A COMMONWEALTH OF GOLD-DIGGERS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 29, 13 November 1885, Page 23

A COMMON WEALTH OF GOLD-DIGGERS.

The Sibir, a Siberian semi-official paper, gives some interesting partioulars of the community which has lately sprung up on the suuto of the Amoor, in the district where gold has been found ia such abundance that toe name Asiatic California has been given to it. The place id practiciUy an almost inaccessible desert without roads or paths; it is well beyond the Russian frontiers, and it would seem that until the middle of last winter the Chinese were guteu te ignorant that a gold mine had been found on their territory. The diggers who are largely composed of American and Australian miner" and recruits from the diamond-fields, soon found the necessity of establishing order, and they have constituted a sort of democratic republic. The gol'l ne.ld is at present divided into 22 sa.aH districts over each of which two elected chief- preside, a judge and an overseer' whose duty it is to compose all differences which miy arise it mong the diggers, and to inflict moderate punishments for any offences. A general President controls this body uf judges and overseers ; he is chosen by general suffrage from among the diggers, and he is charged with the task of conducting any business which may arise with the Russian or Chinese administrations of the Amoor districts. The deci-ion of all matters of grave importance is reserved to a general assembly of all tbe diggers ; and this assembly is empowered to expel any one from the mines, to depose the President, and to inflict capital punishment. The president has a salary of 400 rouble- a month or about £56 ; the overseers and judges have salaries of half this am junt. A direct tax on all places of amusement and liquor saloons constitutes the fiscal income of the commonwealth. There are about 150 *<uch places in the district, and tbe receipts of each vary from 200 to 400 roubles a day. Each place p<*ys a monthly tux of 25 roublep. A Russian official has been stationed by the authorities ot Eastern Siberia in the district, and he has purchased a large quantity of the gold obtained by the diggers, at the rate of 3.40 r .übies the solotnik (equal to 4 3 grammes), or nearly at the rate of £45 the troy pound, i'he amount purchased to 'he beginning of summer araouuted to 66 poods, or over 2,6001 b. When the Chinese authorities Ifliiut that a gold mine had been discovered wiU.in their borders they took steps to assert their rights, and sent a small detachment of troops. Ibe diggers tried to buy them off, offering first 410., then Blt>. of gold. Then a force of 10,000 men was sent from Manehoom, the intention being to attack the diggers as soon as the ice b<'gan to break up on the Amoor, and they comd no longer et-cape by tht> river into Russian territory. Had they done this there would have been much bloodshed for the diggers are well armed and very determined, and as discor-' erers consider they have an absolute property in tbe diggings. Possibly Russia would have found in the confusion an excuse for intervention in a district which she must greatly regret is not within her own borders. — Times,