Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 389 



and our deep iriines must have lain unwrought ; and as we must have 

 depended on foreigners for a supply of some of our metals, so our 

 manufacture must have dwindled and passed to other countries. A 

 valuable branch of national industry must have passed from us, and 

 an industrious and hardy race of workmen must have turned their 

 labour to other employment, or must have found a subsistence on 

 other shores. We are struggling now, it is most true, with difficul- 

 ties that threatened the existence of many most important under- 

 takings ; and I would ask, what is likely to carry us through these 

 trying times, if it cannot be done by a well arranged system of ceco- 

 nomy. I would ask, how many mines could exist under such cir- 

 cumstances, if it were not for the aid that this ceconomy can give 

 them. A more general diffusion of capital and skill may, it is true, 

 have conduced to cause a greater production, and therefoi-e for a 

 time a depression of prices ; but as the very depression must en- 

 courage demand, and will at the same time diminish supply, it may 

 be fairly expected that the one will accommodate itself to the other, 

 so as to leave a fair remuneration in the end, and this may, probably, 

 be hastened, if a prudent limitation of produce were attended to, 

 and which a just ceconomy and well-arranged system may render 

 practicable. 1 venture to think also, that some progress has been 

 made in a more equitable adjustment of what may be called the rent 

 of mines called royalty dues, duty, and so on, in different districts. 

 Formerly, it was general to fix the same proportion for all mines, 

 not distinguishing the circumstances under which mines yielded 

 their produce. These circumstances differ indeed much more in 

 some countries than others, and therefore greater uniformity may 

 prevail in one than the other : but, as it is clear that rich land 

 can pay a higher rent than poor land, or that difficulties of cultiva- 

 tion must be allowed for in rent, so it must be in mining. If the 

 charge of drainage in a mine be equal to l-6th of the value of the 

 produce, it cannot pay the same rent as a dry mine ; and especially 

 if we consider the capital invested in the one case and the other. 

 The proper adjustment must always be difficult where so much de- 

 pends on chance. The lord has to consider what inducement should 

 be held out to enterprize, and what profits are due to risk and invest- 

 ments of capital ; and allowing these, he has a right to expect a fair 

 and spirited exertion in working his land. The profits are to be 

 divided in some proportion between lord and adventurers, and no 

 one will contend that each should not have his due share; and un- 

 less that participation be allowed, mining must after a time cease. 



In Cornwall, the dues vary much more than in other parts of the 

 kingdom ; while in Cumberland and the North they arc more uni- 

 form : this may be attributed to the differing circumstances under 

 winch mining is carried on. In the one case, the metal is produced 

 by the application and constant use of expensive means ; in the 

 otiicr, the ores lie above the levul of adit and in situations easy to 

 explore. — The extreme fluctuation of prices makes the calculation 

 of royalty more difficult ; this is bolter provided for in other di- 

 stricts than ill this, by the lords agreeing to take a certain part ol 



the 



