AUSTRALASIA. 



In 1884 there were 1,643 miles of railway in 

 operation, and 2,085 miles under construction. 

 The whole of the lines open were built by the 

 Government, at an expenditure of 21,526,- 

 900. The expenses in 1884 were 1,301,259, 

 while the gross earnings were 2,086,237. 



There were, in 1884, 18,681 miles of tele- 

 graph-wires, which cost 612,450 to con- 

 struct. There were 2,334,052 paid messages 

 transmitted in 1884. The post-office of the 

 colony transmitted 42,237,000 letters, and 25,- 

 063,500 newspapers in 1884. 



Legislation. To meet the deficit caused by 

 the falling off of the land revenue, the ministry 

 proposed to levy duties of 5 per cent, ad va- 

 lorem on all imports, both those paying spe- 

 cific duties and those on the free list, to tax 

 unimproved land exceeding 1,000 in value 

 about -^ per cent., to levy a tax of 3 per 

 cent, on incomes exceeding 300, and to im- 

 pose new stamp duties. By various retrench- 

 ments the estimates of expenditure were re- 

 duced by 500,000, and with the new taxes, 

 expected to yield 1,000,000, the deficit could 

 be removed in two years. To carry out this 

 policy, the ministry resigned on Feb. 18, was 

 reconstructed, dissolved Parliament, and ob- 

 tained the sanction of the country. The land- 

 tax bill was rejected by the Assembly. That 

 and the income-tax bill were announced by 

 Sir Patrick Jennings as measures that would 

 be again submitted to Parliament in the fol- 

 lowing session. He said that the deficit at the 

 end of the year would amount to 2,000,000, 

 and that the country had not been in so de- 

 pressed a state for twenty-two years. The 

 customs duties were passed after a long and 

 animated contest. They were supported by the 

 young and growing Protectionist party in the 

 colony. The Cabinet was reconstructed in 

 view of the popular sentiment in favor of pro- 

 tection, though the Premier has not openly 

 avowed a protective policy. The Opposition 

 leader, Sir Henry Parkes, is the principal 

 champion of free trade, and takes issue with 

 the ministry chiefly on this question. 



Victoria. The Governor, Sir Henry Brough- 

 am Loch was appointed April 10, 1884. The 

 Cabinet was composed in the beginning of 1886 

 as follows : Premier and Treasurer, Duncan Gil- 

 lies; Chief Secretary, Alfred Deakin ; Attorney- 

 General, H. J. Wrixon ; Minister of Mines and 

 Agriculture, John James; Commissioner of 

 Public Works and Water Supply, J. Nimmo ; 

 Minister of Justice, Henry Cuthbert; Com- 

 missioner of Trade and Customs, W. F. Walk- 

 er; Minister of Public Instruction, Charles H. 

 Pearson ; Minister of Defense, James Lorimer ; 

 Postmaster- General, F. T. Derham. In Au- 

 gust, Duncan Gillies assumed, in addition to 

 his other duties the direction of the Ministry 

 of Mines, replacing John Dow, who had suc- 

 ceeded Mr. James. The land forces in 1884 

 comprised 3,003 men of all arms. 



There is no state church in Victoria. At 

 the last census, 73 per cent, of the population 



were Protestants ; 24 per cent. Catholics; and 

 half of one per cent. Jews. In 1883-'84 the 

 total cost of public instruction was 642,197. 

 In the same year there were 1,777 state 

 schools, with a total enrollment of 222,428 

 scholars, instructed by 3,621 teachers. There 

 were in 1885, 655 private schools in Victoria, 

 with 1,634 teachers and attended by 35,115 

 scholars. At the census of 1881, 92 per cent, 

 of the total population over fifteen years of age 

 were able to read and write. 



There are five main sources from which the 

 revenue of Victoria is derived, viz., taxation, 

 land, public works, posts and telegraphs, and 

 railways. In 1883-'84 the total amount raised 

 by taxation was 2,318,520. The total reve- 

 nue of the colony for the year 1885 was 6,- 

 290,652, while the expenditure for the same 

 year was 6,212,517. The public debt at the 

 end of June, 1885, amounted to 31,757,407, 

 the greater part of which was borrowed for 

 the construction of railways, state school-build- 

 ings, and other public works. The revenue 

 for 1885 amounted to 6,250,000, an increase, 

 as compared with the preceding year, of 60,- 

 000. The railroad revenue showed an increase 

 of 73,000. 



The colony has an area of 87,884 square 

 miles, of which about 22,000,000 acres are 

 either alienated or in process of alienation. 

 Of the remainder only about 9,000,000 acres 

 are at present suitable for agriculture ; mount- 

 ain forests occupy 12,000,000 acres ; land cov- 

 ered with smaller scrub, 11,500,000 acres; state 

 forests, 650,000 acres ; timber and other re- 

 serves, over 900,000 acres; auriferous land, 

 nearly 1,500,000 acres ; and roads, over 1,000,- 

 000 acres. In March, 1885, there were 2.323,- 

 493 acres of land in cultivation in the colony. 

 Of this area 1,096,354 acres were under wheat. 

 The produce of wheat was 10,433,146 bushels, 

 or 9^ bushels to the acre, while oats produced 

 nearly 23^ bushels to the acre, barley over 17 

 bushels, potatoes over four tons, and hay over 

 one ton to the acre. 



The last census was taken in 1881, when the 

 total population was 862,346, comprising 452,- 

 083 males and 410,263 females. On June 30, 

 1885, the estimated total population was 973,- 

 403. The total number of Chinese in 1881 was 

 12,128, and of aborigines 780. In 1884 there 

 were 7,218 marriages, 28,850 births, and 13,- 

 505 deaths. During the same year the total 

 immigration into the colony by sea was 72,202, 

 while the total emigration by sea was 58,061. 

 The population of the principal towns of Vic- 

 toria was as follows in 1881 : Melbourne, 282,- 

 947 (in 1885, 325,000); Ballarat, 41,087; Sand- 

 hurst, 38,420. 



The total value of the exports of Victoria 

 for the year 1884 was 16.050,465. The staple 

 articles of export were : Wool, to the amount 

 of 119,502,240 pounds, valued at 6,342,877 ; 

 gold and bullion, of the value of 1,010,295; 

 grain and flour, of the value of 1,762,007. 

 Among the minor articles of export from the 



