Original Correspondence.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 483, 5 March 1868, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

# # * Our columns being impartially open, we do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our correspondents.

THE LATE ELECTION.

To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail.

Sir, —You say in your is>ue of the 27th that I ou«;ht to ho proud of standing so high on the poll as I do, couriering I never addressed a public meeting. Allow me to aeknowU '"j' through the same public medium, that Ido. e! ■- (liimly proud of the honest confidence repose*.: m me by my fellow-miners and business p< ■■ pie of the district; and partieularly so when I consider the unfavorable circum.>tances under which I was placed. On account of my friends not knowing whether I was at the 12-Mile (Lake) or Tucker Beach, I did not get to know anything definite about the Mining Conference until late on Saturday, the loth. Consequently, I bad only a week in the field, and three days in that week it was indispensible that I should be at Tucker Beach. The other three were engaged in writing to friends on the different diggings, canvassing the Shotover from Tucker Beach to Arthur's Point, the Seven-Mile, TwelveMile, and Moke Creeks. Letters with enclosed copies of my address and voting forms were ready in time to have given the miners and business people au opportunity of voting at the Head of the Lake and 25-Mile Creek, had the weather permitted a boat to go up. Therefore, I think, under the circumstances, I did all I could. I mention these things because some of ray supporters accuse me of lukewarmness in the matter.

A gentleman from the Arrow (I am told) stated in Queenstown that the Arrow people considered themselves treated with contempt in my cot addressing them by way of public meeting, and that he considered himself justifiVd on that account in abandoning me and supporting Mr Swyer—notwithstanding this same gentleman was the first to promise me all the support he could give, and without my asking for it; consequently, I fully relied upon him. However, I wish the people of Arrowtown to know that I respect them in common with the rest of my fellow-miners and business people of the district. And, in conclusion. I wish publicly to thank those that so houestly supported me, aud particularly those that have taken active parts in my behalf.

Hoping you will excuse my encroachment on your valuable paper, —I am, See ,

Robert Johnson.

Tucker Beach, Feb. 28, 1868

MINERS* RIGHTS.

To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail

Sib,—Permit me to draw your attention to the continued default of the Government in not rectifying their serious failure in issuing Miners' Rights throughout the Goldfields under the repealed "Goldfields Act, 1862," instead of issuing them under the existing •• Goldfields Act, 1866." This neglect is the more reprehensible as their attention has been publicly and forcibly drawn to their default. Can it be, Sir, that the Executive are ashamed of their mismanagement of the Gold fields in this important particular, and delay acknowledging it by a prompt rectification ? Now, my claim and water are valuable, and I hold them und"r a Miners' Kight issued under the repealed Aet of 1862. What would my legal i isition be if the holder of a Ripht issii'd uncW ihe Goldfields Act, 1b66, called u on the Warden t<» plaee him in legal p'.vse<si.n of inv ilaiiu under such right? Would the production of my Miuers Right give m a leg;l title to such claim? I think not, for even if the Warden strained—or rather broke—the law in my favor, his decision would be overruled on appeal to the Supreme Court, which is bound to administer the Goidfields Act, 1866, in its integrity, and would therefore have no alternative but to declare that I was not a legally qualified miner; for the Court would not consent to take evidence that the default was caused by the officers administering the Goldfields, for, even if it did, it would be no legal defence, although it might be ground for an action against the Government. I think I have now shown sufficient cause for the immediate action of the Provincial Executive administering the Goldfields, and hope that they will not permit the legal point to be decided at the expense of an unfortunate holder of an illegal Miner's Right. March, 4th, 1868.

We have now entered upon the last month that applications to be placed upon the Electoral Roll can be received by the Registration officers. Oar up-country friends whose names are not already on the Roll should lose no time in registering their uamea In the Wakatip district residents of Queenstown and Arrowtown must qualify for the Goldfields Towns; those in outlying places will apply to be placed on the Roll for Hampden. In each case the signature must he attested by the Registration Officer, a Justice of the Peace, or else u by an elector of the district lor which he claims to vote." We mention this latter condition more particularly, as, last year •everal persons were disfranchised fur Hampden owing to their signatures being attested by elector* of the Uoldnelua Towns.