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Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1633, 16 May 1873, Page 3

anything said by the Goldfields members. It was intimated that Mr. Thomas Mackay would be prepared to move, and Mr. Acton Adams to second, at the next meeting of the Committee, the tallowing resolution:— That in order to satisfy tho West Coast and other G-oldfielcta members of the Nelson Provincial Council, that this Committee has no intention of seeking to impose any Btriugent regulations respecting digging or mining for gold in any lands "which may be conceded to the Committee or to a Company formed under its auspices, for the purpose of constructing a railway between Nelson and the West Coast :— It is hereby resolved, that in any Articles of Association under the Companies Act, 1860, or in any Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand defining the objects, rights, and powers of the said Company, it Bhall be stipulated : — 1. That it (the Company) shall not take powers to mine for gold or work alluvial auriferous deposits. ! 2. That all auriferous lands granted to, held, demised, or sold by the Company, shall be subject to the present or future Goldfields Aots of the Colony. 3. That in the event of any gold being found in such lands, the miners working the same shall not be charged for their " Rights " more than uader the Government regulations. 4 That the Government wardens Bhall have all such Goldfields matters under their charge, the revenue derived, from same, subject to cost of collection and other proper charges, to be accounted for to the Company. The report has been diligently circulated that this resolution was unanimously accepted by the Coast members as a settlement of all their objections to the railway scheme, and glad should we have been to confirm tidings of peace. Unfortunately we are compelled, as faithful chroniclers, to say that there is but a portion of truth in the statement. The direct contradiction given in the Council last night by Mr. Eeid, and confirmed by Mr. O'Conor, proves that it may at the utmott be admitted that the efforts of certain members of the Committee, either at the conference or in private intercourse, have succeeded to the extent of securing a favorable hearing, and the promise of unprejudiced consideration. Even this small gain was obtaiued solely because these members were well known to be at one with the West Coast ' representatives in distrust of the Superin- J tendent and his measurei, and were there- i fore credited with being unfavorable to ; injustice being done to* the Goldfields. ' Time will yet be required to secure a ' favorable vote from the West Coast mem. bers, and it is only by patient explanation, and direct action on other questions interesting to them in the Council, that the natural distrust springing from six years of neglect and mismanagement will be removed. The notice of motion given by Mr. Guinness for : Wednesday next, proposes to borrow i £150,000 to go towards the construction of ] the railway connecting Fox Hill with j .Brunnerton, the balance to be paid in land. ( This notice proves two things: firstly, that i the importance of railway communication is ' admitted, and, secondly, that the company ' has not secured so favorable a place in the 4 minds of Coast members as was alleged. , We believe that full reliance may be placed i on the soundness of the Nekon project and ' on the strong sense of those members whose '' good-will it is desired to secure, but nothing could more certainly serve to drive them , away than untimely boasts and erroneous < assertions, such as those contained in the l Examiner; and we are in a position to say, c that the anxious labor of the prudent mem- * bers of the Committee has been already B seriously endangered by the reckless mis- i statements that have been made. '