SIR GEORGE GREY ON GOLDFIELDS ADMINISTRATION.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1981, 11 May 1875, Page 2

SIR GEORGE GREY ON GOLDFIELDS ADMINISTRATION.

In the course of his opening address yesterday, Sir George Grey spoke as follows with reference to the administration of the 'goldfields :-—.' : >

I hesitated for some time to accept the administration of the Goldfields, because I bad no funds at my disposal to execute many necessary works there; and I found that the Colonial Secretary was giving orders for the expenditure of considerable sums on the fields, which I believed, from what I heard, were supplied from the Treasury of the General Government. I was, therefore, unwilling to inflict .even an apparent injury upon the, population ion the , Goldfieids by depriving them of an expenditure which was in some respects advantageous to them. At length I felt convinced that the expenditure which was taking place, and with which, in some points, I did not altogether concur, was really a charge upon Provincial funds, executed under the orders of an authority in no way responsible or amenable to yourselves, or the Provincial authorities. I then thought it my duty to accept the administration of the Goldfields, so as to bring the expen. diture incurred, there under your direct control. You will find that my suppositions were right; that all expenditure incurred on the Goldfields is to fee made a Provincial charge and will be deducted from the small sums this Province is to receive from the General Government, whilst the amount expended in a short time absorbs so large a proportion of the goldfields revenue which remains available after the permanent charges on it have been paid, that your pow«r of causing useful works to. be carried on upon the goldfields will now be very small. I shall, however, gladly co-operate with you in all measures which may promote the welfare of the population settled upon the goldfields, who, by their industry and respect for law and order, (which are remarkable and save us from a large police expenditure) have established the strongest claims upon our consideration. On the full development of; the important Thames goldfields hangs also, in a great degree, the future prosperity of this Province.