The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 179, 10 June 1854, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

June 10, 1854. We are enabled this week to lay before our readers some interesting financial returns, extracted from the Government Gazette of May 31st. These returns are satisfactory, so far as they go, in shewing that the trade and resources of the Province are steadily increasing. It is to be regretted that the quantity and value of one of our great staple exports, viz., wool, cannot be stated accurately. The Collector of Customs remarks on this subject, " During

the year 1853, the wool grown in the Canterbury district, was conveyed coastwise (to' Wellington chiefly) for final shipment. It would go, therefore, to swell the official return of exports from the last port ofclearance. As much of the wool is shipped from sheep stations on the coast direct to" Wellington, and no account of it is rendered at this Custom-House, it would be impossible to draw up any return of wool export which would show the real produce of the district, The clip for the of 1853-4, will not be worthless than £14,000----in value." With this explanation the comparative' value and quantity of staple articles the' produce of this Province, exported in the years 1852 and 1853, will appear asunder.In 1852—omitting the wool—the exportsare returned at only £505, but nothing is returned in that year from Akaroa ;- whereas in 1853, the exports of produce' from the two ports are valued at £3,337.They consisted chiefly of sawn timber and: house frames, potatoes, oats, and chetse. The goods imported in 1852 are valued at £52,863, whilst in 1853 they are valued at £75,864, or nearly half as much againas in the previous year. Notwithstanding this increase of imports,the tonnage of vessels entered inwards at the ports of the Province seems to have' fallen off, having amounted in 1852 to 9,085 tons, and in 1853 to 7,526 tons. Thisis probably to be explained by the arri--val of more passenger ships in the former year. The returns for the first quarter of the present year, however, give a large comparative increase, 23 vessels of an aggregate measurement of 4,905 tons having arrived during that period. Coming now to the present year, the' main item of the ordinary revenue, excluding sales of Crown lands, viz., the Cus--toms, amounted for the quarter ending March 31st, to £2,192 12s. Bd. In the year' 1853, the total receipts of duties for the' whole year are stated at £5,821 11s. 3d.,----whereas if the receipts during the remainder of the present year maintain the same proportion as for the last quarter, they would^ amount this year to £8,770. This it should be observed is the gross amount, from which the cost of collection, and one-third of the remainder payable to the General Government, would have to be deducted. The Immigration during the quarter ending March 31, appears to have been in: excess of the emigration, the arrivals; in thecolony having amounted to 88 persons, andthe departures to 32. From the above analysis of the returns; before us, it will appear that the colonyis steadily advancing. We see, however, as yet only the small beginnings. If within ayear hence we begin to receive a regular stream of immigration from England, there can hardly be a doubt that our present condition as to Imports and Exports will be very considerably altered, and that the surplus of our produce of corn, timber, potatoes, cheese, bacon, &c., will speedily reach an amount which will make our present returns appear quite insignificant.