Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 365, 20 February 1863, Page 4

At length some amended Rules and Regulation for the Gold Fields have been published, but not before they were urgently required. The most important of these relate to the working of auriferous bars or beaches on the shores of rivers, such as those of the Clutha. These are termed "River-Beach Claims" in the new Regulations, and are defined as " claims situated between high-water mark and low water mark." The number of such claims which may he held in a block by any party of miners is limited to four, and the area allowed for each single claim is " 30 feet in length along the course of the river, with a frontage to low water mark, by a width bounded by high water mark." It will be seen from this that the frontage system has been adopted by the Government. The high water mark will constitute a fixed boundary, whilst the rising or falling of the water will diminish or increase the extent of the claim towards the river itself. One advantage likely to result from this' system will be the avoidance of the dispute^ heretofore arising from the practice df jumping any narrow strip of beach left by the temporarily receding waters in front of claims. It will be observed that no portion of the river itself, nor of the banks beyond high-water mark is included in these claims. ■-..,' When any beach or portion of a Deach exceeds 50_feet in width, it is provided that the Warden may —upon application being made to him—authorise the holding and working of any such excess by persons other than the holders, of the frontage claims." In other words upon very wide beaches, such as the well-known " Prospectors' Beach' at the -Dunstan, claims may under authority betaken up at the rear of those held by the claimholders. This discretionary power will we presume only be exercised by the Wardens in extreme cases, but it gives a degree of elasticity t_ the regulation without which some difficulty might be experienced in practice. River beach claims are to be deemed to be protected whilst flooded by the rising of the river, provided they have previously been worked for not less than one month. But if such claims are suffered to remain unworked for a period of twenty-four hours, during which time ten feet, or more, in width measured from high water mark, is uncovered by the water they become liable to forfeiture, y This will tend to check the practice so bitterly complained "of by miners—that /men who had , never -worked their claims, could obtain protection by registration for. three months, whilst they were working elsewhere, and thus .keeping others who would have at least partially wrought the ground in utter idleness. This portion of the Regulations will probably require amendation and amplification. • .Meantime it is satisfactory to see that an effort "has been made to meet the requirements of 'this.new and peculiar branch of mining industry. The only matter of surprise is that

it has not been done before, seeing that it is now six months since the discovery of thcDun- • stan first revealed the necessity of proViding - for beach claims, and that it is some considerable time since the Secretary for the gold fields with whom, we presume, the looking after the mining regulations rests, has returned' from . his tour of inspection. We are chrious to . know whether the Major's expeditions about i the country have had any share in delaying the proclamation of the regulations. ~ _ In addition to river beach claims, the new s classification includes ordinary alluvial claims; 1 wet claims, meaning alluvial claims, that can- ' not be wrought without the aid of appliances for drainage; creek and river claims, meaning . claims in the beds of creeks and rivers, the ; course of which may be wholly diverted for s mining purposes, as at the Manuherikia for instance; and Quartz claims. Hitherto miners ' have been allowed to take up alluvial claims ' in any form that fancy or interest might sug- j gest. But it is now provided that no block claim shall exceed in length, twice the breadth. Races constructed prior to the proclamation i of any gold field, or of the Regulations must . be registered, and in case of any insufficient < supply of water, the Warden is empowered to regulate the quantity which each right-holder may use. The power of granting protection is limited to one month, but such protection may be renewed by the.Warden from time to time, i for a period not exceeding fourteen days at anyone tune. The sections relating to Regis- ■ tration are amended, and the fee fixed at a ! uniform rate of two shillings and sixpence, i except where it is otherwise expressly pro- , vided. Any claim, the transfer or assignment , of any claim, or. right, and mining partner- : ships may be registered. Extended claims, ) amalgamated claims, quartz claims, prospect- - ing claims, creek and river claims, water- - rights and races, dams and puddling machines, 1 must be registered; and it is certainly desir rable that these should be defined with accu- . racy, for which purpose, we presume, regis- ; tration is insisted upon. ) The regulations affecting business licenses 3 are considerably extended. Occupants of t business sites must define their frontages by • substantial pegs, and a space of four feet must t be left between the buildings. This will per--3 mit of occupied sites in future townships being "> surveyed in allotments of twenty-two feet, a 1 size, which, as we are informed, will be more 1 convenient for the purposes of survey, and f the unoccupied spaces will render it more eas3* - to check the progress of a fire than at present. 3 Sites may be registered, upon payment of a I fee of five shillings, for the space of ten days, i and such registration may be renewed for a ! further period of ten days. This, however, i is only permitted when the holder is engaged I in preparing for bona fide occupancy, and when , so registered, the owner must post on the , ground a board not less than nine inches, with f the word Registered, and the number and ' date ot such registration legibly painted or I written thereon. Business sites can only be t occupied by holders of businese licenses, and • without registration no site be held ; unoccupied for more than twenty-four hours, - —provisions apparently aimed at the ' vexatious practice now in vogue of f taking up valuable business sites without t any intention of occupying them, but solely t* with the view of extorting money from genuine traders. It is also provided that licenses may be transferred or assigned, within the district for which they were originally granted; but ' such transfer or assignment must be registered, the fee being fixed at ten shillings. ' Holders of business licenses will not therefore ! be compelled, as formerly, to sacrifice the cost 3 of such licenses, when shifting from one gold ■ field to another. ' Some additional general regulations provide ' that copies of all notices must be posted by the Warden, at his office, for public information. There is also a clause prohibiting the 7 throwing of earth or tailings on adjoining 3 claims. Altogether these amended regula- -" tions supply several deficiencies in the present 1 code, and will, no doubt, on the principle of 1 better late than never, be. acceptable to - miners, and to business men on the gold 3 fields.