218 REPORT — 1859. 



own productions, and, on the other, by our manufacturers studying, more than they 

 do at present, the habits of the people in the manufacture of articles best suited to 

 their real wants, tastes, and fancies. The total value of merchandise exported from 

 British India in 1858 was £27,453,692, of which £9,106,635 was for opium, none 

 of which is entered for British consumption. Deducting this, the exports still ex- 

 ceeded £18,000,000, of which more than £10,500,000 came to the United King- 

 dom. The largest item of Indian exports, after opium, is raw cotton, which in 

 1858 amounted to £4,301,769, of which ,£3,296,698 came to the United -Kingdom, 

 and this is about £1,500,000 below the value of the manufactured cotton we sent 

 out to her. He pointed to the importance that would attach to organized efforts 

 made to promote the consumption of Indian produce, and thereby to stimulate her 

 productive power. He next said the whole system of banking in India requires to 

 be changed. The means of transport and irrigation were also noticed asgreatly 

 needed and greatly important. It should be clearly understood, however, that, for 

 the real extension of great commercial intercourse with India, it is no part of the 

 duty of Government to aid, either directly or indirectly, by pecuniary grants, gifts 

 of land, or guarantees of interest, any industrial or commercial undertaking of the 

 country. 



On the Statistics of the Trade and Progress of the Colony of Victoria. 

 By the Hon. Thomas M'Combie. 



Before entering upon the subject matter of this paper, I may be permitted to state 

 that I have confined myself entirely to the bare statistics of the subject, and leave 

 the members to draw such deductions as they may think fit. Victoria has many 

 claims on the people of this country in being the greatest instance of successful 

 colonization in the history of the world ; in being called after the greatest and most 

 popular sovereign that ever ruled the British dominions ; and in having, after an 

 existence of twenty years, productions amounting to £20,000,000. 



The colony of Victoria contains within its area about 54,000 square miles. Its 

 boundaries are Bass's Straits to the south and east ; the colony of South Australia, 

 near the line of 141° of longitude to the east ; and the colony of New South Wales 

 to the north and north-east by a straight line drawn from Cape Horn to the nearest 

 point of the Biver Murray, and thence by the course of that river to the eastern 

 boundary of the colony of South Australia. This large tract of fine land was settled 

 in 1836 by adventurers from New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, and was 

 said to contain 7000 aborigines, who have nearly all died out, only from 300 to 400 

 remaining. The commercial relations of the new territory were confined for some 

 time to the intercourse between the new colonies and the neighbouring settlements 

 on the Australian coast. The Customs revenue for the last quarter of 1840 was 

 £1597 ; for the first quarter of 1841 it was £5609. The total of the ordinary 

 revenue for the last quarter of 1840 was £3319 ; for the first quarter of 1841 it was 

 £10,490. In April 1837, the population of the colony was but 500, and the stock 

 consisted of but 14,000 sheep, 2500 head of cattle, and 150 horses. In 1841 there 

 was a census taken, and the following was the residt : — Population of Melbourne, 

 4479 ; of county of Bourke, 3241 ; of the district of Western Port, 1391 ; of Gee- 

 long, 454 ; of county of Grant, 336 ; of Portland, 597 ; of the county of Normanby, 

 1260: making a total of 11,728. Houses : In Melbourne, 769 ; county of Bourke, 

 432; Western Port, 110; Geelong, 81; county of Portland, 100 : total, 1559. 



Condition of the people. — Convicts in the employment of the Government in 

 Melbourne, 64 ; in the county of Bourke, 34 ; Western Port, 5 ; Geelong, 20 ; 

 Grant, 17 ; Portland, 2 ; coimty of Portland, 4 : total, 146. In private assign- 

 ment: — in Melbourne, 10; coimty of Bourke, 70 ; Western Port, 122 ; Geelong, 6; 

 Portland, 23 : total, 213, making a gross total of convicts in the districts 369, and 

 2 female convicts, or 371 in all. Of the male free population, 215 were bom in the 

 colonies ; 6500 arrived free ; 104 were emancipated convicts ; and 124 ticket-of- 

 leave holders. Of the free female population, there were 341 born in the colony; 

 2908 arrived free ; 104 were emancipated ; and 2 held tickets-of-leave. 



Station in life. — Of those who can be ranked as employers and non-labourers, 

 there were 1767 ; and of labourers 8926. 



In March 1846, another census of the portion of the Australian territory which 



