THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 181, 8 May 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1872.

An invitation lias been sent from the “King” to Governor Bowen and the Defence Minister to attend a meeting at Alexandra, at which Tawhiao and all the Hauliau chiefs arc to be present. We have no doubt his Excellency will accept his Maori Majesty’s invitation, and we hope some good results to both races may follow. So many “ koreros,” however, have been bold between the Maori potentates and the European authorities, which have promised much and performed little, that we must not be too sanguine on this particular occasion. At the same time there can be no doubt that the native mind has been lately more inclined to meet the advancing civilization of the pakcha; and the day cannot be far distant when the forbidden lands will be open to the gold prospector, if not to the permanent settler. That this visit of the Governor to the Waikato may be a step in this direction is quite possible. It has been for some time beyond dispute that gold exists in the Oliinemuri country, and day by day reports confirmatory of each other reach us of the presence of the precious metal in the southern parts of the province. The native chief Rewi has in his possession nuggets described as being of good size, which have been found in the Taupo country. There is every reason to believe that a large area of ground in that district is highly auriferous. In all probability gold in more or less quantity will be found all the way from Cape Colville to the Taupo region, and probably beyond it. It would not surprise us if wc are on the eve of another most important gold discovery, which will add a vast stimulus to the goldmining interests, and to the onward progress of the colony. If the Maori magnates be at all favourably inclined at Urn present time to facilitate European enterprise in this direction by opening their lands to the miner, the

interests of tlie country demand that the most shall be made of the opportunity. We don’t suppose the natives ■will do this- for nothing. They will probably aslc a high price, and the question will be, is it worth paying ? We think it very probable that the “ King ” and the “ Hauhaus,” and the magrrPcs of the lr ut will, in effect, ask the Governor to restore to them some of the confi. ca f ed land in the Wa'kato, which, according to their notions, was wrongfully taken from them; and although this may not be the Governor’s view of the question, it may be well to consider whether some compromise could not be made, which, without lowering the dignity of the European might at the same time conciliate the native. Believing,'as wc do, that the future wealth of the Northern Island must be. derived in a great measure from her minerals, wc should look upon the opening up of the whole country to the digger as one of the most successful pieces of diplomacy ever effected in New Zealand, and worthy of almost any sacrifice that did not bring with it a loss of national honour. It ought to occur to our New Zealand statesmen that we arc about to import a large number of immigrants, and that if we don’t find them something to do when they get here, they will either make the best of their way to Australia or America, or will remain a burden to the country. The opening up of a goldfield—especially of an alluvial character—would stimulate every class of industry, and wc could easily absorb many extra thousands who, instead of being an incumbrance upon our resources, would add to our wealth and prosperity. Nor do we think that the finding of an alluvial field would be injurious to quartz reefing districts like the Thames. On the contrary, wo believe that goldmining of all descriptions would be greatly stimulated. The Thames has established its richness and permanence, despite of temporary dullness occasionally. We believe she has nothing to fear, but much to gain by fresh discovery. Much of the additional wealth which would accrue from •an alluvial field would, in all probability be invested in the more permanent class of mining—quartz-reefing—-and with additional labor, capital, and increased water supply, no one can doubt that there is a great future before tlie Thames. We should therefore rejoice to see the Governor’s interview with the Waikato chiefs resulting in the opening up a country which has been too long closed to the Colonists. They have long and patiently borne this state of things, and to a few of the class known as the “ Pakeha Maori ” thesys f em may nothave been altogether disadvantageous, but to the great body of the people it has been most injurious, and lias greatly retarded the settlement of the country. We certainly did hear a gentleman, holding an official position, say once at a meeting at the Court-house at Coromandel, that the country would have been better without a gold-field at all. That is not our opinion. We believe that lmt for the Thames the Province of Auckland, at all events, would have been bankrupt. Everybody must know that the vast strides in the ladder of prosperity which Australia and California made i i a very few years, were due to the gold discovery, which at once attracted people from all parts of the World,and brought those countries almost at once from a position of obscurity into the front rank. We can see no reason why the same result, in a somewhat lesser degree perhaps, should not flow to New Zealand from the discovery of a payable alluvial goldfield, or of another large area of rich quartz reefs. For several years past wc have heard from time to time of gold of a nnggetty character being found in the Waikato, and the recent accounts simply confirm those which have preceded them. If money bo required to propitiate the Maori potentates on this occasion, we believe it will be far better spent in getting them, to open their lands to the miner than in making useless railways into the bush, or importing Scandinavian or Dutch immigrants. A tolerably good road through the “terra incognita ” by which the miners could get themselves and their stores carried easily and cheaply would, in the first instance, be all that is required. A railway would eventually follow if tl o prospects of the field warranted it. Before all the money which is being borrowed is wasted, wc should like to see something expended on the veiy much needed work of a road right through from Auckland to the South by way of Waikato. This, combined with the discovery of a payable goldfield in the Waikato and adjacent districts, would, in our opinion, do more for the country than any one of the numerous panaceas which our politicians talk about. We look forward with considerable interest to the result of the Governor’s visit to the “ King ” and his friends, and trust it will lead to the amicable solution of one portion of the “ native difficulty.”