H—No. 11

10

REPORT OF GOLD FIELDS COMMITTEE.

Amendment accordingly negatived. Clause 23 put. Division ensued. Ayes, 5. Noes, 2. Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Creighton, Mr. Gillies, Mr. Collins. Mr. Mervyn, Mr. O'Neill, Mr. Tribe. Clause agreed to. A discussion ensued on clause 24. Moved by Mr. Mervyn, That, in the opinion of this Committee, it is desirable that the value of all land or improvements thereon, which are taken for mining, be settled by arbitration. A division ensued. Ayes, 6. Noes, 1. Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Gillies. Mr. Collins, Mr. Creighton, Mr. Mervyn, Mr. O'Neill, Mr. Tribe. Amendment agreed to. Further consideration of clause was postponed. Clause 25 agreed to. Clause 26, subsection (3), strike out "when from any cause" in line 6, and substitute "if in the opinion of the Warden." Clause 27, insert at end " such notice to be advertised twice in one or more papers published in the district." Clauses 28 to 102 agreed to. In clause 103, strike out " and business licenses " in the first line, and " respectively " in the second line. Clauses 104 to 106 agreed to. In clause 107 strike out " Gold " in third line. Clauses 108 to 115 agreed to. Schedule agreed to. Mr. Bradshaw gave notice of motion for next meeting, That it is desirable that the system of delegation of powers by His Excellency the Governor under the Gold Fields Acts be discontinued, and that the Gold Fields be administered by a Responsible Minister of the Colony acting through agents to be appointed within Provinces. Mr. Bradshaw gave notice of motion for next meeting, That a new clause be introduced providing that Regulations made under the Gold Fields Act be laid before the General Assembly. On motion of Mr Creighton, Resolved, That this Committee is of opinion that the professional costs allowed in the Wardens' Courts are excessive, and request the Chairman to direct the attention of the Government to the subject with a view to their reduction. The further consideration of the Bill was postponed until to-morrow. The Committee then adjourned.

Thursday, 19th October, 1871. The Committee met pursuant to adjournment. Present: Mr. Bradshaw, Captain Kenny, Mr. Creighton, Mr. Mervyn, Mr. Curtis, Mr. O'Neill. Mr. Gillies, Mr. Haughton in the Chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. On motion of Mr. Gillies, Resolved, That the following new clause, 19a, be introduced in the Bill, in accordance with the resolution passed yesterday : — 19a. No claim or licensed holding taken up and held under this Act shall exceed thirty acres. Clause 24 reconsidered. On motion of Mr. Gillies, the following amendments were agreed to : —Strike out the words "by the Warden's Court and " in the third line, and substitute the words "by arbitration, provided that the parties can agree on the terms of such arbitration, and if not, said compensation shall be fixed by a suit in the ordinary form in the District Court/ and substitute for the word " Court" in the last line, " arbitrators or Court, as the case may be."