THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 866, 6 May 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1871.

An abstract of the receipts and disbursements of the Provincial Treasurer of Nelson for the quarter ended 31st March, 1871, is published in the Nelson Government Gazette. The receipts for the period amounted to L 30,386, of which the following are the principal items : — Capitation Allowance, L 9,01 0; Goldfields Revenue, L 2,495 ; Brunner Coalmine, LI, 618; Education Rate, L 61 9; Land Fund, L 9,877; the remainder being made up of harbor dues, rent of Government wharves, receipts under Dog and Scab Acts, publicans, auctioneers, and hackney carriage licences, and - a balance from the preceding quarter. The expenditure during the three months ■was as follows : — Executive Department, L 704 ; Land and Public Works' Department, L 48 5; Justice, L 26 2; Charitable Aid and Nelson Hospital and Lunatic Asylum, LI, 444; Miscellaneous Expenditure, L 1.859; Education, L 3,20 4; Public Works and Purposes, L 3,005 ; Grants to Road Boards, L 990. The above items, with the exception of Ll7O to public libraries and payment to schools on the West Coast (the amount of which latter is not given), represent the expenditure outside of the Gold-fields. The Goldfields expenditure was as follows : — Wardens' Courts, Police, and Gaols, L 2,59 9; Land and Public Works' Department, L 437 "; Harbors, L 242 ; Charitable Aid and Hospitals, L 699 ; Public Works— Buller Valley, L 1,09 5; Grey Valley, L 93 1; branch roads to new diggings and exploring tracks (not specified), L 103; harbors, signal stations, and

renloval of snags, L 22 4; buildings, Ll4B ; cemeteries, L2l ; Charleston reservoir, L 30 0; road from Charleston to Westport via Addison's Fkt, L 64 ; Brunner mine, L 99 0; and some trivial items amounting in all to Lll 10s. The total expenditure during the quaiter was L 21 ,678, and accounting for the balance in hand at the commencement of the period, leaves L 5,527 to be cairied to the credit of the ensuing three months. An analysis of the return as it applies to the South-West Gold-fields, may not be uninteresting. We find the actual receipts from the Goldfields to have been as follows : —

But iv the above estimate no account is taken of the proportion received from sales of land on the Gold Fields, which must have been something considerable. The expenditure on the South- West Gold Fields amounted to £7864, not including the share which the Gold Fields should properly bear of the general administrative expenses of the Executive Government. So far, therefore, as the last quarter's returns go, the Nelson Government cannot be accused of a want of justice to the South-West Gold Fields. The expenditure on the Gold Fields, we may add, was £1300 in excess of the vote given by the Council. The Brunner Mine left a profit on its working during the quarter of .£628. Last quarter a small loss was sustained. We ought to qualify the conclusion we have shown by stating there is some doubt whether the gold duty is included in "Gold Fields Eevenue" in the account before us, or really put down as " Land Fund." If the latter is the case, then a considerable balance would be due to the Gold Fields. The Land fund is put down as £9877, and we know that in some other Provinces the gold duty is considered as territorial revenue.

fold Fields Revenue ; Receipts from Brunner Mine ... 'roportion of Capitation allowance, say two-fifths 161! 360Total ; £771'