THE PREMIER'S REPLY

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 385, 28 July 1876, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S REPLY

TO THH CENTRAL MINING- ASSOCIATION'S Manifesto. Through the courtesy df tho President of the OtagoJMining Association we have been favored with the following copy of the Premier'i reply to tho Association's manifesto : General Government^Offices, Wellington, July 10th, 1876. Sib, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of June 19th, in which you bring under my notice various questions relating to the Goldfieldi. You do mo no more than justice in supposing that I should be glad to receive the practical views of those who have personally acquired a knowledge of Goldfields requirements. I may add that tho Government fully recognise the great importance to tho country of the mining industry. I propose lo send your letter to the Select Committee on Goldfi'dds questions, with the expression of the hope that they will be so kind as to repoit upon its various points. Meanwhile, I will very much eonfiue my comment* in reply to your letter. Concerning your proposal to issue a Commission to investigate riparian rights on the Goldfields, ilie Government postpone coming to a conclusion till the Select Committee reports thereon.

• The Government the necessity for couso]id;uii)g and amending the laws relating iO the Goldfields. I quite concur with you that legislation on such a subject should j.ot proceed from irresponsible sources. But the Government have had very much to depend on the aid of the Provincial Governments and the Goldfields members, btcau.se, under the system of delegation, 1 lie Colonial Government ha J neiiher direct control, nor were they able to rely upon actual official experience. This difficulty has constantly met the Government when they desired lo legislate for the Goldfields. As ;;ott are aware, the system of delegation will shortly he ai an end. and the Government will, during the coming recess, set themselves to ilie task of consolidating and amending the laws relating to the Goldfields.

I regret that I do net quiie agree with your remarks* about Uie Export Duty. Tiie Crown lias a right to a royally on tho Eoyol metals. and no form of charge can be more convenient tiwn one which falls only on tliose who are fortunate enough to obtain gold. The Financial'Statcmcnt (a copy of which I have ihe honor to forward herewith) contains an expression of the views of the Government concerning Goldfields revenue, anc< I trust you will think it. on the whole, a J'air one. I say on the whole, because I am sure you will recognise that you must not hound your opinions by the wants of the Otago Goldfields ouly. Under the new system which will, I hope, prevail, each district will have to atteud to its own wants, and there are few Goldfields districts which will be able 1.0 afl'oid 1.0-dispense with aid from the Goldfields revenue, including Export Duty. I. iLink you will find that, under tlie Government proposals, the residents, including 1 lie holders of miners'rights, in Goldtields will have very substantial powers of self-government. We do not propose to give a power to tar mining properly ; and 1 he wliolc of ihe Goldfields revenue, including Export Duty, which we propose to surrender, will, I think, be 100 valuable a revenue tor the Goldfields community, alter due consideration, to be willing to forego. I have the. honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Julius Yog-el.

General Government Offices, . Wellington, July 14,1876. Sib, —Referring to my letter of the 10th inst., I have the honor to inform you that the Government have decided to propose that in those parts of tho Colony where mining property is now rateable its liability to be rated shall be continued. This provision is ueccssary to meet the case of ihe Thames Goldfields, and I desire that you should be informed of it without delay, as the phrase used in my former letter—("We do not propose to give a power to tax mining property")— may be regarded as not sufficiently explanatory. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your obdt. servant, Juliu» Vogel.