The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1970, 28 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1875.

As considerable misapprehension appears to exist amongst the public —even amongst those who are supposed to know better — regarding the conditions under which mining licenses can be held by the Goldmining Districts Act, 1873, in deference to an oft-expressed wish we publish the clause of the Act in its entirety. In our opinion the meaning and intention of the sub-sections are so plain that they cannot with any show of reason be misunderstood or misconstrued. The applicant for a license has certain conditions to fulfil; the Mining Inspector's duties are clearly defined— 46. The conditions upon which every license shall be held are as follows :— (1.) That the licensee pay to the Receiver of Revenue every year during which he shall occupy the land comprised in the license a rent after the rate" of one pound stealing for c.very fifteen thousand square feet of land comprised in the license. (2.) That the first payment .is due on the day on which the license is granted by the Warden, and every subsequent payment on the same day in every subsequent year. (3.) That the licensee shall carry on mining operations in an efficient and workmanlike manner, and shall employ in such operations after the rate of one man at least, being an able and competent workman or miner, for every fifteen thousand square feet of land comprised in his license: Provided that r if, in the opinion of the Inspector, the full number of men cannot be reasonably and advantageously employed, . a fewer number shall be sufficient if such fewer number be the greatest that can .be? reasonably and advantageously employed.

(4) That the licensee may at any time, by writing under Ids hand addressed to the Warden, surrender the whole or any part of the land comprised in his license, and such surrender shall be indorsed by the Warden on such, license, and therefrom the rental payable shall be proportionately reduced : ProTided that a licensee shall not be entitled to make such surrender in part more than twice during the currency of his license. (5.) Such other conditions for the pr - „..,..,. tection- of the equitable rights or interests of third parties as shall be inserted by the Warden in such license.

The Auckland Echo punishes a letter from Mr George Vesey Stewart, the promoter of the special settlement at KatiIcati, regarding the progress he has made since his return to Ireland. The letter states that Mr Stewart expected to leare Belfast the last week in April, with about thirty-five families, and a hundred single females "specially selected by Mrs Stewart." These families will bring with them capital-from £1000 to £4000 each, so that they will be able to occupy the land reserved for them at once. The locale of Mr Stewart's settlement is Katikati, district of Tauranga, 10,000 acres of land having been set apart under agreement betwt en the Provincial Government of Auckland and Mr Vesey Stewart. There is no doubt that settlements of this character should be encouraged. Nearly every one of the families to form this Katikati settlement on arrival will be employers of labor. They have money, and practical experience of farming, having been selected with that view. They will be settled on the boundary of a rapidly extending goldfield, and ere long a good market will be open to them to dispose of their produce, and in addition to the advantages which such a close contiguity to a goldfield will confer, the land to be allocated is said to be of excellent quality. More special settlements of this class, and less free immigration, would undoubtedly be advantageous to the colony. labor is good, but capital and labor combined would be better. Mr Stewart anticipates an enormous immigration from Ireland should the Katikati settlement prove a success.