communication
with the late Minister for the time being, and were by him referred to
the Commissioners of Land and Emigration, for full information as to
the terms on which the anthracite mines, if discoverable, could be
worked.
We
accordingly requested an interview, and after about a week's delay,
this was accorded, and we were received by a gentleman whose name I
forget, but who represented himself as the organ of the said
Commissioners. Our enquiry had been "on what terms would H. M,
Government dispose of the right of working anthracite, if we could find
the same in remunerative quantity ?" The answer was explicit though
any thing but satisfactory. We were informed that the Commissioners
would not sanction the sale in the right of working minerals on any terms, but
that they would lease any mines we might discover for a limited number
of years, on payment of a royalty. Of course we pointed out that it was
perfectly preposterous to expect that any capitalist would sink money
in machinery, roads, the exportation of miners, &c, if he were
merely to have a brief lease of the mines on which his money was
expended, but our words were wasted. Her Majesty's Commissioners had
decided the point without even seeing us, and there was an end of the
matter.
I
need hardly say that this intimation was in itself sufficient to
annihilate all wish on our part to have anything to do with mining in-
Ceylon. Before leaving, however, we felt bound to press the point "
what would be the extent of the royalty demanded '"• a question which
our official friend eluded like an eel, till being at length brought
into a corner, he graciously intimated that he did not think it would
exceed forty per cent ? On this, Mr. Tindall told him. he should think
no more of the matter, and the interview terminated.
It
was just one of the many instances constantly occurring in which
excessive greed defeats its own object. Any person who new the late
Mr: William Tindall, knows that he was not a man to do things by
halves. Had he been met in a fair spirit, he would have sent out a
mineralogist to Ceylon, he would have purchased the anthracite mines,
if discoverable, and possibly at this day, Ceylon would have had not
only smelting furnaces but a railway.
Let
us hope that our present Government is wiser in such matters than its
predecessors, and that instead of thus throwing difficulties in the way
of discovery and enterprise, they will afford every reasonable
facility.
Your obedient servant, John Armitage.
