§ MR. MOLLOY (King's Co., Birr)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Ex- 1444 chequer what, according to the Returns and Accounts made to the Woods and Forests Department, has been the yield of gold per ton on, say, the last 50,000 tons of ore worked in North Wales; how does the gold yield per ton in North Wales compare with the gold yield at the Rand, in South Africa; what is the acreage of the Crown Lands in Merionethshire where the North Wales gold fields are situated; what was the quantity of gold obtained in the Wicklow gold fields, and during what period, and why was the working of such fields abandoned; and will the Government consider the advisability of allowing, under due regulation, these Crown Lands and gold fields, both in Wales and Ireland, to be prospected and opened up by parties of working minors and others, as is the case in Australia, America, South Africa, Brazil, and elsewhere?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT,) Oldham(who replied) said: The quantity of quartz crushed in the last seven years has been 43,600 tons, yielding 23,718oz. of gold, or nearly 11dwts. to the ton. In the year 1893 the quantity crushed was only 4,300 tons. I have no official information as to the yield of gold at the Rand, in South Africa. The information asked for in paragraphs 3 and 4 will be found on page 310 of the Appendix to the Report of the Select Committee of 1889 on the Woods, and on page 211 of the Appendix to the Third Report of the Royal Commission on Mining Royalties, 1891. It is impossible to give a general answer to the last question. When any definite proposal is made to work the goldfields on Crown Lands they will be carefully considered, with a desire to facilitate the development of that, industry.
§ MR. MOLLOYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the yield from North Wales was rather better than that from South Africa—namely, 10dwts. in South Africa and over 10dwts. in North Wales?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI am not aware of the fact.