PHOENIX PROSPECTING COMPANY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XI, Issue 792, 20 July 1878, Page 3

PHOENIX PROSPECTING COMPANY.

' ' Mr Jonas Harrop, Chairman of the Phoenix Prospecting Company, and Mr J. C. Brown, ; M.H.R., waited on the Hon Mr Macandrew, in Dunedin, on Wednesday, for the purpose ''of soliciting aid from Government for mining v o# the, dividing spar between Gabriels and \ Mr Brown stated that Mr Harrop was ' Chairman of a company — the Phoenix — which had been formed for the purpose of working a , quartz mine. The Clark's Hill Company had expended about £1000 in driving a tunnel at ' between that place and Wetherstones. It \ was a block reef, and of such dimensions that ' 3 dwt. to the ton would pay. The first block was worked out, and m the endeavor to find another the Company's funds were exhausted. They bad driven 1,500 feet into the hill on the Gabriel's Gully side, and then abandoned the 1 work. The Phoenix Company had been " formed to drive from the Wetherotones side and thus complete the tunnel between f Gabriel's Gully and Wetherslons, and had already expended a considerable turn of money. they were, however, unable to continue the work, and solicited the aid to which they thought they were entitled under the Act for "the encouragement of mining. Already a sum •'tff £1500 had been expended. The Hon. Mr Macandrew said that a great ♦number of similar applications had been received, especially from the Thames district ; but the subsidy asked for was only intended "for cases where there bad been a discovery of . new goldfields, and he did not think the xnin- ; ing company represented would come within t il^.re,gajatipn.< j #o - M.r Brown remarked that their application Tp&&RW a & e TJ' .different category altogether *fr«m those from the Thajnei aodCormnandel,.

as these goldfields were purely quartz. The Tuapeka goldfield, on the other hand, as jet, had been, strictly speaking, alluvial. There were no known reefs within fifteen miles of Lawrence. The application of the Phoenix Company therefore came within the scope of the regulations issued by the Gorernment, and he knew as a fact that the intention of the Goldfields Committee in framing the regulations was to meet such a case as the application under consideration. While it was true Gabriels was an old alluvial goldiield, to open up qaarte rSefo was really as new to the district as discovering a new field, and that such prospecting, if successful, would add much to the prosperity of the district and employ a large population. Mr Macandrew said the Government had takep the opinion of the Law Officer of the Crown, and the matter would have to rest till I Mr Brown came up to Wellington. Mr Earrop said that pending such application, the association was quite prepared 1 to go on with the work on its being guaranteed that a subsidy would be given. : The Hon. Mr Macandrew did not feel at liberty at present to gire that promise, and the deputation retired.