THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 14, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2604, 14 May 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 14, 1877.

OtTR calograms show that the attempt of the Russians to cross the Danube has been attended'with signal failure, as they have been repulsed—so it is stated—with signal loss in killed, wounded and prisoners. The place where the attempt was made was at Reni, a fortified place midway between Galatz and the junction of the river Pruth with the Danube, and about 10 miles from either, 75 from the mouths of the Danube. Even had the Russians been successful the spot where the crossing was attempted seems one badly chosen, as in the event of their being on the sou.th side they would have to march some 150 miles following the course of the Danube on their right hand, and having that portion of it which flows at right angles towards the sea between them and their supplies, so that should the Turks succeed in retaining the command of the Danube at its mouth, which their superior fleet renders quite possible, the Russians would run. great riak of baring their lines of communication.cut. The news is meagre, but the object of the movement seems rather incomprehensible.

A very decided opinion has been ex- ' pressed at the County Council board regarding the right of the Borough to a share of the gold duty. By many it was thought that this matter had been settled —at least for a time—when the Borough consented to let its share of the gold duty go towards keeping the big pump going; but it would appear that, in the opinion of the County Chairman and at least one Councillor, the Borough have no right in law to any portion of the gold duty, but the Chairman so far modifies this opinion as to admit that in all fairness tnre Borough should get the portion of the gold duty collected within its limits. This i^ a great admission for the County Chairman, and no doubt the Borough will appreciate the generous motive which prompted it. We question! however, if the ratepayers of,-the Borough will*feel disposed to thank those Borough Councillors whoso quietly relinquished their right to the control of the gold duty raised in the Borough, and agreed to saddle the ratepayers with the expense of maintaining from seven to ten miles of road, the traffic on which is almost entirely goldfields traffic, especially when they now find that a member of the County Council has the bad taste to want to repudiate an arrangement come to between his colleagues and representatives of the Borough. Ifc is contended that the Borough has no legal claim to the" gold duty raised within its borders: neither has the County. Of this County Councillors may rest assured, for by no interpretation can sub-section 2 of section 20, Financial Arrangements Act, be taken to mean that any goldfields revenue raised within a Borough sball be handed over to the County as part of the latter's funds.

By oversight or with intention, no provision was inserted in the above Act to meet cases like our own, where large quantities of gold have been raised, but it would be a monstrous injustice to any Borough to deprive it of its goldfields revenue and expect it to undertake expensive works in maintaining roads for goldfields purposes.; This was recognised by * the Hon. the Attorney General in conference with the Borough and County Councillors, and when it was conceded that the Borough had a right, to its gold revenue, but would relinquish such revenue to avert a threatened calamity in the stoppage of the big pump, it was not expected that in a few months the right of the Borough would be disputed, and a letter of one of its officers characterised as " a gross piece of impertinence." We have no wish to say anything calculated to endanger the friendly relations which have existed between the Borough and County Councillors, but the impulsive member of the latter body should restrain his tongue in debate. The Borough Council have no desire that we know of to retire from the arrangement entered into, to pay over its share or such portion of its share of the gold duty as may be necessary to keep the pump going for two years; at the same time they have not the slightest intention of allowing the County to absorb all the goldfields duty as a right; and to this end probably some member of Parliament will be. moved to have the matter put right during next session of Parliament, that is, to put it beyond doubt that where goldfields revenue is raised within a Borough.such Borough shall have a legal right to the same. It may be that in a few years the production of gold within the Borough will be largely increased; the goldfields traffic will increase with it; and shall the ratepayers of the Borough be for ever compelled to tax themselres to maintain these roads ? The answer is obvious. For two years the Borough's gold duty is pledged—whether legally or illegally we know not —to keep the big pump going. If during that time the revenue exceeds the amount required for that purpose, the balance will revert to the Borough Fund. In every way the request contained in the Town Clerk's letter was a reasonable one, and ought to have been acceded to at once. If not complied with now, the Borough) Council should insist upon it, in order to maintain their own dignity and the dignity of the burgesses.