126 Statistics of Vent Diemens Land. 



cent., Pauperism 3 per cent.; the residue being expended 

 upon various Miscellaneous Services. During 1847 and 

 1848 the revenue has been increased, on the one hand, by 

 the grant for Police and Gaols from the Home Government ; 

 and the expenditure has been also increased by the return 

 of loans to Banks and the payment of outstanding claims. 

 The actual expenditure for 1848, excluding the arrears of 

 1847, but including payments made in 1849, appears to be, 

 by the same official document, £137,136 13s. Qd. 



Table 53 is an account of the Land Revenue, and of the 

 charges borne upon it, for 1848. Deducting the balances 

 from each side of the statement, the amount realised from 

 this source during the year is £23,719 4s. '^d. ; and the 

 sum expended £10,224 IQs. \0d., -which includes a loan of 

 £3000 to the Bridgewater Commissioners, leaving a surplus 

 of £13,494 13s. 4c/. The balance of Land Revenue on 

 1st January, 1848, was £10,800 ll-s. Id.; and on 31st 

 December, £24,295 4.9. bd. 



Table 54 is a return of Pensions chargeable upon the 

 Colonial Revenue, and calls for no particular comment. 



Table 55 is a summary of the Civil Process of the 

 Supreme Court during 1848, and exhibits a considerable 

 increase of business upon the year under most of its heads. 

 If the number of lawsuits be a test of prosperity, as has 

 been recently alleged by a high judicial authority, this 

 increase should be a source of general congratulation ; but 

 it is the opinion of others, founded upon experience, that 

 litigation flourishes most during the transition from high 

 prices, high profits, and high wages, to a period of com- 

 parative depression. Compared with 1847, there were 103 

 more summonses issued, and 131 more actions brought, but 

 only 3 more actions tried. Of undefended cases there was 

 an increase of 27. The writs of execution, taking both 

 sorts together, are the same in number as in the previous 



