VICTORIA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume VII, Issue 316, 21 August 1858, Page 1 (Supplement)

VICTORIA.

[From the Maitland Mercury.~\

The first of July was observed generally as a public holiday, in celebration of the seventh anniversary of the sepaiation of the colony. First among the events of the day was the piesentation of colours to the Victoria Yeomanry Cavalry, by his Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, on the drill ground at South Yaira. The standard is described as a very handsome one. After this presentation, followed the ceremony of the turning of the first sod of the Melbourne and Subuiban Railway, by the Governor, to witness which a laige crowd had assembled." 'After the important opeiation had been performed, his Excellency was enteitained at a dejeuner ; but great confusion ensued through a mob of uninvited persons breaking through the barriers, and almost "rushing" the tables in his very presence. Remarking on the progress of the colony since its separation, Sir Henry said : Three railways had been completed, or almost so, by private enterprise, which had involved the expenditure of £850,000 capital. Two more were in course of construction, the cost of which would be about £650,000 more. Besides all this, the Government had undertaken the construction of railways whose cost would, when completed, he £8,000,000. The Herald, in describing the proceedings of the day, says : Relevant to the festival of yesterday, it may not be inopportune, by way of demonstrating the extent of the material progress the colony has made since the day of separation, to give the following statistical re-

suits :— At the end of March, 1851," the census returns showed a population of 77,000 souls. The numerical strength of the population of the colony, on the 31st March of the present year, may bestated at 469,602, showing an increase in the seven years of— in round numbers— 392,ooo souls. The exports during 1850 amounted to £1,042,000: the colonial exports during 1857 amounted to £14,540,558. The revenue for 1851 was £261,000, and for last year, £3,658,121. The following statement respecting cultivated land is from the Melbourne Herald of July 12th :— i On the 31st March last, there were, in Victoria, 10,200 occupiers of land, holding 2,113,134 acres of land, of which about 250,000 acres were under cnltivation ; and the produce of these farms is represented as follows: — 1,808,438 bushels of wheat; 1, 249,799 bushels or oats ; 155,458 bushels of barley j 51,114 tons of potatoes ; and 121,387 tons of hay., At the same time the previous year there were 7,523 occupiers, holding 1.532,348 acres, of which 179,982 were undei cultivation ; and the produce then returned was 1,858,765 bushels of wheat, 69,548 bushels of barley, 611,679 bushels of oats, 36,895 tons of potatoes, and 80,000 tons of hay. Theie is, therefore, this year a very large increase in the number of farmers, and the quantity of land farmed. The yield of wheat is some 50,000 bushels less than in the previous year, while oats and barley have doubled, and potatoes and hay increased full fifty per cent.