l family all the blessings which Divme Providence can bestow, and in the earnest hope of an increased prosperity and happiness under your administration, " We h*ve the honour to be, your Excellency's most respectful and obedient servants, (Signed) " On behalf of the inhabitants of Shortland and Thames Goldfield." Mr. John Broww having moved the adoption of the address, seconded by Mr. Robert .Skeen, the Chairman put the motion to the meeting, when it was carried unanimously. Mr. Miiohell Eaid that he among many others had remarked an apparent want of courtesy towards the inhabitants on the part of the chief officer of the district in not giving timely notice of the visit of his Excellency. Onehunga received intimation that his Excellency wa?, on a certain day and hour, to visit that place : he therefore could not see why Shortland should be treated differently. Had the- inhabitants been made aware of the honour intended them, his Excellency would have been waited on by a large aasembla c of people, the streets would have been decorated with flags, and other demonstrations of loyalty would have been shown ; as there was no affair of this sort permitted to them, an address to his Excellency was all they could bestow. Dr. Sam remarked that they had not assembled to express grievances, but to convey to his Excellency the feelings of the inhabitants which were embodied in the address. The Chairman concluded that the address in his hands was now definitely settled. He would, therefore, move, "That a committee be appointed to present the address to his Excellency." Mr. Mitchell moved, "That the address be forwarded to his Excellency." The amendment having been put to the meeting, it was carried. A vote of thanks to the Chairman having been passed, the meeting separated.

(PROM THE "THAMES ADVERTISER," APEIL 16.) A public meeting is convened to be held at the Old Court-house j-on Saturday, for the purpose o^ obtaining an expression of opinion, from the mining community on the contemplated removal of the most tit and proper person to hold the office of Seuior Warden of the goldfields. In common with a large majority of the mining population of this district, we most heartily concur in the object for which this meeting has been convened. The object is undoubtedly to obtain a spontaneous expression of approval, from the mining community, of the general action taken by Mr Mackay since the open* ing of the Thames goldfield. A report has been prevalent for some d-iys past to the effect that Mr. Mackay is about to be withdrawn from this district — hence the movement in question. We are, however, in a position to inform the promoters of the meeting that some misapprehension appears to exist on the subject. Mr. Mackay is not to be withdrawn from the office of Resident Magistrate and Warden of the district: this we have on the best of all authority — a letter received by Mr. Warden Baillie. It- is true Mr. Mack ay's sterling abilities in the conduct of native business have gained the encomiums of his Excellency, who has been tempted to remove him from the obscnrity — if we may be allowed the expression — of the Thames appointment, «nd keep him by his side, to advise aud counsel in native matters. His Excellency has decided that Mr. Mackay is to spend more time ia A uokUnd than at the Thames ; that he is, in fact, to make his Thames appointment subservient to the higher calling of a native adviser to his Excellency. This may be, very probably, merely the harbinger of his removal. For the present, however, he is to maintain the office of Resident Magistrate, and pay monthly visits to Shortland : matters requiring hi* advice will be referred to him at Auckland. The circumstances which have induced the Government to withdraw this gentleman from his present position deserve to be universally known, and we therefore feel much pleasure in giving publicity to the fact that his services have met with the recognition they deserve in his appointment to the office of Chief Commissioner of Native Affairs in the Northern Island. We look upon this promotion as a very substantial proof of the high opinion entertained of Mr. Mackay and his general administration of native affairs; and although we might regret his absolute withdrawal from the wardenship of these goldfields, we should have some satisfaction in knowing that in his future position it will still remain in his power to be of eminent service in fcheir further development. A robbery of cooking utensils and other effects, valued at £4, was committed on Tuesday night, or early yesterday morning, from tbe'paddock at the back of the Duke of Eiinburgh Hotel, Grey-street. The articles stolen were the property of Mr. C. F. Mitchell, and left in their usual place outside his marquee on Tuesday evening. Oa the following morning, when required for use, the articles were missed. Information ot the r.ibbery has been lodged with the police, and we trust they will be successful in recovering the property and bringing the thief to justice. The Pacific Claim, on the Karaka, had a crushing at Messrs. Ellis aud Scanlan's machine on Saturday. Five tons were passed through the machine, which yielded a little over three ounces of retorted gold to the ton. Mulligan's No. 1 claim has turned out most satisfactorily to the owners. Eleven tons have been crushed at Graham's machine, with a yield of 15 ounce* to the ton, after smelting. It ib believed that the p trty have struck a leader of the Manuk&u Claim, the yield of which is something wonderful. Mr. Mulligan called at our office yesterday, with a piece of quartz taken from this claim, containing heavy patches of rich gold. The quartz bad originally been perceived cropping out of the side, and, a hammer being applied to the piece, each part displayed large patches running through it. Application was made on Tuesday to have the Duke of Edinburgh Claim registered, to afford time for machinery to be erected on the claim without delay. A portion of the machinery for the Break of Pay Claim was hoisted into its place, on the claim, on Monday, with the astislance of a number of willing hands from surrounding claims. We are requested to state that the only interest disposed of lately in the Great Republic Claim, Wairtithi .{ojjposi^'the El Dorado), >s a working balf-ihare, which changed hands for £300. Mr. B. McDonald was the purchaser. , < £ba ,F.«afcJN>.ugbt Claim, on the Waiotabi, turned oufXptoe <very rich specimens from their claim/ on. Monday* i - The 'p.i.^Clyde '- left ' Shortfand for Tapu Creek thft£ay, w»)iTfiSch»Vy for 'a, powerful crushing " machine' to£be erected Miere. -■ ■': v * 'The Weriafin'iVfeay {MsLeod'sf 'Claim, !next the , Duohest of &erjfr v on,thd Moanataiari, are progress-, hing^iatisfactbrilyWiiE .thfeir I^St»WP3£ vcrnBhinS v crn8hin S - 1 machine, driven $y^ter>i»if * ' * J

Machinery in about to be erected on the Hape Creek, by Mr. Greenway, of Auckland. The machine has been made by Measri. Masefield and Co., and is expected to arrlre daily.