3

I.—4a

8. In the case of a prospecting license, the applicant, before making his application, shall mark out the ground in the same manner as in the case of a claim, save that the pegs need not bear any distinguishing mark, nor need trenches be cut. 9. In the case of prospecting warrants or licenses relating to Native land, the following provisions shall apply :— (1.) The applicant shall transmit the application to the Minister at Wellington, and at the same time shall forward to him £3 in the ease of a warrant, and £5 in the case of a license, to abide the disposal of the application, and to be applied in or towards payment of license-fee, survey-fees, advertising, and other expenses connected with the application, and shall for the same purpose forward to the Minister such further sums as and when the Minister requests. (2.) The Minister shall, on behalf of the Governor, cause the application to be notified, inquired into, and dealt with as he thinks fit, and for that purpose he may authorise any Warden or other fit person to hear the same and all or any objections thereto. (3.) For the purposes of the last-preceding subclause hereof, the person authorised as aforesaid shall have all the powers and jurisdiction of a Warden, save that in lieu of deciding the application himself he shall report thereon to the Minister. 10. In the case of prospecting warrants or licenses relating to other than Native land, the application shall be dealt with under such of the provisions of section 136 of the Mining Act, and the regulations relating thereto, as are applicable. 11. With respect to the renewal of tunnel prospecting licenses, the following provisions shall a Pp!y : — (1.) The licensee desiring the renewal shall, not more than two months, nor less than one month before the expiry of the current term, make application for the renewal to the Governor, in the case of Native land, or the Warden, in the case of other than Native land. (2.) The application may be in the form numbered in the First Schedule hereto, with all necessary modifications. (3.) The renewal shall not be granted unless the Governor, in the case of Native land, or the Warden, in the ease of other than Native land, is satisfied that all the conditions of the license have been faithfully fulfilled by the licensee during the term next preceding the term of the renewal. (4.) If the renewal is granted, it shall be effected by indorsing on the license the words " Eenewed for one year from the day of , 1 ," under the hand of the Minister on behalf of the Governor in the case of Native land, or under that of the Warden in the case of other than Native land. 12. Every prospecting license, or renewal of a tunnel prospecting license, shall, before the issue thereof, be transmitted to the Eegistrar, who shall register the same, and then issue the same to the person entitled thereto, upon being satisfied that the license- or renewal-fee, and all surveyfees, and advertising and other expenses, have been duly paid. 13. A prospecting warrant shall, whilst it continues in force, confer upon the holder thereof the same non-exclusive right of prospecting on the land to which it relates as by section 67 of the Mining Act the holder of a miner's right is entitled to in respect of Crown land; but, as in the case of a miner's right, so also in the case of a prospecting warrant, the mere fact of his being the holder thereof shall not confer upon him any rights as against any person who takes up a claim on the land, or acquires a license for any other mining privilege in respect thereof. 14. The priority of right which by subsection (11) of section 71 of the Mining Act is conferred upon the holder of a prospecting license shall be exercisable in the manner and subject to the conditions following, that is to say : — (1.) The holder or any other person may at any time apply for a license for any mining privilege in respect of the whole or any portion of the land comprised in the prospecting license, and the Warden, if and when he grants the application, shall cancel the prospecting license : Provided that, if the mining privilege is in respect of less than the whole of the land comprised in the prospecting license, the Warden, in lieu of cancelling the prospecting license altogether, may in his discretion cancel it merely as to so much of the land as is comprised in such mining privilege. (2.) If the application for the mining privilege is made by any other person than the holder of the prospecting license, the application shall not be granted unless the Warden is satisfied that the holder has been notified thereof and does not object thereto, or, if objecting thereto, has not, within ten days after receipt of such notification, himself make application. (3.) If such last-mentioned application is made it shall have priority. Claims. Classes and Subdivisions of Claims. 15. Claims are divided into the following classes, according to size: — (1.) Ordinary claims. (2.) Extended claims. (3.) Special claims. 16. Each class of claims is subdivided as follows, according to the nature of the ground and of the operations : — (1.) Alluvial claims : meaning thereby claims worked in alluvial ground, not being dredging or river claims as hereinafter defined.