TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7881, 4 June 1891, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Tsn census-taking, both in Victoria and New South Wales, is now sufficiently advanced to enable the inhabitants of tbe respective colonies to compare notes. The total population of New South Wales has been found to be 1,184/207 peraoa_> made npof 616,003 males and 518,199 females. At the census of 1881 tbe population was 751,468, thus showing an increase of 382,739. Tbe natural increase by the excess of births over deaths waa 211,234, so that tbere was au increase of 171,505 due to excess ot immigration over emigration. It is worthy of note feat Mr Cogblan, tbe Registrar General of New South Wales, , experienced tbe same difficulty tbat our own, BegiatrarGeuesal xnet with iv estimating the popa-

tetion ot the colony. Hia estimate *wa~* ia fact, some 40,000 in excess ot the real total. He attributes the discrepancy to the number of people -who leave the colony without their departures being recorded. A great many steerage passengers, it is said, go on board outward bound steamers and vessels at tbe last moment without having previously taken their tickets. Mr Cog_dan, proceeding on the analogy of the previous decade, had allowed 60,000 for these unrecorded departures, whereas, it appears, he ought in reality to have allowed 100,000. In the race between the rival colonies New South. Wales appears to have secured a decided advantage. The relative populations are very olose—New South Wales, 1,134,207 $ Victoria, 1,133,840. In point of number, therefore, the former colouy is only 361 persons ahead. It is when we come to examine the relative rate of increase that we see how New South Wales baa the advantage. The increase of New South Wales dnring the decade has been at the rate of 4.2 per cent, per annum, while that of Victoria has been only at the rate of 3.2 per cent per annum. Put in another way, for every 100 increase in the population of Victoria during the ten years, the sister colony had increased 181. There is another most suggestive fact. Nearly all the increase in Viotoria has been in Melbourne} the country district- have remained almost at a standstill. In New South Wales progress has been manifest all over the colony—in the rural districts as well as in Sydney. In New South Wades, the country population daring the ten years increased 223,185, or at the rate of 3.6 per cent, per annum. In Victoria the increase in the rnral population was only 64,926, or at the rate of 1.06 per cent, per annum. We commend these figures to those who think that protection brings population. It congests the cities—as it has done in the case of Melbourne —but it retards the progress of the country at large. The rapid and general development of freetrade New South Wales, and the comparative stagnation of protectionist Victoria is a striking and valuable object lesson in political economy. Unfortunately another, equally striking, is afforded by the condition of New Zealand, whioh has oertainly not gone ahead by leaps and bounds since the adoption of a. tariff which is sufficiently protectionist to press very severely on the consumer. It may be interesting to Btate bow our New South Wales neighbors are faring in regard to the " Mongolian invasion." According to tbe Sydney Daily Telegraph, the census revealed the fact that there were in the colony 18,123 Chinese. In 1881 the Chinese numbered 10,207. At tbe time of the passing of the Chinese Restriction Act, 1888, the Mongolian, population amounted to 15,750, which was the highest number reached in tho colony. The restrictive clauses of the Act; have, however, had a marked effect in reducing tbe Chinese population. In 1889 there was an excess of departures over arrivals of 934, and in the subsequent year, 1890, tbe excess waa nearly 800. Chinese immigration, we are told, has now practically ceased. ' Fo&TUNATX-Y the spectacle of a Judge sending fer the Sheriff to remove a Q.C. from the Court for imputing a want of veracity to the Bench, is a novelty in English judicial proceedings. Such an event took place, however, the other day in the Supreme Court of Victoria. It was during the trial of a libel case before Mr Justice Hodges. Mr Piirves, Q.C., who appeared for the plaintiff, objected to the way in which a witness was giving his evidence, whereupon, according to the report in the Ar-jits, the following colloquy ensued:— His Honor —Mr Parves, the witness has been giving, as nearly as he can remember, the details of what he said. Mr Purves (still seated)—Tou say so. His Honor (severely)—Mr Parves, I will not allow you to tell mc in that tone that I say so. Mr Purves—l say so now. His Honor (emphatically)—l have the conduct of the business of this Court, and I will not allow counsel to tell mc that what I say is not correct. You told mc that t said so. Mr Purvea (rising)— And I say you did aay so; and I will n**t allow you to talk to counsel in the fashion you talk to mc. His Honor (to the crier)--Will you kindly go for the Sheriff ? The Crier sent for the Sheriff, and " along and painful silence ensaed."' Presently*— Mr Pui-ves rose and said to bis Honor— " I addressed you respectfully, and you must respect mc." His Honor—l shall require you to leave the Court.Mr Purves—l shall. There is no necessity for your Honor to state that twice. His Honor—Then yon will leave the Court. Mr Purves—Very well.. Here another awkward silence naturally followed. Then Dr. Madden, the counsel, on the other side, made an attempt to smooth over matters. All that Mr Purves could be got to cay, however, was that be denied having suggested that what his* Honor said was incorrect, or that be intended any disrespect to tbe Judge. He declined, however, to withdraw tbe •remarks, and bis Honor still adhered to his intention of invoking tbe aid of the Sheriff. Presently that . functionary entered the Court and approached Mr Prarves, whereupon, we are told, "the excitement, though suppressed, was in* tense." Dr. Madden made another strenuous attempt todntervene on behalf of Mr Purves, who, be said, was a very old friend of bis, though an antagonist in this case. The report continues 'p— His Honor r-It was accompanied by language which I cannot pass over, J_r Purves—o! course, your Honor is Judge iv this Court, and—— His Honor—Ahd as Judge of this Court I desire to be on the best of terms with tbe bar. Mr Purves—Yes. Well, your Honor does not take tbat course, and you know it, and in this case I, as an old practitioner, tell you that you misapprehend what I aud. (Mr Purves spoke with emotion.) His Honor—That will do, Mr Purves. Mr Purves (verr,-mucb aSeoted) —You must not send for the Sheriff to mc. Mr Purves, iv fact, suddenly became the aggrieved party, and finally exclaiming, "I won't haveit"—referring to the calling in of the Sheriff—walked out of the Court, day Mr Parveseinade what ho called an explanation, refusing to ellow it to be considered in the light of an apology. He did not directly or indirectly, be said, impute to bis Honor ''that rerf grave insult, as it would be, ofuntrutbfolness." He merely wished te set his own judgmeut against that of the Judge ma to whether tbe witness was doing hia best to answer the questious.

He admitted that proper" and also that tha *•-!? incident M overcome bis *»t-i e - h ,f s "We cannot help our tempen*. jF tinned. •«I wasperhapMi ' X fact I was after the Sheriff had b T for I was.probably apologise for that disrespect if t a] it." The learned Judge accep jf statement, but said be would _7l tbe Court to be made ft *,£* The case was then Mr Purves, when seen „fc '**• by a reporter of the idea that he had o ff 9red « to Mr Justice Hodges, i,,.^» morning, he said, must bs tab,, explanation and not aa aa *' cause be bad nothing to apodjf In this we do not agree with tht_l gentleman. His remark to tha _-I was certainly offensive, Wf | J should not have been used bv__rJ of the Bar to the B<m«h. VejJ have thought more of Mr PorfJoJ if he had frankly withdrawn his, £ft and apologised for ifc, aa soon a, JT3 fortunate construction which it bU made apparent to him. <**