The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-19 00:00:00

THE GOVERNOR.

By the Cleveland, arrived from Port Adelaide, papers
have been received, containing most important news
from that colony. A. claim had been put in on the part
of the Crown, to the right of royalty to the produce of
the mines. This step is exceedingly unpopular in tho
colony, and strong remonstrances will be presented to
the home government aainst its enforcement. The fol-
lowing is his Excellency message :
"Government House, Adelaide, South Australia,
" April, 1846.
" One of the first subjects of importance to the future
welfare of this province, to which my attention was
directed, on my assuming the administration of its
Government, was that of seignorage, or royalty, on
metallic minerals discovered on the waste lands of tho
Crown.

" The correspondence handed to me by my predeces-
sor in office showed that this source of wealth had at-

tracted the attention of capitalists in England to no
inconsiderable extent. A company in London had
proposed to her Majesty's Secretary of State for the
Colonial Department to treat with the Government
for a monopoly of all mines in South Australia.
belonging to the Crown upon the basis of a lease, with
rights of mining, upon payment of a seignorage or
royalty, upon the produce of those mines. This proposal
was rejected by Lord Stanley ; but the question of re-
servation of royalties, with a view to the ulterior benefit
of the colony, was submitted for the consideration of her
Majesty's Commissioners of Woods and Forests, and to
the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners, as
well as to one of the first geologists in England, and sub-
sequently to her Majesty's law advisers.
" The result has been to elicit some important infor-
mation as to the system of royalties at present in force,
in the United Kingdom, as well as to a joint opinion of
her Majesty's Attorney and Solicitor-General removing
certain doubts suggested to the Colonial Land and Emi-
gration Commissioners, as to the power vested in her
Majesty, under the Act of Parliament now in force for
regulating the sale of Crown lands in the Australian
colonies, to reserve royalties upon minerals upon tho
alienation or conveyance of Crown lands. This opinion
meets also anotker question which has been mooted in
the colony, upon the provisions of the 12th clause of tho
Act 5 and 6 Victoria, c. 36, whereby it has been con-
tended that it was imperative on the Governor to sell on
demand lands that had been offered for sale at public
auction and not sold.

" I do not anticipate that there will be much difference
of opinion amongst the colonists upon the question of
the expediency of reserving a moderate royalty on me-
tallic minerals, when it is declared under authority that
the proceeds thereof, after deducting the cost of collec-
tion, will be applied to the same purposes as the gross
proceeds of the sales of the waste lands of the Crown,
under the Act 5 and 6 Victoria, c. 36.
" Instead of large present receipts, founded, perhaps,
on gambling speculation as to the chances or probabili-
ties of future results (which receipts will cease as soon
as all the mineral land has been selected) there will bo
provided, in aid of a constant stream of emigration from
the United Kingdom, a growing income apportioned to
the advancing wealth of the colony. Such is the view
taken by the Commissioners and by her Majesty's ad-
visers, and in which I entirely concur. With regard to
the proportion of metals and metallic minerals proper to
be reserved to her Majesty, the practice in England
and Ireland is almost too varied to be other than an
approximate guide. In Cornwall the royalties range
from 1.10 to 1.25 of the produce ; in Devonshire, from
1-8 to 1-18 ; in Cardiganshire, from 1-7 to 1-12 ;
in Derbyshire, from 1-8 to 1-12 ; in Cumberland, from
1-8 to 1-12 ; in Yorkshire, from 1-6 to 1-12 ; in Ireland,
from 1-8 to 1-15. A mean proportional between these
various fractions would be about 1-11. Her Majesty's
Government, however, consider that 1-15 would be a
fair proportion to reserve in South Australia, from which
I see no reason to dissent.

" Wherefore, acting with the advice and consent of
the Council of Government, I have framed a few short
rules based upon this principle, for the future deposal
by this Government of the waste lands of the Crown in
South Australia.

" FREDERICK R. ROBE,
" Lieutenant-Governor."

" REGULATIONS.

" His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, by and
with the advice and consent of the Council of Govern-
ment, has been pleased to establish the following as the
regulations under which all Crown lands will be here-
after disposed of by him under the provisions of the re-
cited Act :

" On waste lands of the Crown hereafter to be alien-
ated or conveyed, for any estate or interest, there will be
reserved to her Majesty, her heirs, or successors, one-
fifteenth of all metals, and ores containing metals lying
upon, in, or under such lands, payable in kind, at the
mouth of the pit, shaft, or quarry from which they may
be raised ; this, together with reserved rights, will be in-
serted in the deeds of grant.
" A right of free access to all mines by duly appointed
servants of the Crown.
" A right to select for free occupancy a portion of
land not exceeding one quarter of an acre, near the
mouth of every pit, shaft, or gallery, or quarry, from
which metallic minerals may be drawn, for a residence
or store for such person or persons as may be appointed
to receive the Queen's dish or dues, but for no other
purpose, with privileges of access, or building thereon,
and of removing outbuildings so erected.
" All questions regarding the commutation or corn-
position of royalties will be considered and determined
by the Governor in Executive Council ; and applications
for that purpose must, therefore, be addressed to his
Excellency the Governor in Executive Council.
" Lands will in general be sold as heretofore, but with
the reservations already stated.
" Lands known to contain metals and metallic ores
may be obtained by lease, with the right of mining, for
periods not exceeding twenty-one years, if so desired by
capitalists.
" On applications for leases of lands with mining
rights being approved by the Governor in Council, the
leases will be proclaimed for sale at auction, in the same
manner as lands intended for sale in fee simple.
" All leases so to be granted will contain clauses of
forfeiture, and provisions for re-entry for non-payment
of royalties, or for underletting or
assignment of the
whole or any portion of the lands by the I:.l&seet without
license in that behalf first obtained from her 1/ijesty, or
the Governor in Council, acting on that behalf fol. her
Majesty; also a proviso that it shall not be lawful for her?
Majesty, or any person acting on behalf of her Majesty,
to sell the reversionary estate expectant upon the deter-
mination of the lease, without the consent, in writing,
of the lessee, or other party to whom the lease may
belong."

IRISH SUPPLIES.—The importations of Irish pro-
visions into the port of Liverpool during the week end-
ing the 11th inst., comprised the following list of ar-
ticles :-8,783 firkins, 248 half. fiikins, 1,093 casks,
baskets, &c., and 106 boxes of butter ; 109 tons weight,
1,640 bags, and 107 quarters of wheat ; 1,482 sacks of
flour; 163 quarters, 260 sacks, and 1,290 barrels of oats;
205 bags, and 313 other packages of oatmeal ; 217 bar-
rels of barley ; 100 sacks of malt ; 24 casks of hams ;
173 packages of bacon; 147 of lard; 61 of whisky; 158
sacks of meal ; 2 oerces of beef; 119 barrels of pork ;
602 packages of linens and cotton; 186 bags cf farina,
flour ; 158 sacks of meal ; 41 sacks, 39 tierces, and 300
barrels of seed ; with a variety of other articles of lesser
interest and importance. The importations into the port
of Bristol in the same period comprised 2,222 packages
of butter ; 614 barrels and 229 sacks of oats ; IS2 pack-
ages of bacon; 71 of lard ; 160 of flour; 41 barrels and
160 sacks of barley; and various other articles. The
arrivals at the port of London during the week, ending
the 15th inst., from Ireland, have consisted of the fol-
lowing:-203 packages of porter ; 1,524 packages of
bacon ; 1,602 boxes and baskets of eggs ; 142 casks of
pork; 19,300 firkins and other packages of butter; 2,030
packages of lard; 149 of hams; 38 of waste; 112 of malt;
376 of salmon; 119 of general provisions; 2,936 barrels,
28 bags, and 5,970 quarters of oats ; 53 lambs, and 117
pigs ; with a variety of other productions, both of food
and general merchandise, too numerous to be further
particularised.