188 REPORT — 1855. 



Statistics of Netospapers of Various Countries. By P. L. Simmonds. 



In June 1841 Mr. Simmonds read a paper before the Statistical Society, in which 

 he entered into some elaborate details on the statistics of the newspaper press, home 

 and foreign, brought down to the year 1840, which was published in that Society's 

 Quarterly Journal, vol. iv. p. 111. This paper was a continuation of the statistics 

 and details brought down to the present time. 



As an illustration of the expansion of the newspaper trade, Mr. Simmonds men. 

 tioned that in 1841 there were 505 newspapers in Great Britain, and in 1851 there 

 were 1091. In 1801, 16,000,000 newspaper stamps were issued; in 1811, 

 24,500,000; in 1821, 25,000,000; in 1831, 33,500,000; in 1841, 60,750,000; in 



1851, nearly 90,000,000. In the present year (1855), so far as the returns go, they 

 show at the rate of above 100,000,000, more than 50,000,000 being issued for the 

 first half of the year. The Times had made still greater progress in proportion, 

 having a circulation of 3,500,000 in 1837 ; and, in 1855, at the rate, for the first 

 six months, of 9,000,000 in the year. The number of newspapers in Scotland in 

 1841, was 70; and the number of stamps taken by them was 4,500,000. In 1851, 

 the number had increased to 117, using 7,000,000 of stamps. In the year 1855, 

 there were 151 newspapers, using 4,500,000 stamps, or at the rate of more than 

 9,000,000 in the year. 



On the Growth and Commercial Progress of the two Pacific States of Cali- 

 fornia and Australia. By P. L. Simmonds. 



The startling discovery of the vast metallic and mineral wealth of California 

 attracted to her shores in the space of twelve months, in 1849, more than 100,000 

 people, 80,000 of whom were Americans ; and an extensive commerce has since 

 sprung up at San Francisco with China, the ports of Mexico on the Pacific, Chile, 

 the islands in the Pacific, and Australia. California became, as if by magic, a State 

 of great wealth and commercial importance. It was at first thought that the tide 

 of emigration would keep up at the large ratio of 100,000 per annum; but this has 

 not proved to be the case, for the State progresses much slower now in population 

 — the departures almost equalling the arrivals — and the annual increase by immi- 

 gration scarcely exceeding 30,000. The population might indeed have been very 

 largely swelled by the Chinese immigrants, who arrived in considerable numbers ; 

 but their reception was strongly opposed, and they have been much ill-treated; 

 there seems also no probability of the prejudice against them being removed. In 

 June 1847, the ' California Star,' the first newspaper published in the district, 

 returned the population of the village of San Francisco at 459 souls, 321 males 

 and 138 females ; of these 375 were white, and the rest Indians and negroes. Now 

 the city has covered the sandbank, mounted the hills, overflowed into the valleys 

 beyond, encroached upon the waters, and promises ere long, at its ratio of increase, 

 to cover the peninsula between the ocean and the bay. 



The population of the State of California on the 31st of December 1853 was 

 estimated at 328,000 souls, composed as follows: — American, 215,000; German, 

 25,000 ; of Spanish blood, 20,000 ; Chinese, 15,000 ; miscellaneous foreign, 5000 ; 

 Indians, 20,000 ; and negroes 2500. Of these, about 65,000 were women, and 

 perhaps 30,000 children. The population of the city of San Francisco is now about 

 60,000. The number of vessels which entered the port in 1853, coasters and 

 foreign, was 1028, measuring 558,755 tons ; and the clearances were 1653 ships, of 

 640,075 tons. The value of the goods imported is given at .^T, 000,000, or 

 £20 per head of the population. The exports of gold, however, amounted to 

 .£12,000,000, or £34 per head, exclusive of quicksilver and other produce. The 

 tonnage (steam and sail) owned in San Francisco amounted to 63,423 tons, and in 

 other ports of the State steamers amount to 23,566 tons. The freights paid at the 

 port of San Francisco for the year 1853 amounted to £351,000, and the custom 

 duties to £516,200. The arrivals of passengers by sea in the past three years have 

 been as follows: — in 1852, 35,185; in 1853, 15,359; and in 1854, 47,730. In 



1852, 990 ships of 444,515 tons entered the port ; in 1853, 926 ships of 260,956 

 tons ; and in 1854, 617 ships of 407,485 tons. 571 ships of 353,698 tons cleared 



