The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-11 00:00:00

Mr. &LIGHT arguments perfectly conclusive
again 4 the vote which he afterwards gave,--we
would instance the case of the barrister who has
to apply a considerable portion of his earnings
in expenditure incidental to his profession, as,
for instance, in going circuit and to sessions,
of the medical practitioner, who is compel:ed to
keep a horse and vehicle in order to visit his pa-
tients—of the clergyman and others, to whose
grievances, of a similar description, we have re-
peatedly directed public attention. There is
scarcely, we believe, a contributor under Schedule
D, who could not, from his own personal expe-
rience, show the great difference between the
gross receipts on which he is assessed and the net
profits applicable to his own uses ; but none can
bo relieved until the principle be adopted of ren-
dering justice to all, and not going on a system
of compensations, by making one piece of injustice
the excuse for another.

The vexata questio of the existence of gold in
England, and that obtainable not merely at re-
munerative but even highly profitable rates, has
at length been set at rest. To the Poltimore
Copper and Gold Mining Company belongs the
honour (and the profit) of the solution of this
highly interesting problem. The Committee of
Management after satisfying themselves by numer-
ous experiments, conducted under the auspices of
well-known and highly skilful assayers, deter-
mined to subject the gossan to a test which, if suc-
cessful, would convince the most sceptical, and
thenceforward remove every doubt and difficulty
on the subject. A large quantity of the gossan
was accordingly transmitted to the reduction
works of Messrs. RAwLINS and WATSON, at St.
Helen's, near Liverpool, and the result has sur-
passed the most sanguine expectations that had
previously been entertained. A cake of gold
weighing 26i ounces was exhibited at the general
half-yearly meeting of the shareholders last week,
which was extracted from 20 tons of the red gossan,
showing an average yield of one ounce seven
pennyweights per ton
When we consider that the yield of the St.
John Del Ray Company, the shares of which
command a premium of 151., never exceeded half
an ounce per ton—that there is an apparently in-
exhaustible deposit of the auriferous gossan, and
that Messrs. Rewurrs and WATSON offer to take
300 tons per week, at 41. 4s. per ton (which can
be supplied at their premises at less than 1/.,
thus showing a profit of nearly 1,000/. per week,
on a capital of 50,0001., from this source alone ;
and also that there are ample funds at the bankers
to develope the wonderful natural capabilities of the
mine, we cannot help congratulating the committee
of management and the shareholders on the judi-
cious enterprise and energy that has produced
such magnificent results and promises to create
a new California in one of the most beautiful
and fertile counties of Great Britain. From

the indications that are clearly perceptible
on the spot—from the gigantic and elaborate
character of the old workings, it is manifest that
the auriferous quality of the soil is not a new dis-
covery, but that it is merely a revival of what
was formerly a well-known and duly-appreciated
working. We have i t on unexceptionable authority,*
that in the reigns of EDWARD I. and 111., there
were considerable works at Combmartin, in De-
vonshire (the nearest port to the Poltimore
Mine, which was probably the place referred to),
and that "between 300 and 400 miners being sent
for out of Derbyshire were employed in them ;"
and that " the produoe was so considerable as
to assist the BLACK PRINCE in his wars against
France." We have it on the same high authority,
that " the Romans were incited to the conquest of
Britain by the reported wealth of its inhabitants
in gold and other metals"—an opinion confirmed
by a reference to Ccesar's Commentaries (cited by
Mr. HUNT), which shows that " one of his reasons for
the invasion of the Britons was that they assistedl
the Gauls with their treasures." The " ring
money," which has from time to time been dis-
covered, and various traditions existing in the
country, afford additional confirmation to these
statements. It is known, too, that during
the Augustan Era the precious metals were
obtained in far greater abundance than
at any time since, at least until the Califor-
nian and Australian discoveries. The accurate
and pains-taking JACOB estimates the quantity of
gold and silver in the Roman Empire, in the
time of our SAVIOUR, at no less a value
than 358,000,0001., an amount nearly equal
to the entire supply of the world at this time—
but which gradually diminished until „in the be-
ginning of the ninth century it was reduced to
less than the tenth part thereof. The extravagant
expenditure, and unparalleled luxury of the earlier
period, the legacies bequeathed to AUGUSTUS him-
self, amounting to more than 32,000,0001. of our
money, induce us to lend an easy credence to these
statements, which are by no means exaggerated,
and to believe that even before the days of
CARACTACUS and BOADICEA gold was ob-
tained, and that in by no means inconsider-
able quantities, in the localities which modern
enterprise has once more investigated and brought
into practical operation under the most propitious
auguries.

But it is not on gold that the hopes of the
Shareholders exclusively depend. There is one of
the richest copper sets in England at their
disposal, the machinery for working which
is on the ground—the wheel nearly finished
—so that in less than a fortnight the full
power will be in motion to clear the shafts
and levels of water, and to carry on the operations
with energy and efficiency.

It is much to the credit of the Committee that
they have given the benefit of the unappropriated
shares to the general body. The remainder will only
be issued at 2/. premium, at which price a priority
will be given to those who have already invested
their capital in the undertaking. There is every
reason then to anticipate, and without arrogating to
ourselves a power of vaticination we may ven-
ture to predict, that gold will again be found in
large quantities in Great Britain, and that few,
if any, foreign mining undertakings will prove
more remunerative than that at Northmolton,
which may be visited within a few hours by any
person desirous of judging for himself, respecting
the capabilities of our English Gold Mine.