PUBLIC MEETING AT BEAUMONT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVI, Issue 954, 11 July 1883, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AT BEAUMONT.

A public meeting was held in the schoolhouse, Beaumont, last Friday evening, to take into consideration the leasing of the mining reserves along the banks of the Clutha River in the vicinity of the Beaumont. There was a fair attendance, Mr Allan Crr (on the motion of Mr Tubman) being called to the chair. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, said the meeting was called for the purpose of endeavoring to counteract the action that was taken lately at a meeting held at Coskery'a hotel in regard to the leasing of the Crown lands of the district, on the plea that the same were merely huge rabbit-warrens, the fact being that Government expended L 5 to every LI expended in the destruction of the rabbits by the settlers. Mr A. Donaldson looked upon the mining reserves as a great boon to the residents of the township, who were thus accorded the privilege of keeping a cow or two. Mr Roebottom : The miners should oppose the leasing of any of the Crown lands in the district, because if all the Crown lands in the neighborhood were leased, the residents could not then keep a cow. Mr Richardson : Are we to deal with all Crown lands or mining reserves along the banks of the river. The Chairman : We are to deal with all the lands in the district. This is a proclaimed goldfield ; and all lands unsold are mining reserves. Mr Tubman: I am in favor of all Crown landsin this district being reserved. The Chairman : We are going to get 2,000 acres on this side of the river as a commonage. Mr Tubman : But you haven't got it yet. Mr John Gamble : It was just by a " fluke " that Mr Batching got the land behind me ; I am determined to oppose the leasing of any of the ground behind me ; for I have made more money this last season by the rabbits than by my crop. Mr M'Donald : Are you going to act on both sides of the river or only on this side ? Mr Donaldson : Both east and west. Mr John Gamble : You are fighting sufficiently on this (east) side, and we do not want you to come to our side and commence to fight there as well.

The Chairman : We are nearly played out now here though. Mr M'Dmald : How is it that you allow Mr Kitching to fence from a little below the ferry to the rock on the one side, without offering any objection. Mr Richardson pointed out that it would n»t be advisable to state that the reserves were merely monopolised by two or three parties, when the fact was that nearly all the residents had fenced in a small portion of Crown lands. After some conversation, Mr Donaldson altered the latter part of his motion, so as to read, "is being largely occupied to j the detriment of the settlers." — Motion as amended agreed to. After some further conversation, the meeting dispersed. [We have been obliged to greatly curtail our correspondent's report, owing to the demands on our space. — Editob.]