GOLDFIELDS RETURNS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 134, 22 September 1871, Page 3

GOLDFIELDS RETURNS.

The following important return was very recently moved for by our representative, Mr. Mervyn, in the House of Representatives, and was, we rejoice to say, ordered, notwithstanding the spiteful, feeble, and almost unintelligible efforts of Mr. W r . 11. Reynolds and a few other members of the House to defeat it, who declared such return to be winecessarif. The return moved for by Mr. Mervyn is to include " the " amount of revenue collected under " the Gold Duty Act, 1858, the Gold " Duty Act, 1870, the Mining Coin- " panies Act, 1865 and 1869, the Gold- " fields Act, 1866, and the several " Goldfields Acts passed 1866, and any " Regulations made in conformity with " the said Acts, for a period of three " years ending the 30th June, 1871, in " the Province of Otago. The said re- " turn to show in detail the amount " collected in each district of the said " Province, under the heads of Miners' " Rights, Business Licenses, Rents and " Fees for Water Races, Ac, Gold " Mining Leases, Rents and Royalties, " Registration Fees, Miscellaneous Re- " ceipts, Fees and Fines in Wardens' " Courts, Gold Duty, &c." Now, to the best of our recollection, a return very similar in substance, if not in words, was moved for by Mr. Mervyn during the recent session of the Provincial Council, and though the return was ordered, we are not aware that such a document ever saw the light of day. We believe, and thoroughly believe, the contrary, and we doubt not that the tactics of the same party who ineffectually opposed Mr. Mervyn's motion in the House of Representatives were sufficient and effectual, in our tin-pot Provincial Parliament, to strangle Mr. Mervyn's pet bantling at its birth. In our opinion, and we think in the opinion of all the Goldfields Districts, 'the thanks of the mining community are due to Mr. Merryn for the attempt rnnde by him to bring to light the whole system of Goldfields revenue and Goldfields expenditure. Well might Mr. Mervyn grow warm upon the subject of the uncalled for and unhandsome opposition to the very fair and just return moved for by him, and declare, as he is reported to have done, " that he wanted the return in " order that the various Goldfields Dis- " tricts might know what the various " Goldfields Districts contributed to " the revenue, and what they were " consequently entitled to have ex- " pended upon them." Nothing, to any honest, upright mind, unfettered and unbiassed either by local associations or local interest, could be more fair and consistent than the conduct of Mr. Mervyn in calling for the return in question, nor can we imagine a better or more stinging retort than that given by that gentleman to the objecting few, when he asserted that their opposition arose from " the fact that " Dunedin now got all the money and " expended it on itself, and that the " Dunedin members did not want this " fact found out and made apparent." We thoroughly endorse Mr. Mervyn's opinion in this matter, and we feel certain that his return, will disclose a system of indecision, imbecility, rapacioufinesH, and injustice towards the Goldfields as will open the eyes of those hitherto blind and wedded to the past obnoxious Goldfields policy, and lead to the inI auguration of a new era for that important industry.