The Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 406, 2 September 1869, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1869.

It would seem that the hopes hitherto entertained of finding a goldfield in Canterbury arelikely to bedisappointed. Though .parties of experienced miners have been out in every direction, nothing deserving the name of gold has yet been discovered. Three or four claims have been sent in for the Government reward, but in no case has the claim been substantiated. The system hitherto pursued by the Government has been instantly to reserve the supposed auriferous land. Opinions differ upon this policy. One thing, however, is pretty certain that it haa deprived the Treasury of a large sum of money which has in many cases been invested in Auckland miuing shares at ridiculous prices. The purchasers of some of these tempting properties will probably never see a cent of their money again in the shape of dividends. "Whereas, if the land they would have purchased here had not ultimately proved auriferous, they would have had something to shew for their ouLlay, and the money •would at least have remained in the province to be laid out on some useful work. AYe should be glad to see the Government invent some better scheme to protect prospectors than locking up the remnant of the waste lands which remains still open to the purchaser. What with homestead preemptive rights, and improvement pre-emptive rights, and Canterbury Association pre-emptive rights, and reserves for all conceivable purposes, it will soon become well nigh impos- \ sible to find an acre of available land in this Eden of squatters. It surely , cannot be impossible to find a simpler I

method of protection for the gold prospector. At the same time,")jfve think tho Government might supplement the gold reward by one of a different character — a regard for the discovery and conviction of those very jocose people who rub pieces of atone with gold, and put the Government to the expense of sending its .officers to enquire into the truth of their statements. Were one or two of these wags sent to prison for a fortnight, we are confident that the joke would cease to be considered so consuinedly funny)