MR. PRITCHARD MORGAN (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in the case of the Royal mines known as Moel Ispri and Champion mines, situate near Dolgelly, the Crown has power at Common Law, or otherwise, to prevent the removal of fixed machinery (erected solely for the purpose of extracting gold) from these Royal mines; and, if so, whether, in the interests of the State and the industry, they will exercise such power; whether the Woods and Forests Office intimated to the late lessees, or their representatives, some time since, that the Crown claimed at Common Law (or otherwise under the rights of the Crown) the right to prevent the removal of such machinery; what was the date of the first application by MR. J. R. Roberts and another, of Dolgelly, gold miners, for a lease to work the above-mentioned mines; what was the date when Mr. J. R. Roberts received intimation that the lease would be granted to him; what was the date of the sale of the machinery referred to; on 1725 what date did the former lease terminate; what was the cause of the delay in granting the lease to Mr. Roberts and another; and will he explain why the Woods and Forests Office, when requested by those interested in the gold mining interest at Dolgelly either to grant a lease before the sale, or to intimate that they would grant a lease to any person who purchased the machinery, did not accede to such request?
*THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBEKT,) OldhamThe Crown has not the power to prevent the removal of machinery from the Moel Ispri, Prince of Wales, and Vach Mines. The leases are either determined or in process of surrender, and the late lessees are empowered to dispose of the machinery. When the leases wore in existence the Woods and Forests Office intimated to the lessees that the Crown claimed the right to prevent the removal of the machinery. The date of the first application by Mr. T. H. Roberts and Mr. Pritchard Morgan for a lease to work the above-mentioned mines was 29th December, 1892. The application of Mr. T. H. Roberts and Mr. N. T. Williams was dated the 10th June, 1893. The offer of a lease was made to Mr. T. H. Roberts and Mr. N. T. Williams on the 22nd ultimo. The machinery was advertised to be sold on the 24th ultimo. The lease of Moel Ispri Mine was determined on the 20th December, 1892, and an agreement was entered into for the surrender of the other leases as on the 5th of April last, but the formal completion of the deeds of surrender has been delayed. There were several causes for the delay in offering a lease to Messrs. Roberts and Williams. An opportunity was given to those who had provided the machinery to obtain fresh capital for continuing their operation; and, when that failed, considerable delay took place in obtaining replies to the references given by Messrs. Roberts and Williams. The Woods and Forests Office has acted throughout with a desire to save the machinery from being removed; but it could not have given a general undertaking to grant a lease to any persons who might purchase it without knowing their names and qualifications.