THAMES NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5885, 27 September 1880, Page 6

THAMES NEWS.

•■. ■ ■■■' ; . . '.'■ '• •> ■—— [PROM OUR OWN COTUtESEONDKNT.] : Thames, Saturday. _ Btjrihg the -week the rumours of a rich discovery of gold in tha Tβ Aroha. district have been rather numerous. Apparently, these rumours all have reference to the operations of Mr. Adam Porter and hifl prospecting party. This party have now been ont for some time, and there ia little doubt that good indications have been me} with. The immediate friends of the prospectors have been well informed of the success the party hare met with, but, as is usual with prospectors, everything is kept a3 quiet as possible, and surrounded with ii great Seal of mystery. Under circumstances of this kiDd it is not to be wondered at that there are numbers who do not believe that anything encouraging has been discovered, while on the other hand there are some who give wildly exaggerated accounts of bhe existence of quartz lodes' exceeding in richness any that have ever been met with before on any part of the Peninsula. The facts of the case seem to be that indications of a really encouraging nature have been found in ono or two lodes, but as there ia an uncertainty as to whether these lodes are on native or Governmenl;,land, their whereabouts have not been made known. In the meantime an attempt is being made to settle the question of whose land they'are uponj and to have the district proclaimed a goldfield. Whatever may be the true etate of the affair, there appears good reasons for suppbsiog that an extensive and payable goldfield will some, day, andthat before' long, be discovered in the Te Aroha district. A discovery of this kind at the present time would prove a great', boon to the colony, for in a very few weeks it would absorb all the surplus labour and drown the cries of the unemployed. '■ ,' On Friday last a number of. unfortunate miners appeared before. the Warden to answer to .the charge of mining for gold without being possessed of a miner's right. In several of the cases the defendants pleaded poverty as their excuse, but the Warden in giving judgment said the law was very clear, and did not allow him any discretionary power, he must' fine them the mitigated penalty of one shilling withoat costs. He pointed out tbatin laying the informations the Mining Inspector was only fulfilling the duties of his office, and he had no other alternative but to act as he bad done. Among the miners these cases excited a good deal of interest, and there are not a few who seem to think the Inspector is exercising his power rather too rigorously, and. that the compelling of a poor man to take out a miner's right might very reasonably be left to tbosa'wbo have more interest in the revenue: from this source than'the Government have.