An Act to enable the Superintendent of the Province of Canterbury temporarily to Reserve from Sale certain Lands for Mining Purposes.

Whereas by the twenty-second clause of the Canterbury Waste Lands Regulations it is provided that the Superintendent may upon the recommendation of the Provincial Council by proclamation in the Government Gazette reserve from the operation of the Waste Lands Regulations of the Province of Canterbury any tract of country in which precious metals may be found to exist And whereas it is expedient that the Superintendent should have power temporarily to reserve lands wherein there is good reason to believe that such metals exist pending the next Session of the Provincial Council or the proclamation of a Gold Field under "The Gold Fields Act 1866.

I. The Short Title of this Act shall be "The Canterbury Temporary Mining Reserves Act 1869."

II. It shall be lawful for the Superintendent of Canterbury by proclamation to temporarily reserve from sale any lands in which he shall have good reason to believe that precious metals exist Provided that no such reservation shall continue in force beyond the end of the Session of the Provincial Council next after the issue of such proclamation Provided also that it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council at any time to remove such reservation if it shall to him seem fit.

III. It shall be lawful for the Superintendent after he shall have reserved any lands for sale under the authority of this Act to grant a prospecting license to any person or persons applying for the same and such prospecting license shall in the event of a Gold Field being proclaimed under "The Gold Fields Act 1866" over any part of the lands so reserved give to such person or persons in the event of a paying Gold Field being discovered by him or them a right to a special claim of larger area than ordinary and such special claim shall be determined as is provided in the twelfth section of "The Gold Fields Act 1866" Provided that not more than one prospecting license shall be granted on the whole for every six hundred and forty acres so reserved as aforesaid and shall be for such period and shall be issued under such Regulations as may be approved by the Governor in Council.