MINING CONFERENCE.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 190, 10 March 1868, Page 2

MINING CONFERENCE.

The Conference at Brighton concluded its labors on Saturday, having devoted very nearly the whole week to the work of revising the present Mining Regulations. According to the terms of the advertisement calling the Conference together, no addition was made to the number of Delegates who attended the first meeting of the Conference held in Charleston, and all of whom represented the Brighton district. The only other delegate present at that preliminary meeting was Mr Cameron, of Charleston, who attended merely to protest against the Conference, and who took no part in any subsequent proceedings. Instead of giving any detailed account of the several sittings, we propose to lay before our readers a summary of some of the alterations and new rules finally determined upon. The following is a copy of the Report which has been forwarded to the Commissioner, along with the amendments and alterations proposed by the Conference : Brighton, 7th March, 1868. Sir, —In compliance with the request contained in your advertisement, we have met and revised the rules and regulations in a way that will be found,

we believe, acceptable to the miners of the Nelson South-west Goldfields throughout the various districts.

Although we have uot been favored with the attendance of delegates from Charleston, yet the workings are so precisely similar to our own, thsit we have no doubt that the Begulations will be found to meet all its requirements.

"We beg to recommend that clauses should be inserted in the Goldfields Act, making the principles of the Limited Liability Act applicable by an inexpensive process to ordinary claims. Further, that clauses should be inserted enabling miners to effect an ' equitable mortgage upon their claims or mining interests.

We further beg to urge upon the attention of the Government the necessity of tie appointment of a Mining Surveyor ; and in conclusion, we beg to express our hope that the regulations, as revised, may be put into force with the least possible delay. Charles Broad (chairman). Benjamin Sutherland Bichard Kinnan James J. Kinane Wm. Payne Bernard Delargy John Brown Theophilus S. Marshall George Parkes Hides We would further suggest that the various penalty and appeal clauses of the Goldfields' Act, 1866, and a copy of the Goldfields' Amendment Act, 1867, be appended to the printed copy of the rules and regulations for general information. For the Conference, Charles Broad, Chairman. The Commissioner, Nelson South-west Goldfields, Westport.