The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 870, 5 October 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1871.

The boldness with which Mr Curtis on every possible opportunity maintains that the goldfields of the province have been a source of loss from a revenue point of view, and the ingenuity displayed in the attempt to make good the assertion, have repeatedly called forth the indignant remonstrances of the goldfields inhabitants. In opposing Mr O'Neill's motion in the Assembly on the 13th ult, " Tbat the duty on gold exported be reduced to Is per ounce," Mr Curtis replied at considerable length to the remarks of the member for the Grey, charging the Provincial Administration of Nelson with neglecting the interests of the goldfields. Mr Curtis concurred with Mr Harrison that at least as much money as was derived from the gold duty should be expended for the purposes of the goldfields ; and, thereupon, estimating the annual receipts for gold duty throughout the province at £IB,OOO, proceeds to treat the subject as if the gold duty formed the only item of revenue derived from the goldfields. He would allow that " about £IOO,OOO had been received by the province in the shape of gold duty; but it would be found that in a single year, namely, 18(58, there was expended the sum of £51,700 upon the Nelson South-west Goldfields, and in the same year, £32,200 in departmental expenses in their management. Therefore, in one single year, they had expended upon those goldfields the sum ot £84,700, that was out of £IOO,OOO received in the last five or six years ; and he need scarcely add that there had been far more money expended upon' the Nelson Goldfields than had been received from gold duty." On referring to the statistics of the colony, we fiud that the total receipts for gold duty in this province to December 31, 1870, amounted to £128,998 15s, and according to the average yield up to September in the present year the revenue derived under this head Bince the goldfields first opened is probably not less

than £140,000. To further illustrate his argument Mr Curtis proceeded to state—"ln the year ending March last, for instance, the honourable memher (Mr Harrison) would find tbat there had been an expenditure of £21,700 upon puhlic works alone within the Nelson Goldfklds, besides some £18,200 for departmental expenses, making £41,900 expended for the purposes to which the gold duty should be applied." In respect to the year 1868, when the sum of £54,700 was expended on the goldfields it will be found even that sum fell short of the revenue derived from the goldfields. A comparison of the provincial revenue for the year 18G5 with that of 1868, making a liberal allowance for the progress of the agricultural districts of the province outside the goldfields during the interim, will enable any person to form a correct estimate of the revenue derived from the goldfields. Under the heading of public works on the goldfields during the financial year 1870-1871, we find the items JBuller Velley, £5633, and Brunner coal-mine, £5342, representing together nearly £II,OOO. The first item has been chiefly expended for the purpose of connecting the agricultural districts with the gold workings of the Buller Valley ; and the latter item represents the wages and working expenses in connection with the" coal mine, the receipts from which during the same period amounted to £6,281, leaving, therefore, a moderate profit to the province from the working of the mine. Even assuming that Mr Curtis's figures are correct so far as they relate to the expenditure in connection with the goldfields, he has failed to show that the expenditure has equalled the revenue. Tor the year ended March 31,1871, the revenue of the goldfields and receipts from the Brunner mine exceeded £55,000, leaving upwards of £13,000 available to defray the general expenses of the Provincial Government, a sum more than sufficient, we may add, to cover the entire cost of the Provincial Council and Executive, and the total expenditure under the head of education, the latter amounting to very nearly £B,OOO.