PORT PHILLIP.
From the Sydney Morniny Herald, Feb. 7th, ISSI
That the district of Port Phillip, ere loug to be the colony of Victoria, has been, is now, and bids fair to continue to be throughout future generations, one of the most prosperous settlements ever planted by the Anglo Saxon race, is admitted by all who have witnessed its progress during the comparatively brief period of its existence, and who are aware of the splendid resources with which nature has-en-dowed its soil and climate. For our own part we make this admission with greater frankness and cordiality, because a portion of the Port Phillip press has for years past thought proper to assume that the prosperity of that section of the colony is viewed by the people of the Sydney District with feelings of envy, jealousy, and we know not what besides. We can hardly suppose that these writers in the systematic vituperations which they have built upon an assumption so uncharitable in spirit, and so false in fact, are to be taken as faithful exponents of the public opinion of their province. The intelligent and candid portion of the Port Phillip community will give us credit for far better feelings. They are not blind to the fact that the Australian Colonies constitute one great family, united by the closest and most endearing ties of national and commercial brotherhood. Descended from the same ancestry, speaking the samelanguage, professing the same faith, subjects of the same empire, governed by the same laws, it would be strange indeed if the mere technical distinctions which place them under separate municipal administrations should cause them to forget their essential identity, and to regard each other as aliens or antagonists. Connected as they all are, moreover, by a reciprocity of material interests, it would be equally strange if they should forget that the prosperity or adversity of any one of their number must'of necessity affect the whole. The returns commence with the year 1(?37
the settlement having been officially established in the previous year. We first state the amounts of the General and Crown Eevenues in each year. Revenues of the District of Port Phillip, from its establishment to the year General Revenue. Crown Revenue. Total. £ £ £ 1537 ... 2,359 ... 3,712 ... 6,071 1838 ... 2,246 ... 37,744 ... 40,020 1839 ... 14,008 ... 60,090 ... 74698 IS4O .. 29,239 ••• 266,745 ... 255,984 1841 ... 73,066 ... 79,760 ... 152.526 1842 ... 75,372 ... 11,924- ... 87,296 1543 ... 61,792 ... 11,774 ... 73,565 1844 ... 55.649 ... 11,264 ... 69,913 1845 ... 66,002 ... -32,537 ••• 98,539 1546 •-• 60,333 ... 35,014 ... 96,347 1547 -. 68,143 ... 70,150 ... 138,293 1848 .- 86,153 ... 58,608 ... 144,761 1849 -. 104,719 ... 102,080 ... 236,799 1850 ... 124,469 ... 136,852 ... 264,321 Dividing the whole period of fourteen years into three groups as nearly equal as it admits, and taking the mean annual average of each group, we find the progress of the General Bevenue to have been as follows :— Average per annum. Increase. Per cent. £ £ 1837—1841 24,184 1842—1846 64,430 ... 40,246 .. 166.4 1847—1850 95,621 ... 31,191 ... 48.4 Considering that during nearly the whole of the first five years the revenue was comparatively insignificant—the district being then in its infancy—we regard the average increase of the revenue of the last four years upon that of the previous five as much more striking than the increase of the second five upon the first five.
PORT PHILLIP.
Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 10, 15 March 1851, Page 3
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