STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 5, 1 August 1861, Page 6 (Supplement)

STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND

The immigrants during the year amounted to 8,935, against 2,871 who left the colony, thus giving a balance in favor of immigration of 6,064 souls.

The births and deaths of persona of European descent registered in New Zealand in 1860 are ns follows :• —Births 1,566 males, 1,580 females;—Total 3,146; Deaths, 1,002 ; excess of births over deaths, 2,061. 52 of these deaths (18 males and 4 females) were occasioned by drowning ; 16 males, (civilians) by the hands of'Maories at Taranaki ; and 38 males and 8 females by various other causes making a total of 102 males and 12 females whose deaths w f era occasioned by causes out of the natural order. The numbers of unregistered births and deaths could not be ascertained. There is a table showing the comparative numbers of births and deaths of persons of European descent, registered in New Zealand, since 1855 inclusive. Erom this table we find that there has been an excess of births over deaths in the 6 years of 9,525 —4,609 males, and 4,916 females.

In the past year we find that 689 marriages have been solemnized against 406 in 1855 and 603 in 1859. The greatest proportion of marriages was in Auckland where 210 pairs of loving hearts (it is to be hoped) were legally united. 215 marriages were celebrated by clergymen of the United Church of England and Ireland, 8 by ministers of the Church of Scotland, 09 by Roman Catholic priests, 179 in the Free Church of Scotland, 4 by ministers of other Presbyterian congregations, 78 by ministers of the Wesleyan Methodist Society, 23 by Congregational Independents, 25 by Baptist ministers, 15 by Primitive Methodist preachers, 8 in the Lutheran Church, 1 in the Hebrew Congregation, and 66 by Registrars. This will give our readers a pretty fair index to the denominational averages of the population. Having thus glanced at the population of the colony, so far as can be ascertained, we will now direct our attention to the moral aspect of the question as embodied in the judicial returns, before adverting to the material effects of our colonization, dcduciblc from the tables of imports, exports, and shipping. In the past year we find that there have been 97 committals and 69 convictions before the Supreme Court of Hew Zealand. 61 males and 5 females were convicted, SO males and 7 females being committed. There were 7 males convicted for felonies, and 3 for misdemeanors against the person ; and ! 1 males, 5 females convicted for felonies, and 8 males for misdemeanors (offences against property). There were 5 convictions for miscellaneous offences. The return showing the number of civil eases heard before the Supremo Court in ISGO, is defective, in one particular respecting the province of Canterbury. There were 21 cases tried by juries; 17 verdicts for plaintiffs and 6 for defeudents were returned, and in one ease the special jury disagreed. 20 cases were disposed of by the judge, and in 162 instances judgment went by default. The criminal convictions before the District Courts of Hew Zealand during the year 1860, show a total of 22 convictions out of 31 committals—males. There were no convictions in the District Courts of Auckland, Taranaki, and Wellington; but 15 were in Otago province, 3 each in Wanganui, and Nelson, and 1 in Hawke’s Day Courts. Of the civil eases heard in the District Courts, the largest proportion was in Auckland, as might be expected from its largo trading population. 809 cases were commenced, 13 were tried before juries, 454 were disposed of by the judge, and in 162 instances judgment went by default. The criminal records of the Resident Magistrate’s and Justices’ Courts show a total for the Colony of 432 charges for assault against Europeans, and 217 convictions. There were 1,427 cases of drunkenness and 1,381 convictions, 211 charges of felony, and 38 convictions, 3,059 charges of miscellaneous offences, and 1,267 convictions, giving a total of 5,132 criminal charges preferred against Europeans in the Magisterial Courts for the past year, and 2,903 convictions.

I ' There were 121 Maories charged before the Magistrates and 103 convicted during the same period. ( There were 12 convictions for assault 36 for drunkenness, 16 for felony, and 39 for other offences. On-referring to the summary of criminal convictions before the Magistrate’s Courts, for tho tpast 8 years, we hud that drunkenness has not perceptibly increased in proportion to the increased population. In 1855 there ivere 1,176 convictions for drunkenness, us against 1,117 in 1860, although the population has increased fully 34 p er . cen t_ During the 8 years to Avhich these returns extend' there had only been 82 convictions for vagrancy: a pleasing contrast, it must be admitted, to what we haA-e been accustomed in Great Britain. Poor Liavs are, as yet, unthought of in New Zealand. There were 5,588 civil cases hoard before the Magistrate’s Courts, in which Europeans only were concerned. The amount sued for was £42,291, 35., 01., and the sum recovered £21.227 18s. sd. There Avere 145 civil cases in which Maories Avere defendents, and 89 in Avhich Europeans Avere defendents, and 65 cases in Avhich Maories only were concerned. The amount sued out against Maori defendents Avas £1,487 6s. Hid. ; recovered, £502 Os. Old. Amount sued out against European defendents, by Maori plaintiffs £1,389 11s. Id.; recovered £640 10s Id. Amount sued for in cases in which Maories were concerned £721 14s. 4d.; recovered £303 Bs. 2d. ’

Contrasted AA'ith these results, it is pleasing to find that in 6 saving’s banks in New Zealand, in the year 1860, there were 1,066 European, and 38 Maori depositors, representing deposits (European) covering £23,795 Is. lid., and (Maori) £BO6 2s. Id. The Maori depositors reside in the province of Auckland and Wellington alone. The total amount AvithdraAvn during the year Avas £12,151 AA'hich £658 Os. Bd. was by Maori depositors. The post office returns shoAv the despatch of letters to have amounted to 890,369 for the year, and of newspapers to 1,029,356. TV ithout going into the specialities of our imports and exports, avc Avill make an extract from the Registrar General’s Report, Avhich smmarises the total results. Taking these statistics as a whole aac agree Aviih the compiler that,“ with some fluctuations, involving, hoAvever, no falling off of any real importance, the colony has not only maintained its ground, but has continued to make steady advance. The folloAving is from the report : ihe general results shown by an Examination of these tables are satisfactory. It will be seen that (Avith some fluctuations, involving, however, no falling off of any real importance,) the colony has not only maintained its ground, but has continued to make steady advance. The total value of imports slioavs a decrease of £2,697, the amount in 1860 having been £1,548,333 AA-hile in 1809 it Avas £1,551,030 ; but this trifling decrease is to be A’icAA’ed in connection with the fact that there Avas an increase in 1859 as compared with the preA-ious year amounting to no less than £109,757

The total value of exports, which in 1559 showed an increase of 93,-161 over 1858 (of which £B/,308 was on articles ol New Zealand produce and manufacture,) shows for 1860 a further increase (over 1859) amounting to £37,469 in the whole, and to £37,825 on New Zealand produce and manufactures. The value of articles in this latter class, excluding the mere exports of goods imported from other countries, was, in 1859 £521,208 in 1860, £549133. Taking the article of wool singly, the comparative table shows how remarkably this resource of the colony has progressed. In 1860 the value of this export, calculated at the uniform rate of one shilling and four pence 'jp' lb., was £444,392, being an increase of £104,613 over the preceding year 1809 an increase in one year which exceeds the total value of all the wool exported in 1803, by £38,105; in 1854 ,by £34,508; and in 1855 by £11,507. The returns of shipping show an increase of tonnage, although a decrease in the number of vessels indicating the employment of a larger class of vessels in the intercourse with New Zealand, especially from the United Kingdom. The vessels entered inwards in 1860 numbered 398, being 40 less than in 1859, but the tonnage was 140,276, being an increase 0f3,696. The vessels cleared outwards numbered the same in both years, but the tonnage in 1860 was 19,901 above that of 1859. ° The number of registered vessels belonging to ports in New Zealand increased from 213 with a tonnage of 7,883 in 1859, to 238 with a tonnage of 8,527 in 1860. At the port of Auckland, to which a large proportion of these vessels belong the increase in the last year was from 171 vessels with 5,815 tonnage to 187 vessels with 6,325 tonnage . The Customs revenue, which in 1859 exceeded that of 1858 by £16,679, Ss. 5d., shows for 1860 a further advance on 1859 amounting to £20,851,17s 6d.; the total revenue from Customs duties being £189,167 15s. lOd. The ordinary revenue altogether in 1860 amounted to £233,107, 4s. 9d., being an increase of £24,661 ss. 7d. on 1859. The tovritorial revenue in 1860 was £215,760, 3s. 5d., being a decrease of £26,121, 15s. lOd. ; but nearly the whole of this falliug-off, it will be seen, was in the territorial revenue of Otago, where from April 1860, the land sales were suspended, in consequence of a pending augmentation of the upset price of land. Besides, in the preceding year (1859) the territorial revenue had increased by the remarkable amount of £80,382, 16s. Bd. The total revenue of New Zealand in 1860 amounted to £164,738, 12s. 3d., being notwithstanding the temporary decrease in the land revenue at Otago just noticed, an increase of £5,089,185. as compared with 1859.