THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1784, 9 April 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1874.

Like our Resident Magistrate, we regret that tho police should ever lay a trap to seduce any man into committing crime, but we think that about specimeu-stealing, and about the charge brought against Manning, there are peculiarities which offer excuse for the action of the police. This is uot so much a trap laid to iuduce a man to commit crime, as almost the only possible means of ascertaining whether he is in the habit of committing crime. Thero is, of course, no distinct testimony that Manning ever broke tho law in auy other case, but the evidence looks very bad, aud shows that ho was open to conuivo at the most dangerous crime which could bo committed on tho goldfield. Specimen-stealiug has existed, aud although there is no doubt that it has been greatly diminished by tho measures takon against it, it is still carried' ou. At such places as Manning's the stone is crushed, and it is found euormously difficult to get at tho parties, Ono great chock upon this specimen-stealing will be put in action when those who crush specimens know how dangerous it is for them to break' the law.

In our last English news it was stated that Mr. Disraeli iutendod: to roleaso the Feniau prisoners,, but the prosent tolegi'amy state that ho hus deolinod to graut the request, even when urged by a deputation of Irish mombers of Parliament. There has been a discussion iu the House of Lords upou the South Sea Island slave trade and. the question of the annexation of Fiji,. Now that attention has been directed to the subject, the English Government will probably have to take complete charge over Fiji,

Wo are iaforiaed. in -oiir Australian telegrams that the celebrated Heari Rochefort and other chiefs of the Commune have arrivod at Sydney, having mado their escape from New Calodonia, They are quite harmless ia Sydney, and

perhaps they may be able to turn their talents in such a way as shall be useful to themselves and beneficial to those amongst whom they now are. Rochefort gained a reputation as a brilliaut journalist, but rather failed when put to the test of action. Perhaps some of our Australian contemporaries will be'able to secure his services.

© qg The ' Cross' of yesterday has an article ou the goldfield, but after one has read it he cannot help wondering what the writer means, or what object he proposed to himself when he began, other than filling a column. It begins with a few exclamations respecting the revival of affairs on the goldfield, for which we ate duly thankful, and then proceeds

Of course this depression has been most severely felt upon the goldfield itself, and there can be no doubt that it has caused much 1033 aud some amount of distress there. Work lias indeed been carried on aud wages have been paid, but the work has gradually languished, except in a fow exceptional spots, and the downward tendency of the rate of wages has been steady until the wages of the gold miner have hardly exceeded on the average those of the common agricultural labourer. The effect has been that the field has gradually been deserted by a large portion of its population. 'There'was no prospect of the miner without capital making money, and not very much prospect of his being able to go on living in the careless rough plenty to which ho had grown accustomed,

—Now the wages paid to miners have uot decreased, and consequently this has had nothing to do with the depression on the goldfield. But many men have left for different reasons. The working of this field having settled down into systematic mining, and being carried on by companies with largo capital, bas greatly lessened the chance of men without capital making a " rise" by a lucky find. This of itself has seat many away from the field, because, no matter how good regular wages may be, some men will not stay on a goldfield where there is not the excitement of uncertainty.- And again, although the wages of miners have not fallen, the wages of other kinds of labour'have greatly risen throughout the colony. This has taken away many men who prefer other kindH of work to mining, if they can get as good wages. Thus the public works policy has been injurious to the goldfield, so far, at least. Our contemporary then goes on to discuss what it calls " the bearings of this revival upon our Provincial Government," and puts these bearings thus

If now there is a prospect of a considerable overp'us of gold revenue above that of the last two years, there will inevitably arise the question, what is to be doue with it ? Is it to go in goldfields expenditure alone, or may the province take back a part of the £20,000 or £30,000 which is said to have been advanced by the province for goldfields' development? The temptation to reimburse the provincial cheat will, undoubtedly, be a strong one on the part of the Provincial Treasurer. In spite of all that can be done to induce the Colonial Government to come to the rescue, we shall be surprised if the pinch of poverty be not severely felt at the Provincial Treasury this year. And it may alio be urged that, now that the goldfields towns are provided with selfffOTernment in the form of a municipality, there can be no need of so much expenditure 03 was formerly essential. Beach roads, water supplies, drainage of the flit, and the making ef good streets within the goldfield towns have, in times past, been the main items of provincial expenditure on the goldfields.

—We have no doubt that the Thames members of the Provincial Council will sooti tell the Provincial Government what is to be done with any amount of goldfields revenue. The Provincial Government will not be in any difficulty on that score.. As to our having got £20,000, or £30,000, out of the province mora than our fair sbare, that we indigoantly deny, and assert that the boot is on the other leg. The Provincial Treasurer need not let any temptation in reference to surplus goldfields revenue assail him. The • Gross' concludes with generously hinting to our rulers that to confiscate the goldfields revenue for general provincial purposes may, after all, be killing the goose whichiays the golden eggs. The true version of the story is, that any advance made to the goldfield has been repaid; that for years past we have not got the amount of the goldfields revenue \ and that the police aud other expenditure, elsewhere charged to the provincial revenue, has been charged to the goldfields revenue. The ' Cross 1 speaks as if the province had made us a present of " beach. roads, water supplies, drainage of the ilat, and the making of good streets within the goldfields towns." Now, we have not got yet all these good things, but what has been done has been houestly paid for out of goldfields revenue, and has not cost the province a sixpence.