THE Thames Advertiser. TUESDAY, SEPT. 7, 1875.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2141, 7 September 1875, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. TUESDAY, SEPT. 7, 1875.

♦ It will, be seen froin a telegram in another column that Mr Brissendon is to bo dismissed from the Government service, and " probably" prosecuted for stealing the Obinemuri miners' rights prior to the opening of tho field, Why there should be any hesitation or doubt about tho desirability of setting the law in motion in-this case wo really cannot understand. ' If the Government are satisfied with dismissal, from

the public service for an offence of this 1 nature, the- public service will- soon become,,a mass of, corruption, Wo object most Btionglj- to the'principle of two laws-one for the rich and another for the poor. Had a miner been tempted to " surreptitiously tako' ! —as the offence is described—some forty miners' rights, he would probably have been-handed over to-police, without the expense of a commission of enquiry, or a Select Committee of the

House of Representatives. A'ud why should an exception be made in the case of a public servant who ought to havo'been above suspiclop.

We have received from Mr Mooney, the travelling agent, a copy of the. balance-sheet of the Government'lnsurance department for the year ending June: 30th, 1875. From it we learn

that very satisfactory progress has been made during the past twelve months. The receipts for the year from all sources amounted to .£63,699 (omitting shillings and pence) and the expenditure for claims on assurance, policies, and expenses of management, showed a total of £22,279, leaving a balance of £41,420 .is receipts over disbursements. The total balance at tho credit of the department on the 30th June was .£108,525, which may be: regarded as very satisfactory to the

The total number of policies issued sinco the establishment of tho department is 5,928, assuring .32,097,874, of whiok 864 kavo been discontinued, leaving 5,064 existing pqlioios, assuring 31,841,322, Wo aro. told in'tho repoit that at tho end of tho present yoar, and of overy Bubse. quont period of five years, an invest!' gation will be rnado into the financial condition of tho departmout. It was at first intonded that an emiuent actuary from England should coino out to tho. colony to.mako. tho investi., gation required by law, but as this has been found Impracticable, detailed ,iu. / formation will bo Bent homo and submitted to two of tho best actuaries itt London, This appears to us to bo tho weakest portion of tho icport, booauso }t ! is possible that: tlio. quinquennial investigation. will not be. as oomploto, and accurate as it would bo wero au actuary to make a thorough oxamina* tion of all the books of the department, ■ But tho gontlemori who kavo : boei\ a selected in London to niako fcke'iuvoitivt gation declare that "if tho returiis for which wo will'give'instructions, aro correctly made, the.; valuation can, bo uiado as woll in Englabd as if, tvb wero to visit tho colou'y for tho purpose." On tho whole.tho'' r rop6rt'Bhowß i v a very favourable condition of business, upon which tho department' is to bo congratulated, '■■ •■ . ..;, .■ < .