TASMANIA.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 43, 15 February 1864, Page 3

TASMANIA.

(From the Hobart Town Mercury.) The Pixgal GrOiDPiEi.ns. — We have heen informed that Wm. Robertson, Esq., of Hobart Toavii, Avith a spirit of enterprise avli ich is most commendable, has sent a party of nine men to. work on the quartz reefs at Mangana, and has further offered a reAvard of £100 to any one of them Avho finds a paying reef. They have been thus employed for about ten days. Our informant states that a number of men have for sonic considerable time been cHere-ins; oil then* own account m this locality, and apparently make at least good Avages. One man shoAved him two and a half ounces of fine nuggetty gold, Avhich he had obtained in less than a week. — Launceston AEa'aminer, Jan. 28. Tui-: Quahtex's Rea-kstje. • — The revenue returns fol* the quarter ending 81st December, 18G8, as compared Avith those for the corresponding quarter of 1862, -are not very encouraging. There is a. falling off .on both branches ofthe revenue, territorial and general. On the territorial revenue, the net decrease last quarter, as compared with the quarter ending the Slst December, 1862, was £2523 ss. 3d. And on the general revenue, the net decrease last quarter, as compared with the quarter ending the 31st December, 1862, -was £6254 Ss. 9d. Consequently, the total net decrease on the quarter is£ 8777 14<5.,. or at the rate of £35,110 16s. a year. The decrease in the territorial revenue was chiefly on tlie land sales, both by public - auction, and by private contract. In the former ease the decrease was £1183 19s. lOd., and in the latter, £715 7s. 9d. Those two items, Avith the loss of £693 on fines or grants, quit rents, and redemptions of quit rents, make up the whole of the decrease on the territorial revenue^ save and except a few other small items met by increases. The decrease. . on the general revenue is divided between the customs and the . inland revenue in unequal proportions, but not Avithout some regard to theh* aggregate relate amounts. In the customs, spirits eihibit a decline on the quarter of £33 lis. Gd. only, and tobacco shows an increase of £306 17s. Bntthereisanincreaseof £6309 195. lOd on other goods to make up for the loss of £1175 19s. 9d. on goods under Viet. 25, JS r o. 15, £7338 13s. 7d. ad valorem duty under ditto, and there it is that the decrease under the head of customs altogether occurs, if Ave except the small item of £33 lis. 6d. on sjfirits referred to above." The ucav duties are, consequently, not so productive as the old ones Avere. Under the head of inland revenue, the carriage tax, Ave observe, returns £1136, whieh is a new item, and there is an increase of £341 3s. 9d. on the sale of postage stamps,- Avhieh is, Ave suppose; to be carried to the credit of the stamp duty act. Bat neither of these two items, nor both combined, have been able to protect the inland revenue from a very visible decline.