Statistics of Van Diemen's Land. 1J9 



the chief part being in Hobart Town, are described as of 

 low character ; an evil which loudly demands the attention 

 of the magistracy. 



Table 35 is a new, and no doubt useful return, in a com- 

 mercial point of view, of the stock on hand in our Bonding 

 Warehouses of the several kinds of Spirits and Tobacco at 

 the end of 1848. 



Table 36 details the statistics of the Post-office for the 

 past year, by which it appears that there are 51 Post-offices 

 in all, emplo}dng 76 persons, and operating over 634 miles 

 of Post-roads. There were sent from Hobart Town, in the 

 course of the year, 195,785 letters, and 222,522 newspapers ; 

 and 161,571 letters were received there within the same 

 period. After defraying its whole expenditure, about ^600 

 is yielded to the Revenue from this department. 



Table 37 states the number of Stage-coaches running 

 upon the Main and Cross Roads of the Colony, and affords 

 at once evidence of the increased degree of accommodation 

 which the public now enjoy, and of a rapid extension of 

 intercourse within a comparatively limited period. 



Table 38 records the fact that there are six newspapers 

 published at Hobart Town, two of which appear once a week, 

 and four twice ; and three at Launceston, two of these 

 coming out twice a week, and one, devoted to the advocacy 

 of the Tee- total cause, monthly. 



Table 39 develops the affairs of the Banks in Van Die- 

 men's Land at the end of 1848, The assets comprise bullion 

 to the value of ^200,000, and bills of exchange to the 

 amount of about one million ; while the liabilities do not 

 exceed £60,000 for their notes and bills in circulation, and 

 d£340,000 for deposits : in other words, their liabilities are 

 about one-third of their assets. As compared with 1847, 

 there is a decrease in bulhon of 10|- per cent., but an addi- 



