MAJOR JONES (Carmarthen District)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer—(1) how many tons of ore have during the nine months last past been treated at the Morgan Gold Mine, North Wales, what is the average yield of gold per ton of ore treated, and what is the gross value of such gold; (2) how many tons of ore were treated at such mine last month, and what was the average yield per ton; (3) how many leases or take-notes are at present held by lessees of the Crown for gold-mining purposes in North Wales, and what 654 aggregate acreage do such leases and take-notes embrace; (4) what amount has been paid to or is due to the Crown by way of royalties during the last nine months, and what amount by way of dead rents and fees for leases or take notes during the same period; and (5) is the Government taking any—and, if so—what steps to encourage the opening up and development of these mines?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERIt is presumed that the mine referred to is the Gwynfynydd Mine, the property of the British Gold Fields Company. In the period mentioned, 10,747 tons of ore have been treated, yielding an average of 12¼ dwts. per ton. The gross value, assuming the price to be £3 10s. per oz., would be £23,105. The reply to the second question is 1,385 tons, yielding an average of 1 oz. 6 dwts. 19 grs. per ton. There are at present 27 leases for varying terms, embracing an aggregate acreage of upwards of 10,000 acres, and 50 take-notes for a year, embracing an acreage of similar amount. The receipt from fees for leases or take-notes has been, for the nine months, £129, and from rent and royalties, for the year to 31st March 1895, £642.
§ MR. W. PRITCHARD MORGAN (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the date of a gold-mining lease granted by the Crown to Mr. R. H. Wood, of Rugby; what is the area of land so leased; what is the dead rent reserved by the Crown; what is the term of such lease; and are there any—and, if so, what—working conditions imposed by such lease; what other leases have been granted by the Crown to other landowners in Wales, and what area do such leases in the aggregate embrace; what are the terms of such leases, and do they contain any—and, if so, what—working conditions; have applications been made puring the last three months for licences to work royal mines upon private lands in Merionethshire; will he explain how it is that though applications have been in for months no decision has up to the present time been come to by the department as to how the applications should be treated; and does the Crown intend to grant leases of Crown mines to miners irrespective of the desires of the landowners?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERThis question only appeared on the Paper this morning, and I could not answer it without further notice. I hope, therefore, that the hon. Gentleman will put it off till after Whitsuntide.