THE LEASING QUESTION AT THE THAMES.—PUBLIC MEETING.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3514, 20 October 1868, Page 5

THE LEASING QUESTION AT THE THAMES.— PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting, convened by advertisement, to take thii question into consideration, was held in front of Butt's Hotel on Saturday afternoon, there being a very large number of persons present. . Mr. Rowley opened the mpetwg by stating that the present meeting had been called together by the Reform Committee. The clique being up and doing, the Reform Committee found it necessary to counteract their intenti'>ns. Mr. Ralph Donkin was voted to the chair. # Mr. Jame3 Bo yd said before commencing business he had one resolution to put, which he had no doubt would meet with their unanimous approval, viz. :— "That it is undesirable that mining leases be granted on these goldfields until projer regulations regaidmg the Buid leates be made." This question of leasing was one of the mogt important in relation to the field generally and the poor men in particular. A case iv point was the Belmont case, He considered it advisable to get some public expression of o >inion relative to the leasing question. It wa9 Auckland men who were trifling with them, aud these were the very men who had smothered Auckland befora. He would n<t mention names. Would they allow such men to swamp the field by applying for leases, the most injurious method that could possibly be adopted? The object was timply to make the miners work for the lowest possible wages. It appeared that Mr. Graham had attempted to appropriate to his use the whole of the Tararu stream, and he was backed up by the authorities. Mr. Graham had no more right to the whole of the water than others had. These were the most important questions for them to consider. Mr. BIRT seconded the resolution. Mr. Rowley said he felt proud to see so many miners at the present meeting. It bhowed the outside public that the miners generally took j art iv their own interest*. The Reform Committee were watching the Warden! and the O'Keeffe clique. They had let Mr. Williamson know that if he sanctioned the Wardens' Relations without their concurrence there would be (something to follow. Whitaker and 00. would like the control of this g.ilufiVld, an> ho would a*k them if they would allow tbi3 ? The latt meeting hud been called a mob meeting by the correspondent of the Herald, which was also a strvaut of Whit*ki-r and 00. It behoved every nvner bare to assi-t the Keform Committee, who might he humble men, but they had the interesfcs of the miners at heart. O'Keeffe had mentioned the Dim-s of some of the members < f his hole and-cornt-r cnnouritte* : amongst the numb r was Mr. Macd-nald, who might be a gentleman, but he was a very dangerous character. He Wis one of those who joined the clique against the miners in the application for a lease. One thing calculated to affect the miners seriously was that the Wardens, within the;last few days, had been said to have stopped protection, which he considered was playina into the clique's hands. Mr/SuTHERLAND ai.d Mr. Dabvy addressed the meeting. , , The Chaibman put the resolution to the mesbincr and it was unanimously carried. °Mr. Alexander proposed, "That a deputation wait upon his Honor the Superintendent ou Monday next, thel9fch ioatint, to submit to him the opinion and feeling of the miners regarding leases and other matters c-onnecte 1 with this goldneld. Mr. Place seconded the resolution. The Chairman read the resolution, which wai then put and un»niaiou«ly carried. The following gentlemen were appointed a deputation to wait upon the Superintendent :— Messrs, Rowley, Boyd, Place, Donkir, Little. Sutherland, Simi son, and Birt. The proceedings were then brought to a close by a rote of thanks to the Chairman.