Ohinemuri.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1964, 21 April 1875, Page 2

Ohinemuri.

The Miners 7 Rights Issue Enquiry.

(FfiOH OUB SPECIAL BErOBTEB.)

MACkATTOWN,

Tuesday.

Major Keddell opened a Court; of Enquiry to-day at noon, regarding the issue of miners' rights at Ohinemuri on the day that the field was proclaimed, by which, certain persons became possessed of rights before they were legally issued. Your reporter was not present at the opening of the "Court/ consequently he is unable, to fgjpi»& •**• f|fl rejjQrtMif Jhr.. miiU^y^ifS&^iiagh:' Tffßbr ldfeos, however, that Major Kcddell, after reading a telegram authorising him to conduct the enquiry, said he was prepared to take evidence. He would first ask Capt. Eraser to make a statement. Capt. Fraser then detailed the circumstances attending the preparations for opening the field, and the arrangements he had made for the issue of rights. He referred to some complications which had arisen, owing to orders being; issued by Mr James Mackay differing from what he had notified. He produced 7 several ■ telegrams which /had passed between himself and Dr. Pollen on the matter, bearing particularly on the two notices which had appeared as to the plan to be adopted in the,issue-of rights—: one from himself and the other, from Mr Mackay. Captain Fraser also described minutely all the arrangements for the issue of rights, and their division amongst the issuers, and an account, of the proceedings in the order they occurred on the morning of the 3rd March, occupying the Court until the adjournment, when your reporter arrived. The Court resumed at half-past two o'clock. r

Captain Eraser resumed—On the 24th March, a case was heard in the Warden's Court between Blake and party, registered 'owners of the Rising Sun claim, next to the prospectors', and. Takeri and other natives, registered owners of the Waihou Hauraki claim, occupying a portion of the same ground. It was given in evidence j that at the time of pegging, out of this ground, the whole of the miners' rights (ten in number) were in the personal possession of Blake, the plaintiff, at a time when it was impossible they could have been properly issued. After the hearing of the case, I sent the following telegram to the Hon. Dr. Pollen. (Witness here read the telegram.) I also, myself,,proceeded to Katikati the same afternoon, to send in a duplicate of the telegram from there, and on the following morning proceeded to Maketu to consult with the Native Minister. That night at Maketu I received a telegram from the Hon. Dr Pollen, amongst other things stating that ! he would make the enquiry I desired him. I On the 7th of April in a case in the Warden's Court — Payne and party against Porter and party—for possession of groand on the south side of the Pros: pectors' Claim—a certificate in lieu of miner's right No. 749, in favor »f Robert Cashel (one of the plaintiffs) was produced in evidence, and he acknowledged that he was in possession of that right before 8 o'clock on the morning of the proclamation, but declined to state how or from whom he got it, alleging that the answering of the question might render him/liable to a charge of conspiracy.. The following morning I telegraphed to Hon. Dr Pellen as follows, (Witness read the document which stated that the acknowledgment of Cashel had been made.) On the 12th April I received a telegram from Dr Pollen stating that Major Keddell had received instructions to proceed with the enquiry. The applications for miners' rights with their numbers as they were issued, were afterwards, filed in a book now produced, also a schedule of nimers' rights is.vied on each separate application on the morning of the 3rd of March. Sixteen of these applications were lost or .mislaid before it was thought necessary

to preserve them, as they answered their purpo.se the moment the rights were issued. All the miners' rights that are yet known to have been irregularly issued are numbered and machine numbered with tho exception of two where tho persons each held two rights, and one of each of these two rights, as well as of all the others, were issued on applications through Mr Mackay. .None of the rights in question ( xcept in the cases above mentioned, where the parties held two rights) were among the 247 tickets issued from my office. I have since ascertained they were not in possession of the parties th«mselfe*"*fc tho spoiEf ing out, although the claim is registered under the numbers which should have been and were issued from my office. I have examined* the appiicatidjSS: and schedule miners' rights, and find that the principal number of the miners' rights in question were issued on Mr Briseoden's application through Mr Mackay. ; £b.O right of Cashell, which he swore to have possessed previous ■[ to eight o'clock, is inclosed in ■the list applied for thrpmgh Mr Mackay by McLean; Hennellyj Alexander and others, marked 253 in the list of applications. The application ot Brisenden, with its list, saidto have been 52 or 53, is not to he found. I have also traced these miners' rights to the different claims registered, and find they completely encircle the prospector's claim, north, south, east and west, as will be seen by the sketch produced. I produce miner's right produced by Cashtl, and which I impounded at the trial. I was told on the morning of the miners' rights being issued that the same parties would attempt to get their rights earlier by the door at the back of the office. One person forced his way in there bttt was "speedily ejected. Another person (one of the Thorpe's, I believe) came there and stated Mr Allom had his ticket. Mr Allom at the time denied having had it, andl.gare instructions at tha. time that his,lights should be detained till the last—until th« others were issued. ■ ;

Captain Fraser said he would aniwer any questions, but this was all he had to say. A letter was read from-Mr Andrews, one who acted as clerk on the day of proclamation, but it disclosed nothing. A. J. Allom, Mining Registrar of Hauraki and Ohinemuri Goldfield, and Receiver of Goldfields Revenue' for Ohinemuri, said—Beforo giving evidence, he wished to state that he came forward voluntarily to tell all ho knew of this matter, not for the purpose of exculpating himself or for the purpose.of vindicating his character, as. he. did not think it re« quired any vindication. He then continued—On tho 2nd of March, Tuesday evening, I arrived with. Captain Fraser. Found that Mr Mackenzie had received some £600.~ I took it over from him without— (Left sitting.) - .