“Final tests of the flats are capable of being cheaply and quickly carried out by means of trial pits; boring is unnecessary. The probability is that the workable ground will prove to be of too large an area to be included in one mining lease, and that it will be necessary to split the present area into two or more properties.” New Mining Regulations for Northern Nigeria [NOTE.—_The Proclamation as enacted in the Protectorate differs from this copy in the addition of a clause suspending—as regards licences to mine issued under the previous Proclamation—the operation of Section 26 and Regulation 23 (relating to royalties) until 1st January 1911, to which date the provisions of the “Minerals Proclamation, 1902,” with regard to duty on profits, are kept in force._] THE MINERALS PROCLAMATION, 1910 A Proclamation regulating the right to search for minerals and also to dig for, mine, and work minerals, and for other purposes relating thereto. Be it enacted by the Governor of Northern Nigeria as follows:— [Sidenote: Short Title.] 1. This Proclamation may be cited as “The Minerals Proclamation, 1910.” [Sidenote: Interpretation.] 2. In this Proclamation, unless the context otherwise requires:— [Sidenote: Person.] “Person” includes a corporation. [Sidenote: Holder.] “Holder” of a prospecting right or exclusive licence to prospect means the person to whom such right or licence was granted in the first instance, but in the case of an exclusive licence to prospect includes a person in whom such licence or a part of the rights thereunder has become vested by transfer, assignment, or otherwise. [Sidenote: Lessee.] “Lessee” of a mining lease includes all persons having any right or interest in or under a mining lease, whether by transfer, assignment, or otherwise. [Sidenote: Treasurer.] “Treasurer” includes any officer appointed by the Governor to perform any act or duty or to exercise any authority which by this Proclamation may be done by, or is imposed upon, the Treasurer. [Sidenote: Government Inspector of Mines.] “Government Inspector of Mines” includes any officer appointed by the Governor to perform any act or duty or to exercise any act or authority which by this Proclamation may be done by, or is imposed upon, or may be exercised by, the Government Inspector of Mines. _Court._ “Court” means the Supreme Court or any Provincial Court. [Sidenote: Minerals.] “Minerals” means and includes the following as classed hereunder (_a_), (_b_), (_c_), and (_d_):— [Sidenote: Metalliferous Minerals.] (_a_) Metalliferous minerals, including antimony, arsenic, bismuth, copper, cobalt, chromium, cadmium, gold, iron, iridium, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, silver, tin, tungsten, uranium, zinc, and all others of a similar nature to any of them, and all ores or combinations of any of them with each other or with any other substance, excepting only those that occur in the form of precious stones.