Chap. XXIII.] 
ROYALTIES. 
493 
to the difference betv/een the royalties that would have been leviable 
at the two different average prices per unit of manganese-ore ; whilst 
if the average rate had fallen during the year to 10 pence, then it would 
be necessary for the Government to make a refund of the difference per 
ton between the royalties leviable at the two different rates. This might 
be actually returned by the Government in cases where the operators 
had actually ceased to work, or set aside towards the payment of the 
royalties leviable during the ensuing year. This sounds rather compli- 
cated, but in practice it would probably prove easy of application, and 
satisfactory to the mine operators. 
