COROMANDEL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1739, 11 July 1862, Page 3

COROMANDEL.

His Excellency the Governor returned from Coromandel on Monday evening 1 . An arrangement for the working of the land on Paul's block, known to he satisfactory to all the Native claimants, — except Te Hira, who was not present at the meeting, — seems to have been arrived at. No purchase of ihat land was proposed or effected ; the stories which have been circulated, in print and otherwise, relative to ibis transaction are remarkable for their simple gobemoucherie. We will not suppose that our contemporary the Cross could fabricate and wilfully give currency to the absurd tale with which it favoured its readers on Monday last, but as it yesterday admitted its errors and made another dash in a different direction at the facts, — missing them, however, in its blind rage against Ministers — we will Content outselves simply with selling our contemporary right ; we have ourselves no doubt that it will be considered fortunate by the Cross, that the facts of the case, thanks to the weather will travel to Sydney side by side with the materials for another "Melbourne Telegram" which were furnished in its leading article of, Monday. Need we say that the story of Sir George Grey having coming up for £10,000 to buy out Paul's land, and of having expressed his deteimination to complete the purchase in defiance of Te Hira, which was printed on Monday, was just as true as yesterday's tale that, as Ministers would not give the Governor the £10,000 which he wanted, His Excellency was reduced to the necessity of making " a draft on the Commissariat chest," he having determined not to return to Coromandel " empty handed." These revelations of our contemporary, when in the " Ercles' vein " are exquisitely ludicrous ; these glimpses of the mind of the Governor and of his advisers are as natural and truthful as those glimpses of " society " which "Jeames" provides for the lovers of court gossip ; both are obtained from the flunkey point of view.

Lydia and all the claimants to Paul's block have entered iuto a formal agreement with the Governor that this reserved land shall be 'thrown open to the diggers ; the agreement has been signed by all except Te Hira, who, as we bave stated, was not present ; enough of his mind, it is said, is known to make it certain that, whilst he might bave resisted obstinately the alienation of the land, he will be fonud passively consenting to the terms which Lydia and the others have imde.

Five hundred pounds a year to be paid to the proprietors so long the number of diggers on ibe block does not exceed five hundred, and one pound per head annually for each digger over above that number. The subsidy for two years, we learn, is to be paid in advance, and it is to be competent for the Government to terminate the agreement upon giving one year's notice. Payment is to be made also for the gold which has been already taken away by prospectors. Mr. McLean, we believe, returned to Coromandel yesterday in H.M.S. Harrier for the purpose of making the payments agreed upon — and of completing and placing upon a basis intelligible and satisfactory to the Native owners, arrangements by which the whole of Cape Culviiie lands nuy be thrown open to the diggers. Upon Mr. McLean's return, or as soon as he reports that the objects of his mission have been attained, Coromandel, we are informed, will be proclaimed to be a gold-field, the necessary officers will be appointed, and the work of devolopment, practically and not speculatively, will, we hope, begin. The digging world is grown sceptical uow-a-days, and is prone to believe rather in escort returns and expon duty, than in brilliant •' specimens " or splendid " prospects ;" the sooner, therefore, we can show something like escort returns from the diggings, the sooner will the aspirations of those who long for a " rush " be gratified.

Werpresume that in the present state of the law, and in order to be able to exercise the necessary control over the mining population, Cororaandel must be proclaimed to be a goldfield. The area in which are comprised the " waste lands of the Crown " is, comparatively with the tracts of land held by the Natives, very small, and, as we read the Gold Fields Act, it is only waste lands of the Crown that are affected by its provisions. It is possible, however, that the Native Laud Purchase Ordinance may be pressed into the service, and that, by means of the powers which it confers on the Governor, the Gold Fields Act may be so supplemented as to provide for the contingencies of what may be called a mixed goldfield, which the framers of the last-named law do not appear to have contemplated.