50 



AUSTRALIA AND POLYNESIA. 



tion per head of population, the revenue, the debt on December 31, 1874, for each of the 

 imports and exports for 1874, and the public Australian colonies: 



The telegraph statistics were as follows : 



The postal statistics for the different colonies 

 were as follows: 



The live stock in the different colonies was 

 as follows : 



Sir Redmond Barry made the following 

 statement of the libraries of Victoria at the 

 International Congress of Librarians, held in 

 London. In Melbourne, the Government Li- 

 brary has 90,000 volumes, the library of Par- 

 liament 40, 000, and the libraries of the Univer- 

 sity and of the Supreme Court together 33,000 

 volumes, making, in all, 163,000 volumes. None 

 of these libraries date back further than 1853. 

 There are, in addition, 30,000 volumes in the 

 libraries of different societies, and an unknown 

 number in 14 popular libraries. Outside of 

 Melbourne, the colony has 130 libraries with 

 174,103 volumes, not including circulating li- 

 braries. In 1874, books to the value of 267,- 

 000 were imported in Australia. The Govern- 

 ment has contributed 50,388 to the costs of 

 the library buildings, while 150,510 were 

 raised by subscription for building purposes 

 and the purchase of books. 



In New South Wales, early in 1877, the min- 

 istry, being defeated in Parliament, thereupon 

 advised the Governor to dissolve that body. 

 He consented to take this step if the supplies 

 necessary to carry on the various departments 

 of the public service, pending an appeal to the 

 constituencies, could be obtained. On March 

 14th the Colonial Treasurer moved the question 

 of supplies in the House, but was met by an 

 amendmfeflt presented by Mr. Piddington, the 

 leader of the Opposition, declining to grant 

 supplies to a defeated Government, under cir- 



cumstances which would, in all probability, re- 

 sult in two general elections within a short 

 period of time. The Government was defeated 

 in the division by a vote of 33 to 27; and, the 

 Governor having declined to grant a dissolu- 

 tion, Mr. Robertson, the head of the Cabinet, 

 and his colleagues, resigned. Sir Henry Parkes 

 was then intrusted with the task of forming a 

 new cabinet, and on March 22d the names of 

 the new ministers were announced in both 

 Houses. This ministry, however, resigned on 

 August 10th, and a new one was again formed 

 under Mr. J. Robertson. But even this did 

 not seem to possess the popular confidence. 

 On October llth Parliament was dissolved by 

 the Governor, and the ministry continued in 

 office pending the new elections. 



The Parliament of Victoria was dissolved in 

 April, and a general election ordered for May 

 1 1th. The ministry announced that they would 

 adopt a policy in the direction of free trade, 

 and that they proposed to cover the deficit 

 arising therefrom by the imposition of stamp 

 and land taxes. The elections, however, re- 

 sulted in the return of a Protectionist majority. 

 On May 22d the new Parliament met, and on 

 the 29th elected Sir Charles Gavan Duffy 

 Speaker, and then adjourned until June 26th. 

 A new ministry was formed, with Mr. Berry 

 as Premier. 



* These statements are for 1S75. 



t For 1876. 



