STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND FROM 1853 TO 1876 INCLUSIVE. Land Immigration (excess Inhabited Waste Year. under Cultivation. 1,851 3,577 76,766 88,419 37,256 997,477 1870 225,580 173,495 399,075 92,642 110,973 123,796 1,140,279 This information has been correctly ascertained only for the years in which a census of the Colony was taken. Including free grants to immigrants, to naval and military settlers, reserves for public purposes, Native reserves, and old land claims; but the larger portion of these grauts since the year 1865 have been to Natives, under the provisions of "The Native Lands Act, 1865." In 1874 the Maori population was estimated at 45,470, making the total population in 1874, 387,330. 57,182 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1859 707,870 839,385 7,812 1860 890,369 1,929,356 10,068 1861 28,275 193,285 2,761,583 43,270 1,236,768 1,428,351 14, 08 2,122,232 2,064,123 3,403,248 22,710 1864 49,409 249,760 4,937,273 61,276 4,151, 142 398 140,276 398 140,293 1869 5,016,595 3,563,147 58,007 28,427 127,218 764 250,731 771 247,764 1869 756 273,151 766 265,407 1870 4,179,784 70,249 36,291 157,397 729 274,643 709 265,618 1871 1872 6,958,543 4,411,091 94,733 44,660 191,009 775 300,302 743 285,366 1872 6,811,277 122,496 73,027 293,481 926 416,727 940 417,820 1875 7,962,748 129,263 80,255 310,268 878 393,180 866 393,334 1876 856 399,296 822 385,533 1874 *This information has been correctly ascertained for the years in which a census of the Colony was taken. Year. STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND FROM 1853 TO 1876 INCLUSIVE. 25,990 614,281 2,362,995 27,765,636 1,371,230 2,028 45,245 2,850 111,307 199,357 1869 1870 384 26,743 544,880 2,157,585 37,039,763 1871 371 27,107 730,029 2,787,520 37,793,734 1872 364 23,963 445,370 1,730,992 41,886,997 1,703,944 5,471 132,578 4,391 175,074 606,830 1,115,162 1,496 29,768 145 1862 742,504 524,404 1,266,908 714,770 1,530,446 500,045 1,436,990 776,429 1,862,722 561,730 1,787,314 382,070 1,407,586 1,611 327,589 1,287,957 1,887 377,699 1,299,371 2,015 1863 3,342,891 7,024,674 * The convictions to 1870 are only those in the Supreme Court. From 1871 to 1876 inclusive, the convictions in the Districts Courts are included. 699 48,231 9,114 4,513 91,863 277 1866 714 87,436 14,295 6,579 156,855 240 1867 134,647 26,224 8,121 243,615 248 1868 173,746 32,649 10,103 320,383 277 1869 238,195 27,422 12,137 388,804 231 1870 results in the future from this industry. During the five years ended 1876 coal to the value of £1,000,000 was imported into the Colony. The day is approaching when all such imports will be unnecessary, and we may therefore consider that a virtually new and growing industry, commencing with an average value of £200,000, is added by the railways to the resources of the country. Platinum, lead, tin, quicksilver, and bismuth have also been discovered, but not as yet in quantity. There is reason to believe that extensive deposits of the most valuable ore of quicksilver exist. In various parts springs of petroleum oil well to the surface. As yet no flowing wells have been struck, but it is nearly certain they will be. The deposits in America are decreasing, whilst the use of mineral oil is largely increasing. At no distant date it is likely that adequate efforts will be made to tap in quantity the petroleum which there is every reason to suppose exists abundantly in parts of the Colony. Chrome, manganese, and plumbago have been found in quantity. New Zealand is rich in building stone of great variety. Around Oamaru a white, easily-worked stone is obtained, for which there is a large demand in Australia. From White Island, on the east coast, there is reason to suppose sulphur in quantity can be procured. The timber of New Zealand is of great variety, and some descriptions are very valuable. The results obtained from pastoral pursuits are truly astounding. During the fifteen years ending 1876 no less than £27,719,000 worth of wool was produced in and exported from the Colony. The growth of the industry may be gathered from the fact that the export of the first of these years, 1862, was £674,000, and for the last, 1876, £3,395,000. It would be hard to exaggerate the agricultural value of a considerable quantity of the land of New Zealand. The history of New Zealand is one continued record of an increase in the value of and demand for land. Of course the quality of the land varies much. Some, such as the land on the plains, has a great depth of soil; some is so rugged and at such an altitude as to be suitable only for sheep, and some is too high even for that purpose. Probably experience has not yet proved what is the greatest use that can be made of the land, especially of much of the land in the North Island. But the results as they stand are sufficient to satisfy the most exacting. I cannot profess to give you of my own knowledge an analysis of the value of the land. Yet, as this is the most important question in relation to the future of the Colony, I feel that my task will be ill-completed if I fail to bring the matter fully before you, but I must do it by the aid of others. I have |