his exhibit of the gold admitted to have been extracted by him does not,
at any rate, _exceed_ the amount obtained, as that the invoices of
importations entered at the Custom-House in Boston do not overstate the
value of the goods to which they refer. The practice is generally
suspected, at least, to tend in quite the opposite direction.

As the next step for ascertaining the yield of the mines, there comes in
a form of scrutiny which it would be still more difficult to evade. All
owners of quartz-mills are also required to render official returns
under oath, and in a form minutely prescribed by the Provincial law, of
all quartz crushed by them during the month, stating particularly from
what mine it was raised, for whose account it has been crushed, and what
was the exact quantity in ounces, pennyweights, and grains. And this is
designed also as a check on the miner, as the two statements, if
correct, will be found, of course, to balance each other.

The Chief Gold-Commissioner resides in Halifax, and has his deputy in
each gold-district, whose duty it is, as a sworn officer of the
Government, to see that the provisions of the law are carried out; and
the returns, as collected, are duly made by him each month, accompanied
by a general report on the industrial condition of the district
represented. It is from these returns, thus collected, that the
Gold-Commissioner-in-Chief prepares a quarterly exhibit, which he issues
on a broad sheet in a so-called "Royal Gazette." The last of these
documents issued was published by authority at Halifax, Wednesday,
January 20th, 1864, and a copy thereof, ornamented at the head with the
familiar lion and unicorn, is now lying with several of its predecessors
on the table before us. If skeptics desire any better authority than
this for the average yield of these mines, they must seek it elsewhere
for themselves. By the majority of persons capable of judging of the